The sun is shinning on Rochdale (who has ever said those words with a straight face?) and people are gathered outside the town hall, pints in hand and various Madchester era clothes on their backs. Clint Boon (BOON ARMY!) has just finished getting the crowd amped up with a DJ set, and you feel as though you’ve taken a time machine back to the early 80s with this next act…
A Certain Ratio
Up steps A Certain Ratio, and they don’t waste any time either. The drums from Donald Johnson. The ever so post-punk bass sound from Jez Kerr, a lethal combination on stage. They power through some classic numbers, ‘Knife Slits Water’ is a standout track. We even get a cover of the Talking Heads’ ‘Houses in Motion’ and goes down like a house of fire (if you know, you know). ‘Lucinda’ closes off the band’s short but high energy set. The bass on that track is stupendous live, the whole track just radiates post-punk energy, Kerr is tearing it up on bass. The crowd show their appreciation with thunderous applause as the band head off the stage.
Peter Hook and the Light
I assume Hooky wanted to make sure the crowd knew what they were in for straight away, as the intro of ‘Transmission’ begins to play straight away. That riff never gets old. And Hook doesn’t do a bad job on the vocals either, “DANCE DANCE DANCE TO THE RADIO”, and with that line you can’t help but think of Ian Curtis going ballistic on stage. ‘Regret’ was up next, and the whole crowd loves it (including me, it is a classic), the sun is shinning on Rochdale Town Hall, it feels like the perfect atmosphere (excuse the pun). After running through ‘Bizarre Love Triangle’ and ‘Temptation’, Hooky and the light launch into ‘True Faith’ which goes down a treat, the crowd look so ecstatic. “I feel so extraordinary”, so do we Hooky, so do we. Even though it’s a Friday night, ‘Blue Monday’ is always around the corner. The synth intro is just beyond incredible live, and it looks like everyone in the crowd knows the words. A song that is universally loved, being played to many adoring fans on a sunny Friday night in Rochdale (sorry, just had to get that on the record again), it is brilliant. Finally, the band launch into ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’, which Hooky remarks “let’s see if OMD can top this”, and to be honest it’ll be a big task for them. The playing slows down in the middle of the song to give the fans a chance to sing the chorus and my word the air is filled with the song now, it’s a euphoric moment of the evening, everyone singing “Love, love will tear us apart, again” in unison.
OMD
Here comes the final act. Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys both enter the stage, the lights flashing and the visuals displayed in the background. OMD launch straight into ‘Isotype’ and deliver it beautifully, McCluskey’s vocals still sounding as raw and powerful as they did in early days. The beat for the track is perfect for this crowd; everyone is fully energised now. ‘Messages’ comes next, a great classic track, and live it is even better. That synth hook from Humphreys is so Gary Numan-esq too. The band runs through some other great tunes, notably ‘Souvenir’ and ‘If You Leave’, before reaching ‘Joan Of Arc’ which plays out amazingly, the waltz in the ‘Maid of Orleans’ section is always fun to listen to as well. We later get to ‘So In Love’ which is a true OMD classic, the rhythm is super catchy live, and McCluskey’s vocals are on point, and Martin Cooper plays some great sax at the end too. We then get a bit of an ocean theme going on with ‘Locomotion’ and ‘Sailing on the Seven Seas’, both of which are delivered with pure class, especially the latter, McCluskey even gives us some funny dance moves throughout. And now, one of the tunes the whole crowd has been dying to hear, when that synth starts playing the cheer almost matches the volume. ‘Enola Gay’ is next, and it couldn’t have gone much better than it did, McCluskey thanking the crowd for being amazing, before launching into the iconic opening line, “Enola Gay, you should have stayed home yesterday”. The crowd are bouncing with excitement, the band are undeniably enjoying it too, it truly is happy Friday night in Rochdale.
A great venue, a great atmosphere and even greater performances, Rochdale Creates has put on a show that no one could have expected. The purpose of the show was to showcase artists that recorded originally in Rochdale, and to aid new and upcoming artists that continue to record there. and the experience was electrifying, thanks to A Certain Ratio, Peter Hook and the light, and OMD. Hopefully they can put on another one next year and have it be just as good.
