It could have been called Eric’s Club revisited...
Upon my arrival at the Breakroom in Seattle (it was my first time at this venue although I have lived in the Seattle area for about 7 years now) I was shocked to find out just how small it was, and that it was a far cry from the Sun Theater or the Key Club.
I had arrived about a half-hour before the band, so I killed the time having a couple beers and playing video games.
Shortly after my 3rd pinball game, I saw Paul and Claudia enter through the back door. I walked over and greeted them both, and they were surprised to see me since they probably had no idea I lived in Seattle. We chatted for a minute about how the Key Club show went (I was unable to attend), and they both said it was fantastic (as have others..)
At that point, Claudia informed me that they had an emergency situation that needed to be rectified immediately. Apparently, Claudia had lost her hair brush and was in desperate need for another one. Being quick on my feet, I said "I can help". We then ventured a couple of blocks down the street to the nearest 7-11 and purchased a replacement brush. Whew, tragedy avoided!
So while the band and the sound guy were setting things up, I kicked around backstage talking with Martin, and his wonderful wife Penny (Martin, please don’t flame me if I have misspelled her name . I also delivered the gifts I had brought which included a Northwest gift basket of wine, cheese and other snacks for Paul and Claudia, a bottle of vodka for Martin (I still deny that I drank most his bottle back in Anaheim :-), and Seattle Seahawk T-Shirts for Paul and Martin both.
Things were running well behind schedule for the sound check partly due to the fact that the stage was so small that the band had to figure out where everything was going to go, and decide whether or not they could fit all of their gear on the stage. After some time, a solution was reached and although everyone would have to play shoulder to shoulder, it was sorted.
In a venue like this, Winston would have fit in perfectly.
Whilst everything was being set up, I had a chance to sit down and have a bite to eat with Claudia and chat with her. She is really quite kind, and is one of the most down to Earth people I have had a chance to talk with. We talked about her writing with Martin Gore (of Depeche Mode) and how she writes songs with Paul. It was great to get such insight as to how she and Paul work together, which is very different than how Paul and Andy created songs during the OMD days. Since Claudia does lead vocals on one of my favorite songs in the setlist, I jokingly said that she should dedicate that song to the biggest OMD fan in the house . She then asked with a smile "OK, who is that?" and I shockingly said "that’s me!" She laughed and said "yes Pat, I know, I was just joking." She then said OK, and I thought to myself "sure, that will happen" (see later...)
After the band had got all of their instruments set up and sound checked, it was time to check the vocals and play a couple of songs. At this point, a few more people had entered the room (my guess is that they were the opening band.) The band then broke out into "Anonymous" (I’m pretty sure that was it, but I’m still not totally familiar with the new songs yet..) After that, it was "If You Leave" and "Messages". I sat right in the middle of the empty area in front of the stage and enjoyed every minute of it. I snapped a few photos, and relished in the fact that I was really here listening to the sound check.
With the sound check complete, it was time to get the merchandise out (I was this evenings merchandise salesman) and set everything up. Once everything was sorted, I then had the privilege of heading backstage and doing an interview with Paul.
Actually, I would consider my conversation with Paul less of an interview, and more of a conversation. I know he gets asked the same questions over and over again, so I wanted our conversation to be a bit different. Paul was very relaxed, and very honest with his answers. It was like we were old friends just catching up on the times. We chatted for about a half hour or so (over the noise of the opening band), and I walked away from our conversation not only knowing more about Paul and his doings, but knowing the man a bit more as well. That slice of time is something I will cherish for some time to come.
Now it was time for the show.
Since I was on T-Shirt duty, I watched the first couple of songs from the back of the theater. However, the highlight for me came when the 3rd song was up.
This was "Women III", which is one of my all-time favorites, and I was just excited to hear it performed live. So, Paul steps up to the microphone and says:
"This song is dedicated to one of our biggest fans. He’s been following us around for some time now. Pat, this one’s for you. This is Women III"
WOW!!! The pinnacle of my OMD experience! Claudia and Paul, if you are reading this, I cannot thank you enough for those 2 simple sentences.
Surprisingly, the crowd was rather into the music on this night. I say that because I know the Seattle music scene, and let’s just say that in general, it doesn’t lean towards the OMD sound. Tonight was different. These people were here for one reason, and one reason only, to hear the great songs we all love. The intimacy of the venue was just a bonus. The place was small enough that you could walk in the back pool room and see people singing and dancing, as well as you could in the restroom. The music had taken over this venue, and it was just as fabulous as the previous shows. The sound was MUCH better than at the Sun, and Claudia's vocal's really shined through (just to hear her sing is mroe than reason enough to catch one of the future shows...)
Big hits of the night were "If You Leave" and "Electricity", with the crowd screaming for more at the end of the night.
Once the show ended, Paul had let all the 'hangers on' backstage for a chat and to sign autographs. There were about 6-8 people, and Paul didn’t balk at this whatsoever. This is a testament to how appreciative Paul is of the OMD fans who have supported him over the years. You would NEVER see this with any other band/person of his popularity. Both Paul and Claudia signed autographs and answered questions for at least 30 minutes after the show.
Unfortunately, the night had to come to an end. I said my goodbyes to Paul, Claudia and Martin, and wished them the best on their future stops (which I am still trying to make one of them!)
It was a great night, and more importantly, it was spent with great people. I even got to play chauffeur to Jerry, Dawn and Danny as I drove them back to the eastside after the show.
If this is the last show I see on this tour, I can honestly say that this was truly a memorable experience. I got to meet some wonderful fans face to face like Rose, Anna, Lindsay, Bob, Kevin, Hugo, Jerry, Dawn, Rich and many others, not to mention Paul, Claudia and the band.
Most importantly, I would like to say that NONE of this would have been possible without the efforts of one Mr. Martin Pursey. His tireless efforts and his recognition of the OMD fans, have allowed myself, and others, to not only enjoy the songs we all love, but to get to meet the man who made the music.
Martin, my sincerest thanks for all your work.
Pat