Review: OMD bring the old and the new to the stage with a gig that did not disappoint

I first saw OMD supporting Simple Minds in, I’m guessing, 2009, I loved them before, growing up with them in the 80s, but that cemented my love of them live.

Fast forward some decade and I began to see more and more of the band when I could and have never been disappointed. And here we are in 2024 and they’re still producing quality.

Having listened to the new Bauhaus Staircase album I knew seeing them perform on stage again was going to be a treat.

It was a night of classic OMD tracks at Sheffield City Hall and enough of their new material to whet some appetites and keep everyone up on their feet, dancing, clapping, smiling and of course singing.

The stage presence of Andy McCluskey never disappoints. I recall seeing him at a gig held at Doncaster Rovers football ground and him saying he was 59 and watching him and thinking, good grief, I can’t do that and I’m a decade younger, in fact, could I ever move like that???

Keyboard player Paul Humphreys is still the quiet character in the corner but takes centre stage to deliver Forever Live and Die, another classic.

OMD will forever be synonymous with Enola Gay, Tesla Girls, Electricity and Maid of Orleans but the brand new tracks including album title Bauhaus Staircase, Don’t Go, Look at You Now and so many more, with a haunting nod to what our future could look like, were superb.

If you haven’t seen them, you should. Personally I can’t wait for the next gig.

Visit https://omd.uk.com/