Friday, July 15, 2022

Song of the Day: 'Vanity Kills' by ABC


Between Wimbledon, my being forced to return to the newsroom twice a week -- where all our desktop computers were disappeared, so I had no way of working because I was one of the few who didn't  already have a work laptop -- and my continuing investigation into the death of my old friend in L.A. (update TK), I haven't had a chance to say anything about the ABC concert Damian and I attended earlier at Sony Hall earlier this month. 


Short review: Other than the obnoxious opposite-sex couple directly in front of us who fought for the first hour of the show until a woman behind us finally asked them to knock it off -- heterosexuality isn't natural, so I couldn't really blame them for not getting along -- it was a joy from start to finish.


ABC, which these days consists of singer Martin Fry and a backing band, pulled no punches, playing virtually everything you could ask for including "Lexicon of Love" classics "Tears Are Not Enough," "All of My Heart," "Show Me," "Poison Arrow" and "The Look of Love"; "That Was Then but This Is Now" from sophomore slump "Beauty Stab"; "How to Be a ... Zillionaire" favorites "Be Near Me," "Ocean Blue," the title track, and today's SOTD ("Vanity Kills"); "When Smokey Sings," "The Night You Murdered Love" and "King Without a Crown" from "Alphabet City" as well as "Viva Love" and "The Flames of Desire" from the sublime "Lexicon of Love II" album that never saw a U.S. release. (I convinced myself Martin appreciated my singing along to those two, too!) If I were going to quibble -- and what fan doesn't like to? -- I'd have thrown in "S.O.S." from "Beauty Stab" as well, but you can't have everything. 


Not unlike the near-capacity crowd on hand, Martin seemed to be having the time of his life, sounding and looking like a million zillion bucks in his brocade smoking jacket and perfectly coiffed hair. It was a night of pure nostalgia for the '80s -- something Martin fully embraced, telling stories of Sheffield days and London nights alongside Phil Oakey, Simon Le Bon, Depeche Mode and other assorted New Romantics -- that made us happy to be near.

1 comment:

JimmyD said...

Sounds like a great show! Thanks for the review!!