Alison Moyet (left) reunites for the first time in 25 years with Vince Clarke for a show at 9:30 club. (Photo courtesy of Yaz)
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ZACK ROSEN
Friday, July 18, 2008
Though a lot of bands played at last year’s inaugural True Colors gay music tour, the highlight was unquestionably Erasure. The seminal ’80s synth-pop band has long been popular in queer circles, even though only one of its members, Andy Bell, is gay. The remaining heterosexual member, Vince Clarke, will appear at the 9:30 club on Sunday, July 20, with his reunited band Yaz.
Known in its native England as Yazoo, the duo of Clarke and singer Alison Moyet released two albums in the early ’80s and is best known for its singles “Situation” and “Don’t Go.” Moyet initially approached Clarke about the tour and a gap in his schedule following his last Erasure sets made the dates possible. The two have made gains in their personal relationship, but find life on the road to be more mundane the second time around.
“We had a very tumultuous relationship 25 years ago, but we’re a lot older and a lot wiser,” says Clarke. “We come from the same home town, have the same sense of humor. We can talk incredibly quickly and still understand each other … but we don’t party anymore, those days are over. It’s straight back to the hotel and to bed, you gotta look after yourself.”
The pair only toured once 25 years ago, so they have many audience members eager to see them live. Clarke says that he is keeping the musical arrangements relatively close to their recorded versions to keep them familiar to fans and that the minimalist performance will consist only of himself, Moyet and several projector screens for visuals. He believes that the material has held up well over the years and that this is a good time to reconnect with fans.
“It’s like when a band dies prematurely, they become famous after they’re dead. It’s like that with Yaz … I hadn’t listened to the recordings in 25 years, it’s a bit weird. At the same time, I was surprised at how new or fresh they still sound. They’re very simple arrangements, some of it is quite naive, yet it still stands up quite well.”
THOUGH BANDS LIKE Hot Chip and Cut Copy have created a resurgence in synth-pop, it is a genre that Clarke himself did much to perfect in the early ’80s. He was a founding member of Yaz, Erasure and Depeche Mode, three of the most influential bands of the era. The straight and married Clarke has a 2-year-old son, so he reports that the music he is currently downloading is tied to his son’s tastes. When not listening to The Wiggles and an assortment of glam rock that his son currently enjoys, he has noticed that much contemporary music sounds reminiscent of his own.
“There’s definitely been a resurgence in making records that sound like records from the ’80s, but music is always changing. My view is that there’s good shit and bad shit out there — that’s always been the same.”
Clarke rejects the title of gay icon, saying that he and gay Erasure member Bell were more of a “mid-life married couple” than anything else, but there should still be a sizeable gay presence mixed into the audience at Sunday’s show. Though a lot of time has passed and Yaz is no longer Clarke’s best-known project, he believes that the show should be rewarding for those who attend.
“Everyone will really enjoy it. Allison is singing amazingly, she’s such a powerful stage persona. It’s very different from an Erasure concert — it’s darker, but I’m very pleased with the way it’s all turned out. The reaction has been fantastic.”
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