(The Plaza Live, Orlando FL) On May 28, Orchestral Manouevres in the Dark (OMD) made their triumphant return to the Plaza Live in Orlando. The English duo (originally from Meols, Merseyside and formed in 1977), consisting of bassist and lead singer, Andy McCluskey and keyboardist, Paul Humphries were originally supposed to perform at the Plaza Live in October of 2024. The 2024 show had to be postponed due to unforeseen circumstances. This latest performance, however, is not their first concert at the Orlando-based landmark venue. The concert was packed to the rafters with the line to enter the venue snaking around the entire building as early as 6.30 PM. OMD was not scheduled to take the stage until 9.00 PM.
The stage show was a dazzling and brilliant display of transcendent lighting that synced perfectly with every song. In addition, the stage was backed by three giant LCD Monitors. The images displayed on the monitors were carefully choreographed to accentuate the set list. From the brilliant homages to stained glass windows while performing Joan of Arc, the NO NO NOs during Tesla Girls, the saturated pink hues of Molly Ringwald from If You Leave, to the haunting images of nuclear explosion that gave poise to the band’s performance of Enola Gay- the lighting and images were an impressive and immersive delight that elevated the depth and emotion of OMD’s nearly 50 years of original and innovative music.
Andy McCluskey’s trademark phrenetic dancing and non-stop energy energized the crowd. While Paul Humphries spent most of the concert on lead keyboard, he did take center stage for several songs. The band ran the gambit of their music catalog. This included songs from some of their most innovative & well-known albums, such as Organisation, Architecture & Morality, Junk Culture, Crush, and The Pacific Age. The band’s latest album, Bauhaus Staircase (released in 2023) was also represented with songs that included Anthropocene and Look at You Now.
The concert lasted approximately two hours and included their standard encore numbers, Enola Gay and Electricity. McCluskey’s boundless energy outlasted the entire crowd. Humphries’ virtuosic keyboards have only gotten better with time. The performance was flawless from start to finish and the entire setlist was played with the same amount of raw energy and emotion that the band displayed in the 1980’s. Only this go around, the wisdom of time and experience was on full display from a band that have truly mastered their craft.
The opening band, Scotland’s Walt Disco, gave a spirited performance somewhere faintly in the vibe of Oingo Boingo, but simply were not in the same sphere as OMD.
Write-Up: Joseph Guinigundo
Photos: Bailey Guinigundo
The stage show was a dazzling and brilliant display of transcendent lighting that synced perfectly with every song. In addition, the stage was backed by three giant LCD Monitors. The images displayed on the monitors were carefully choreographed to accentuate the set list. From the brilliant homages to stained glass windows while performing Joan of Arc, the NO NO NOs during Tesla Girls, the saturated pink hues of Molly Ringwald from If You Leave, to the haunting images of nuclear explosion that gave poise to the band’s performance of Enola Gay- the lighting and images were an impressive and immersive delight that elevated the depth and emotion of OMD’s nearly 50 years of original and innovative music.
Andy McCluskey’s trademark phrenetic dancing and non-stop energy energized the crowd. While Paul Humphries spent most of the concert on lead keyboard, he did take center stage for several songs. The band ran the gambit of their music catalog. This included songs from some of their most innovative & well-known albums, such as Organisation, Architecture & Morality, Junk Culture, Crush, and The Pacific Age. The band’s latest album, Bauhaus Staircase (released in 2023) was also represented with songs that included Anthropocene and Look at You Now.
The concert lasted approximately two hours and included their standard encore numbers, Enola Gay and Electricity. McCluskey’s boundless energy outlasted the entire crowd. Humphries’ virtuosic keyboards have only gotten better with time. The performance was flawless from start to finish and the entire setlist was played with the same amount of raw energy and emotion that the band displayed in the 1980’s. Only this go around, the wisdom of time and experience was on full display from a band that have truly mastered their craft.
The opening band, Scotland’s Walt Disco, gave a spirited performance somewhere faintly in the vibe of Oingo Boingo, but simply were not in the same sphere as OMD.
Write-Up: Joseph Guinigundo
Photos: Bailey Guinigundo
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