Liverpool Museum-November 1st

WOW, where do I begin? Besides feeling like forever and a day since writing a blog (had to go look up some of the emoticon short cuts LOL 😉 )it feels quite crazy (but in a good way) to be typing this up!  Last time I was on here writing, it was a Thank You and Goodbye feeling so I’ve got to say it’s an honor to be doing this blog! 😀

I’ll start with the ‘extras’ first for anyone who may not have had the chance to see them since this wasn’t JUST a gig but an EVENT! The first thing we did was the boat tour. My friends Wendy, Tom and I had an 11am time slot and found there was only about 8 of us going on so it was easy to kind of walk a little slower and get a couple pics in front of the boat. I’d been in Liverpool the week before for a couple days of non-OMD gigs so I made a point to get here so I could have a nice, slow look of it but was really excited to go in and hear the missing DS parts! The guide was lovely and seemed excited about this too LOL. We were lead into the engine room and a recording telling us the usual safety information along with info on what was going to happen like loud noises, flashing lights etc commenced, then…it began. I don’t know how to describe it really other than awesome! 😀 There was one part of it that actually sounded quite orchestral which I thought “hmm, I wonder, if they had kept THAT part in, would fans have accepted the album a bit more since that sounded more A&M?” but it doesn’t matter as the album is perfect the way it is really imho! 🙂 But it just FIT in the setting of the boat. Boat tings of a bell, the massive poundings, similar boat alarms like we’ve heard (but different too). I just can’t really describe it right so I’m not even going to keep trying. Suffice it to say it really was wonderful, especially in that setting. It was like it was MADE for the boat…like a movie soundtrack spot or something. OK, I’m gonna stop here incase I’m not making sense.

After that we went into the museum to see the case with lots of old memorabilia like their very first keyboard, the old poster and flyers Mr. M. made for Electricity and their gig at Erics (the first being part of the VIP package) and then we went into the theatre for the movies. By this time, the group had grown with Sue and Walter, Nigel and Oliver, Bella and then Pat showing up. There were 4 videos all of various DS themes. I found the one about how they actually MADE the boats so interesting as it explained how they had a team who would make mini models of the boat ideas and actually test them by looking through a small telescope. In about a year, over 2,000 were made! The last video was OMDs missing DS parts. In some ways it was nice to hear it there since it seemed a bit better sound quality but in all honesty, I liked it better in the boat just because it was so appropriate but the theatre was cool too and I was glad I could hear it again LOL. A bit more mingling and then we all parted ways as it was over 1pm and we all wanted to have a bit of time to get ready for the gig since we wanted to que early.

Right, OK, now…the gig. Well, as we all know it was a 2 night affair and originally I was only going to go Saturday but long story that I won’t bore anyone with, I ended up with tickets to both so tonight was GA. Got in line shortly after 5pm to find Kim, Andrew, Kathryn and Tony already there and shortly after Dave and Karen came (who I ironically had met when they were behind me in line a week prior for Blancmange/H17 so it was funny they’d get right behind me again. Small world indeed! 😉 ). The later 4 were GA like me so it was going to be a good night. 🙂 The thing with OMD gigs is that there’s a family feel too so as the time of doors opening came closer and more people came to queue, more familiar faces popped up like Dave, Helen, Steph, Paula, Duncan, and more I’m sure I’m forgetting.

There was quite a bit of confusion as to what was going to happen with GA vs. VIP admittance, where to go to stand, get in etc. Things got changed even in the last few hours but in the end at least the VIPers got in early which was what they should have. Us GA’ers though, sadly just got milled into the bar area with no real order which wasn’t the best. I don’t think the museum people were prepared for what they had put on poor things. OMD are well loved LOL. 😉 But eventually they let us in and we came into a wide opened space (basically the gig was held in the entire entrance area). Everything was cleared out and the stage was up against the back wall with the lovely spiraling staircase off to it’s left. With 120 VIPers we were already quite a ways back despite being one of the first GA’ers to get in unfortunately and there seemed to be a bunch of the tallest guys in the back (which was good for short VIPers at least but not for us LOL) so they ended up in front of Kathryn and I (lost Dave and Karen who ended up a bit off to the side and back of us. 🙁 ) Dee (who I just met there LOL) managed to wiggle up by us too but despite using the muscles of my toes more than I’d used them in the past year, I couldn’t see anything but a tip of Winston (aww, WINSTON! 😀 ) and the other two girls were the same. 🙁  I told Kathryn that hopefully once the gig started things will shift around and we’ll get a bit of a view.

The show was to start at 8:30 but at 8:00 they shifted the dance DJ type music to OMD related music…a pairing of mash ups and remixes so it was cool to hear things that you don’t normally hear. The anticipation was high and when 8:30 arrived and the lights went down, out came the booming sounds of Dazzle Ships Parts II, III, and IIV…..oooo *squeal* 😀 . The guys came out one by one (though can’t say I saw from where as was still quite blocked) but then when DS stopped, ABC Auto Industry came on. YUP, we’re at a DS gig for sure! 😆 By this time I could see Mr. M. and his flag fairly well as he was way at one side of the stage but the others were blocked unless I really craned my neck, then could make out most of Mr. H. but poor Mr. C. eluded me. SO COOL! 😀 They were doing different parts to match the vocals and the crowd went wild! I just thought “this is unbelieveable!” But if that wasn’t enough, they then went into lovely Sealand! OMG! Mind you, the first time I EVER got to see OMD was in 2008 for the Messages tour as I wasn’t able to make it over for the A&M gigs so getting to see them do Sealand was a real thrill and unexpected indeed! 😯 There was a video screen behind them but then the images were also being projected above them onto the “Museum of Liverpool” letters of the wall. It took me a minute to figure that out as I had just been trying hard to see the guys but once I did, it was a nice addition to watch. This particular song had a young girl standing on what seemed to be the beach with crashing waves around her.

When it was over and the crowd went mad, the band was all smiles as if to say “OK, off to a good start”. Mr. M. then got handed his bass (NOT Ol’ Faithful…awww… 🙁 ) and off they went into Messages with the videos of fan letters floating around above the bands heads. Radio Waves was next and that got people dancing even more. I couldn’t help but think this was a new OMD experience in so many ways.

Once done with that, Mr. M.s bass got swapped out for a guitar and I IMMEDIATELY grabbed Kathryns arm all “OMG, Genetic Engineering!!!”. 😯 Mr. M. joked about how he was playing a guitar when they had rebelled against that kind of music and Mr. H. joked that he plays it like a bass so… Next thing ya know, strum strum strum and off they went for GE. O..M..GGGG! That’s my favorite OMD song and yes, I figured they’d do it since this was a DS themed gig but still, Whoo hooooo! 😀 😀 😀  Things kept going when Mr. M. gave the guitar back and I realized it was most likely going to be HoM Part 1. He made a joke about how “we had this place and the stage checked for vibration limits and it’s OK so follow me” and next thing, the starting sounds of HoM and despite being abit squashed, I managed to bounce! 🙂

I had been lucky enough to get to see the Erics gig back in 2011 so heard Julia’s Song…BUT…this time Mr. C. was playing bass! 😯  OMG, what a sight really! I promise to have pictures of it for tomorrows gig but it truly was a pleasurable switch to see him playing! 🙂

I had an “aww” moment when I heard them start into She’s Leaving as that song is always so lovely and then we were treated to Mr. H. doing Souvenir, to a loud cheer as a gig HAS to have at least one Mr. H. lead song. 😉 And to round off the A&M set, we got MoO. I couldn’t help but wonder (and teased Ed by asking) “was the stage WINDMILLING tested?” But it must have been because Mr. M. did his thing though it was also kind of heartbreaking as I thought about and missed Mr. H.#2…this was his song too! 😥 But the crowd cheered quite loudly and long enough after to get Mr. M.s smile to go from ear to ear which was well earned.

When they finished, things settled down and I heard a steady key…and I immediately thought “OMG, 4-Neu!” I literally spoke it under my breath and screamed, then apologized to Ed and his parents as it was a bit loud but by then others were cheering as we all realized what they were about to do. Well, not only is that song GORGEOUS and can bring up the emotions, I also thought about how, as a kid searching for 5 years for GE in any format, an import store managed to get me the 7″ and I heard 4-Neu and loved it…and anxiously waited until I had enough money for a keyboard I was saving to buy to then jump on it and learn the parts (I thought I was so cool being able to play it LOL 😳 ) so before I knew it, I was crying…but loving it too. And as if that wasn’t enough, we also then heard Swiss Radio International pop up to then blend eventually into International! OMG! It was beautiful and as Mr. M. belted out that later part that is always chilling to hear on the recorded version, we all cheered as we just loved it and it was impressive he could do it all these years later! Unbelievable and the crowd went crazy after! 😀

When things settled down, Mr. M. said, “we didn’t know what to do to follow that. What CAN you do? So we decided to just do something completely different” and they launched into Metroland. OK, that works LOL. 😆 SMS was next and I had reminded Kathryn and Tony plus Duncan about the prayer stance so was happy to see they all remembered for the first part, Duncan and I on our own for the second time (in Mark’s honor since he started that move in the first place but sadly wasn’t at the gigs. 🙁 ) The faster pace continued with SotSS and then it was that time, one of the final bouncing moments with Enola Gay. Things had moved around enough for me to be able to bounce a bit so I took advantage of that LOL. When it was over, Mr. M. and Mr. H. gave out thanks before all three of the guys came together to wave and mouth more thank yous. I wondered if there’d be an encore since this wasn’t a ‘typical’ OMD concert…but a minute or so later, out they came. Mr. M. thanked all of us for coming, joking “I know it wasn’t easy getting tickets!” He inforced the fact that all the money was going to the museum and thanked the staff for allowing them to do this. “Every time we’d ask could we do this or that, they’d say ‘well, we don’t know how but, sure’ so thank you”. And final thanks to the crew and people doing lighting and such who were also doing it for little to no money. Then…Electricity! I thought ooo, yay! But after, where I thought that would be it, Mr. H. started talking about Mr. H.#2. Of course everyone got quiet and listened as he explained that he was doing better but not drumming with them BUT, he had done the drums for this song and so was with them in spirit. We all cheered and it was a sweetly sad moment as it was obvious the band was missing him like we all were! 😥 Mr. M. said they were going to finish with their favorite song and next thing I knew, I was hearing the drum start of RotT. OMG! Another song I’d not seen live yet but was hoping to one day in my life…that day was happening! It was gorgeous and sad at the same time!

Once it was over and the guys came out to the front of the stage to do final thank yous before walking off, there were a lot of hoots and cheers coming from all of us. This set list was amazing and I don’t think anyone could complain! It truly was more a gig for the diehards who had hoped to hear ‘non-hit’ songs, yet a few general crowd pleasers were in there too to keep the bouncing and such going.

So, highlight of the night. Since there were quite a few songs I’d never seen or heard live I’d have to say THAT. And if I was to narrow it down more, I’d say probably 4-Neu followed by International though the fact we had Mr. H.#2 playing the drums on RotT…hmmm, maybe it’s a tie for second LOL.  Roll on tomorrow! 😀

I can only say WOW!!!! And, roll on tomorrow. 😀