01/29/2024
CONCERT REVIEW "A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS W/OPENING BAND STRANGE LOVE" 1/25/24 the Pageant Nightclub St. Louis, Mo.
Thursday 1/25/24 Susan & I along with Friends Sarah & Kirby went to see one of my Favorate 1980's New Wave bands "A Flock of Seagulls with Opening band Strange Love" Last time I saw Flock was somewhere in the mid-90's at a little bar off Dorsett Rd in St. Louis. That bar is long gone now but I have the Memory's of meeting Mike Score at that show and he signed a hot pink piece of paper from a small note book that I bummed off a concert patron. He wrote "Dave it's for Youuhoo!" I took it home and slid it into a Flock album were it still is today! The 1st moment I heard them in 1982 I fell in Love with synth new wave sci-fi group! Mike Score his brother Ali Score on drums, Frank Maudsley bass & Paul Reynolds with the Space-Age Guitar sound.
Now it's been awhile since I last saw a show at the Pageant Club on Delmar Ave in St. Louis, they now have assigned seating which is nice but I unfortunately didn't reaiize they had handicapped seating or I would have gotten those for Susan who has issues walking these days and she could have seen the show as opposed to everyone standing up and blocking her view.
The Band "Strange Love" an Amazing Depeche Mode tribute band that if you closed your eyes you would swear you are seeing the real deal! I have had the pleasure of seeing them twice now & have been blown away both times, but this night they really brought it! They have a spectacular Visual & Light show with High-def imagery on the big screen & Light's that add to the up beat dance numbers that Depech Mode has created. If you can't see the original Depeche, who really can afford it? I sure can't Lol so "Strange Love" is the next best thing! They Played just about every Depech Mode hit & it kept all of the Prosty-Tots squiggling in their mid-drift shirts and tight jeans & it kept the late 40's to mid-50's wives/divorcees who pulled out and dusted off their black leather dresses, greased up and slid into it rolls and all, lets accent it with fish-net stockings and don't forget the black leather fringe boots in the back of the closet! There ya go now you are ready to go to the show and take selfies of yourself and post live to social media! Sorry I digress!
After about an hour and forty five minutes of pure brilliance "Strange Love" say's good night and thanks everyone for coming out and they will be over at the Merch Booth to meet anyone interested. What a bunch of stand up guys who love their fans. Time to take a break, get a drink and wait for the Headliners.
9pm the lights go out, the smoke drifts over the stage and "A Flock of Seagulls" has arrived! I want to be overjoyed but I had just spent the last 10 minutes doing musical chairs to try and find a seat where Susan can see the band but as soon as we think we have one, people stand up and ruin it for her! I'm too old (turning 60 Feb. 1st) to stand up the whole show, (years of tatooing have destroyed my hip's and knees). The band sounds amazing! These day's it's only Mike Score the original Founder of Flock left in the band but he has filled the vacancy;s with great musicians who do a fine job. They play the hits from their first 3 albums and from their 5th album "Light at the End of the World". They Play some Rarities & a couple of new songs from their upcoming album. I'm jamming on the new songs, 2024 and the new stuff sounds fresh yet retro at the same time. I do wish they had more visual imagery and a stronger light show to inhance the experence, also they tended to pause between songs and give you insight on when and why this song was written blah,blah,blah! Doing this I feel took the energy level down. That being said it was a stupendous show from start to finish. Flock hasn't toured in our area for quite sometime, but I hope they don't stay away that long again and just keep doing the rounds because I have to see them again. Great early Birthday Present! "I Ran, Space-Age Lovesong, Man Made Machines, Wishing, The More you Live, the more you Love, Rainfall, Nightmares" and the List goes on! The 1980's has survived and still sounds great!
