The Tank, The Swan And The Balloon

構成数 : 2枚
合計収録時間 : 00:00:00
Captured at the height of their pop stardom at the Manchester Apollo in 1992, this DVD should live as the definitive Erasure statement, visualizing the groups already fey dance-pop beats with a flamboyant stage show never imagined from the group's usually clinical video performances. Exquisitely choreographed, with a troupe of dancers swooning around an elaborate stage set, the concert opens with the Broadway yearning "Siren Song" which finds singer Andy Bell wrapped in a swan-like boa and silver overalls, nipples peaking out from the straps. From there, the duo of Bell and technician Vince Clark dive into their extensive catalog of hits, including "Ship of Fools," "Oh L'Amour" and "A Little Respect" while Bell prances across the stage, executing comical high-kicks and changing into costumes that range from sequined gowns to obscenely cut briefs, complete with bared ass and absurd codpiece. Meanwhile the stone-faced Clark rests calmly in a custom battleship control room with drum machines and synthesizers attached in front, to the sides and even above his head. Oddly, Clark goes to some lengths to break down the curmudgeon reputation (developed due to his premature exit from quintessential electronic acts Yaz and Depeche Mode) by dressing at the height of ridiculousness, ending the show in full powdered-wig drag regalia. Of course, Erasure had just as much to offer to the musical cannon as either of Clark's previous groups, but viewing a spectacle such as this, it's now little wonder why they have often lacked the respect placed upon their electronic-pop peers. But once you accept the costumed cavalcade before your eyes, the timeless music still comes through in all its post-Moroder glory, making Erasure to synth pop what Elton John was to the '70s rock establishment -- gaudy, fantastic and utterly essential. And with this DVD re-release featuring a bonus disc of band interviews as well as chats with the show's costume designer and choreographer, we get a peek into the working mind of the superstars, in a genre usually chastised for it's lack of depth and consideration. ~ Joshua Glazer