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A band with a rather unusual
name started to make good noises in 1979 and first played at Friars
supporting Gary Numan. Their appearance was notable for these two young
guys (Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys) were accompanied by the
faithful Winston, their 4 track TEAC tape machine. Within just over a
year, they had two successful albums, one of THE defining songs of the
1980s in Enola Gay and headlined their first big tour of which Friars
was the opening night. Throughout the 1980s OMD got bigger and bigger.
They came to an abrupt halt in 1988 and came back in 1991 with just Andy
McCluskey surviving the original line up. This line up was successful
and Andy called time on OMD in 1996 and became a successful songwriter,
notably scoring hits for Atomic Kitten.
OMD in it's original band line
up (the one that played Friars in 1980) reformed and toured their
classic Architecture and Morality album to packed houses and toured
again in 2008 throwing in some surprises that hadn't been played for
years. OMD played a prestigious show in
Liverpool
in summer 2009 with
the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and there are plans for a new
studio album in 2010.
We caught up with Andy in
February 2009 where he talks about OMD and the possibility (Friars world
exclusive - you heard it here first!) of playing Telegraph one last
time.
Two guys and a tape recorder (Winston) was a little different in 1979,
what was people’s reaction to your type of music and presentation?
The initial reaction was mostly
disinterested. Most friends didn't get it and the first few gigs were
hardly full.
The name of the band was presumably was
to provoke a reaction – how did that come about?
We knew that two guys and a tape
recorder was going to be unusual so we specifically chose a name that
would let people know that we were unusual.. it didn't seem to matter
much as we planned (only) one gig.
I remember being quite excited at OMD
supporting Gary Numan in 1979 having already heard some of the early
material and liking it – how did the support slot to Numan come about?
We had released Electricity on Factory and Gary
bought it and liked it. I think that he liked the idea of us supporting
him because we didn't take up too much space stage.. Gary was very kind
giving us transport, and food backstage and no "buy on" (the offensive
practice of support bands having to buy the right to support the
headlining band - Ed)
How did the tour go ? Presumably you
must have picked up more and more fans on the way given that the band
continued to grow from strength to strength? These venues such as Friars
and Hammersmith Odeon must have been the biggest venues by far that you
had played up to that point?
The tour was wonderful, friendly and a
good experience.. especially as we were to tour the same venues
headlining exactly a year later.
How did Numan take to you?
Gary was lovely and we can't thank him
enough for his help and support.
The decision to expand to the band to a
four piece was presumably to not necessarily look more ‘real’ to people
but also to enhance the music and sound of the band? I personally think
it enhanced it a great deal.
We had known and played in bands with
Mal (Holmes - OMD drummer) since we were 16. We also knew Martin
(Cooper, OMD keyboard/sax player). However, we started as a two piece
because it seemed that only Paul and I liked what we wanted to do. We
were a two piece out of necessity! Once the first LP had been done and
there seemed to be an audience it was logical to expand.
I have to confess as a fan that seeing
you do "Dancing" on the Old Grey Whistle Test in early 1980 was a
defining moment for me in OMD’s history….as well as seeing you on Top of
the Pops for the first time. 1980 was very much a pivotal year releasing
two albums? That’s a rarity even then. How did that come about? Was it
record company pressure or was it just the right thing to do?
1980 was an amazing year! beginning
with the first LP that never got higher than 27 in the charts but still
went gold. and then our first hit Messages.. and finishing the year with
Enola Gay and the big tours! We had so many songs that we were ready for
two LPs in one year.
The Organisation tour in 1980 opened at
Aylesbury Friars and surprised some people by selling out (presumably to
some, you weren’t a ‘name’), but you must have sensed/realised that the
start of something very big was not far away? I have to say that was an
amazing gig showing a real maturity and a huge leap from 12 months
previously.
Thank you. We were always nervous
about ticket sales.. the agents and promoters were more confident. It
was a very fast journey from rejected obscurity to big record sales and
sold out gigs! We had to learn a lot very quickly. I remember talking to
the tour manager before the Friars gig saying that there were many songs
where I didn't play bass ... so would should I do?.. He said "be a front
man".. I said " I don't know how" I can remember during the gig actually
having to think about what to do.. "I will go to this side of the
stage.." "I'll look over there", "I'll sing to that person".. "I'll look
to the back and make a hand gesture".. I felt so weird like I was
pretending to be a rock star!
Sadly OMD didn’t play Friars after that, something you commented on the
website and wished you had given the intimacy of the venue, but after
Organisation, the band was becoming bigger and bigger – the follow up
album Architecture and Morality took you in a different direction but
proved hugely popular. Was it easy keeping it all in perspective after a
fairly quick (for the time) rise to success?
I think that we had perspective for a
while but by 1985/6 we were starting to be too busy.. tours were very
long trying to break the USA and not enough time to think of good song
material.. we just didn't realise at the time. We were doing our best
but we had run out of ideas and needed more time.
Dazzle Ships is a monumental piece -
dark, mysterious and unlike anything OMD did before (or since). John
Peel tried to describe what this was about and gave up saying that
whatever it was, you did it well and played this album a lot. What was
the thinking behind this album? There aren’t many albums that use Radio
Prague ‘call’ routines or multi national speaking clocks…..
I was trying to go even further with
our music than we had already gone. You have to remember that we started
as an experimental band.. we did music to try to "change the world"
though in hindsight I'm not sure how we thought we would do that. Dazzle
Ships was a logical extension.
With the continued success through the
1980s, it must have been a bit odd carrying the OMD moniker by yourself
into the 1990s?
Yes it was initially.. I tried to hide
behind the OMD corporate logo.
After the ‘retirement’ of OMD you
started writing songs for others most notably very successfully for
Atomic Kitten – is this something, given current OMD activity you see
yourself still doing?
I loved the Atomic Kitten early days..
it was crazy and it was fun.. I love the girls dearly.. but in the end
we had a falling out manufactured by other people who will remain
nameless.. I didn't see this coming and didn't really respond properly.
It's a very dirty business, the whole manufactured pop business very
dirty indeed.. you have no idea what people are up to.
It was fantastic for OMD fans when the
classic line up (1980 onwards) returned to British theatres in 2007
playing the whole of Architecture and Morality, so that is obviously a
pivotal album for you, say more so that Junk Culture which people may be
more familiar with because of the hits? There are those who would see
Dazzle Ships as the ‘classic’
Architecture and Morality is usually
cited as the classic but many have different favourites.
You must have been delighted with the
reaction to the 2007 tour – I saw you at Cambridge and the reaction was
truly astonishingly wild and judging by the look of it, you retained
your original audience (and their children!) which is no mean feat – do
you think you have picked up new fans on the way?.
Certainly there were several second
generation fans who didn't all look too embarrassed at being dragged
there by the parents.. I guess that electro is back in fashion again.
OMD touring again in 2008 was like full
circle to me in some respects – the London Roundhouse is basically a
bigger version of Friars so brought back some great memories of that
kind of environment – looked like you were having a good time too. I
would recommend anyone to an OMD gig just to see Maid of Orleans where
you really go for it!
I don't know how much longer I will be
able to throw myself around stage.. some would say that it's already
been 30 years too long.. but it's what I do.. for better or worse.
What does the future hold now for OMD –
clearly people have not forgotten about you – will you be playing any
more concerts in 2009 and if so what sort of format would the shows
take? A new album? Another whole album? Dazzle Ships in its entirety?
Will you ever play Telegraph again?
We have a concert on June 20th with the
RLPO in Liverpool.. that will be fantastic... and more plans to go
forward.
May even play
Telegraph live one last time.. though the key may have to be lowered.
Andy, thanks for your time
and look forward to the summer!
Cheers..
OMD official
website
This interview
and its content are © 2009 Mike O'Connor/www.aylesburyfriars.co.uk and
may not be used in whole or in part without permission. |
