Promise Me, Just One More Night

Cast your minds back with me. The year is 1979. The month is May. 'Electricity' by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark is born, and music as we know it is forever changed.

Now, bring your minds a touch closer. The year is 1998. A very scrawny, very ginger child sits in the back of her dad’s red Astra. The same song hits her ears, 19 years later, and Music as she knows it is forever changed.

OMD have been an ever-strong presence in my musical upbringing. In 1993, my parents and auntie saw the real thing, so when we had the opportunity to see Souvenir on our doorstep, we couldn’t pass that up.

Gorilla Beer Hall was the home of this evening’s entertainment. Right on the Meccie Riviera (Or Mexborough for those of you not from this side of South Yorkshire), Gorilla promises three things: Beer. Snap. Tunes. And it doesn’t half deliver on those commitments! The latest addition to the ‘snap’ side of things, El Chappo, keeps everyone well fed with some of the most banging looking Mexican food I’ve seen in a while. The beer is always cold, and the stage has hosted it’s fair share of phenomenal acts over the years. Whether you’re looking for a quiet drink and dinner in the sunshine, or a place to dance your heart out to your favourite bands, Gorilla’s got you.

Souvenir is made up of self-confessed OMD superfan Andy, taking Andy McCluskey’s role on vocals and bass, and a man who plays with electricity in every sense of the word – part drummer/part electrician, Gaz is the one hitting the drums. However, it would be a crime not to mention the true ‘eye-candy’ of the show (Their words, not mine!) Winnifred - A TEAC A-3340S reel to reel tape deck, which eagle-eyed viewers will recognise as the same type used by OMD themselves in their early shows. You’ll notice that there are no synthesizers, as the band have instead opted for backing tracks.

Finally, honourable mention to Adam on sound, who could be seen weaving through the crowd, making sure everything sounded exactly as it should.

I first want to mention the adoration Souvenir have for their source material. This isn’t your average tribute, it’s a loving homage to a band that changed the face of electronic music, and the guys are playing for themselves just as much as they’re playing for the crowd. Andy and Gaz clearly have a deep love and respect for OMD, which is what every fan wants to see from a tribute band.

Andy has got the McCluskey tone and mannerisms down to an art, making excellent use of the stage around him. His vocals were consistently strong for the full set, and he interacted with the crowd well. Gaz’s drumming was solid – anyone who has ever tried to drum along to a backing track knows that it takes skill, and he was super tight to the track.

The obvious passion rubbed off on the crowd, getting people up and dancing within the first few songs. The lights and staging were quintessentially 80’s; just another indicator of the attention to detail that Souvenir have put into this show. My personal favourites were '(Forever) Live and Die' and 'If You Leave', although if you catch the video on Souvenir’s socials for 'Electricity', you’d be forgiven for thinking that was my favourite based on my (poor) dancing skills!

Souvenir play everything from the classics to the deep cuts. What this meant for me personally, is that there were a few songs I wasn’t familiar with, despite walking into the gig thinking that I was a fairly big fan of OMD! It also meant that there was a couple of my favourites that were not in the set. However, set lists are a hugely subjective matter. You cannot please everyone all the time, so I can’t hold that against them.

Overall, as a brand-new tribute band, Souvenir are certainly worth a watch. Whether you’re a seasoned fan, or just know the hits, you’ll be up and dancing before too long!