ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVRES IN THE DARKO
MD singer Andy McCluskey calls
Paul Humphreys “The Surgeon”.
The keyboardist in turn refers to
the frontman as “The Butcher”.
“I cleave ideas with a big chopper
and throw them out,” Andy
explains. “Paul surgically makes it
all fit together. It really does work.”
It’s a neat summary of how Orchestral Manoeuvres
In The Dark have operated since their first gig at
influential new wave club Eric’s in Liverpool in 1978.
But it’s also a slightly jokey remark which highlights the
probable reason OMD aren’t more revered in
electronic music: they take their music seriously,
themselves much less so.
Debut single Electricity was groundbreaking
synth-pop and one of the first five releases on FactoryRecords. Its B-side Almost is cited by Vince Clarke as
the reason he took up playing keyboards. OMD’s
1983 album Dazzle Ships flopped at the time but has
gone on to be named by The Killers, Arcade Fire and
Radiohead as an influence. And you won’t get a better
late-period synth-pop classic album than OMD’s most
recent record, 2017’s The Punishment Of Luxury. Their
original drum machine Winston is on display at a
museum in Liverpool and further museum displays have
been dedicated to them in Arizona. Andy has even
co-written for the band with Kraftwerk’s Karl Bartos. If
only OMD were more earnest and po-faced, they’d
have statues erected in honour of their influence on
electronic music.
“If we hadn’t played together in decades, it’d
probably feel like we started 40 years ago,” ponders
Andy. “But, when we reformed, we reacquaintedORCHESTRAL MANOEUVRES IN THE DARK BEGAN AS AN ART PROJECT THAT
PLAYED ONE GIG FOR A DARE. FORTY YEARS LATER, ANDY MCCLUSKEY AND PAUL
HUMPHREYS’ ART PROJECT HAS SOLD MILLIONS OF RECORDS, SPLIT UP IN A MESS
OF BAD DRUGS AND WORSE FINANCES, ONLY TO REFORM STRONGER THAN EVER.
“THERE’S STILL AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF DRUGS ON OUR TOUR BUS,” THEY TELL
CLASSIC POP. “BUT NOW THEY’RE JUST PRESCRIPTION ONES KEEPING US ALIVE.”
JOHN EARLS“STOCKHAUSEN
OR ABBA?
CAN’T WE BE
BOTH?”