New York City-July 8th, 2025

OK, disclaimer that this blog won’t have many pictures because with it being the final show, I just wanted to enjoy it and not use my camera much…sorry.😉

Welp….this is it…the FINAL SHOW of OMD’s MASSIVE tour! It’s so strange because May 22nd’s DC show seems so long ago now. I mean 7 weeks IS quite a long time but in some ways it seems even longer than that, other ways it seems like it just happened a month ago. Funny how our minds play tricks sometimes.

Right…flew out in the morning and tho I had gotten an email the day before suggesting I change my flight for “adverse weather conditions”, I lucked out and my flight was on time and landed just fine, yay!😀👍 My plan was to get in line at 4:30 but Christine messaged me as I was about to go into my hotel asking when I was arriving. I told her, asked if she was there already and she said yes, 8 people ahead of her. Oh my!😯 So needless to say I got into the hotel quickly, did a fast fresh up and change and out the door I went to arrive at 3:50pm….3 others between Christine and I. I was excited because my friend Andrew had messaged me the week prior to say he and his son Jeremy were coming, YAY! I met Andrew way back on the first 2011 tour and we’d remained friends since. I also met his sons when OMD came back later that same year because I stayed at his house a few days. Funny enough, Jeremy was FOUR back then! I have memories of him sitting on my lap while I played Battleship with his older brother. Of course for HIM it was like meeting me for the first time.😂 They arrived about 15 minutes after me and it was a long HOT wait because tho we were in the shade under an awning (thank goodness!) about an hour in we were greeted by a hot dog and sausage stand…OK, that makes sense as many may buy food in line. But tho they played OMD songs, (it was the same 5 songs for over an hour before they finally started to branch out a bit)  the heat from cooking made the area roasting! We were all dripping by the time doors opened (tho the band was SO sweet and had put a bunch of waters in a box and had security bring them out to us. Bless!❤️🤗)

It was a bit unsure about getting front row as some had let others into the line ahead of us but luckily I managed to grab a spot and spread for Andrew and Jeremy. I was SO happy to be there for the last show!😀🤗 Christine was only 1 person away with a guy named Charlie in between (who I KNOW I’ve met before but for the life of me I couldn’t remember…and the poor guy got me asking him like 3 times trying to figure it out.😂🤪) Jennifer, Bert, Mali, Kim and Elizabeth were a bit further down so the front row had a lot of familiar.😂😉 Plus it felt so much better in the air conditioning! A bit deja vu for me too since they had played here on the two 2011 tours…many memories also with Andrew LOL.

WD did their thing and since it was the final show, they had thank yous for crew, OMD etc. It was dicey getting to and from the bathroom…worst of the tour as it was long way to get there and back. Jeremy had headed out shortly after I had and Andrew was just getting worried and about to text him when I saw him coming up. PHEW! Andrew and I were telling him all the little moves and special things that we do but there were a few I forgot to mention to them so they both joined in as it happened LOL.😂😂 Lots of cheers when the lights went down and especially when the guys came out. Anthropocene went down well and when it was over, Mr. M. said hello and then “it’s the last show of the tour. We’re going to have a party and you’re all invited.” 😀👍 From the cheers, everyone was happy for the invite LOL.

It was so fun to do the TG “yes, Yes, YES” bit with Jeremy and Andrew (even Charlie joined in which was great!😀) and bouncing to Kleptocracy “just fucking google it” LOL. It was a tight squeeze so many times I was moving backwards to bounce or sideways to clap my hands but that was OK. Sold out means tight quarters LOL. I’m happy to say there were many people bouncing for HoM, the ONE song I don’t have recorded from this tour (for obvious reasons LOL😂😉). When it was done, Mr. M. welcomed “the star” aka Mr. H. down for FLAD. Mr. H. laughed and said “there you go again, it sounds so good” and Mr. M. laughed and said “you go down there and work, I’ll come up here and do the easy part.” Massive cheers for Mr. H. which was great and he was all smiles when done. Heading back to the keyboards Mr. M. patted down his hair and said something about the fans down on stage. Mr. H. laughed and said “yeah those fans…” Mr. M. laughed and said something along the lines he doesn’t always like them…then looked at us and said “the ones on stage, not YOU”. 😉

I recorded the final song I needed to get which was IYL and the crowd was singing SO loud to that one, it was great!   After thanking us, Mr . M. said “ah…want to go back with us tomorrow? Paul will buy everyone plane tickets. He’s minted now, he has a house in France…” to which Mr. H. started nodding his head no and said “nah nah…”😂 He then introduced the first of the A&M Trio, Souvenir. When Mr. M. was behind Stuart, he did a hair scrubby moment on Stuarts head, much to the surprise and laughter of Stuart.😂  I should mention too that after each song, Stuart was chalking his hands… I’m assuming he was given drum chalk as a goodbye gift LOL…. I  totally soaked up JoA/MoO since it was the last one for awhile and it seemed Andrew and Jeremy were loving it too. Actually EVERYONE was because the crowd went wild when  they were both done. Mr. M. pointed to his knee and, thanking us all for coming after the date change said “I now have a titanium knee….so I can dance like a twat for another 66 years.” Yes please!😀👍🤗

For the first time on the tour I heard cheers between each verse of Veruschka!😯😀👍 When it was over Mr. M. said “quite a generous response to a new and slow song in the middle of the set. Thank you!”  He then told us it was back to dancing and singing along and the “Don’t Go” sounded good tonight. He agreed saying “you’ve got the job” once over. There was a pause before  Stuart started SiL….not sure why but Mr. M. had a look like he was waiting but didn’t want to look back at Stuart LOL. He said “Stuart wake up and play the song” and off went SiL…another great sing along from the crowd! And Kim, Jennifer and Mali got sung the “you 3 would do ANYTHING….” bit LOL.😂 Mr. C. also got massive cheers for his sax solo and Mr. M. gave him a point and shout out…”the SAX man.” He laughed, smiled out at the crowd who was still cheering and gave a little wave.😀

The singing along continued for Dreaming for sure and then there was the usual funny bits with Mr. H. for Locomotion including extra arms up in the air for “fly thru the airwaves” which was funny because Mr. H. started flailing his arms to match Mr. M.s extras.😂 SotSS went fast and then it was EG. When Mr. M. announced a final chance to bounce, someone yelled “Don’t Go”, someone else “We Love You”, someone else “play the Listening Pool”, and when Mr .M. did the “shhhssshhhh”, someone yelled “don’t shut up, we love you” LOL. Poor Stuart was waiting because there were so many things being yelled out but then he hit the bit to start EG and off the bouncing and dancing went LOL.  Part way Mr. M. reminded us “don’t forget, Paul’s buying the plane tickets”. 😂When it was over, the guys came down to the front and it was all smiles! I mean really, what else would it be? A FANTASTIC run with EVERY show having awesome, sometimes mind blowing amazing crowds!😀😀🤗 Stuart also tossed a drum stick to Jeremy which was awesome! (I had hoped it would happen but wasn’t sure….yay!😀👍🤗)

When the guys were gone, Andrew and I tried to get the OMD chant going and a few around us joined in but it didn’t really take off…ah well. When the guys came back on stage Mr. M. did their thank yous of the crew, their drivers “who drove us around the country for 12,500 miles!” (dang!😯), WD “and of course…all of you!” Then it was swaying to LaYN.. “I hope someone is recording this because you look fantastic”. When it was over, before Secret he said “this has become my favorite song to introduce” and proceeded to say how it’s the hit that was never released. When it started I heard the biggest, loudest and quite long scream come from a few rows back of me LOL.😂😂 It was sadly the final song with Electricity but we had a final laugh as Mr. H.  started sining the wrong bit. Mr. M. cracked up and in a break turned to Mr. H. and said “what’s the  name of this song Paul?” and Mr. H. just laughed. (I wasn’t sure originally who did it but Mr. M.s response leads me to think it was Mr. H. who sang the wrong bit, bless.😂🤗)

Once done, more thank yous, waves, hand hearts and the guys stayed on the stage a bit extra, I’m sure to soak it in as the final moments of this tour.😀❤️ When they left, I had to get my post gig picture and there was talk of maybe waiting around for the guys but I honestly didn’t see them coming out…final show in NYC most likely meant a big after party. Jeremy was semi interested in getting his drumstick signed but when told it’d be at least an hour IF they came out, he was like “oh..ok no” LOL. So we walked out, gave hugs goodbye and off they went. Christine and I waited a tiny bit, I got to do hugs and goodbyes to Mali, Kim, Jennifer and Bill along with Jocelyn who I forgot to mention…she had been sitting next to me at the very first DC show and then had befriended Christine at the Long Island and Boston shows. TOTALLY forgot that we had said “see you in NYC” at the end of DC.😂 Then it was the walk back to hotel which ended up being close to Christine’s hostel so we could go together.

So…highlight of the night….that’s got to be seeing the show with Andrew and Jeremy. Like Mark in LA, Andrew and I hadn’t done a show together since 2018! It was LONG overdue and great to have my bouncing buddy with me. Jeremy did really well too keeping up with the bouncing and he does a great tongue roll shrill with me for the end of EG. So fun!😂😀👍🤗

There’s always mixed emotions at the end of a tour….sadness that the gigs are done and I won’t be hanging with my friends anymore but also some relief to be going home to my cats and in my case, a new home that I still have to do a lot with in terms of decorating, buying furniture etc.  It helps to know I’ll see a show with friends in November….softens the blow LOL.😀👍 Huge thanks of course to OMD for giving us all these WONDERFUL shows! And thanks to those of you reading and following the blogs. Until next time.😀🤗