Both shows took place on consecutive weeknights, which translated into our missing the opening acts, so we apologize for having no ability to comment on their performances.
Amyl and the Sniffers
The Majestic hosted the Australian quartet comprised of singer Amy Taylor, drummer Bryce Wilson, guitarist Declan Martens, and bassist Gus Romer on Thursday, 25th July. We got to witness the spunky Amy give Detroit her affections, then take a high speed sprint through their songlist. They take their music seriously and respect their audience. Their stage show isn't flashy. It doesn't need to be. It suits their down-to-earth nature, which is what's so refreshing about Amy and her bandmates. What's clear to us is that they have more range than what they've so far offered, so we're very curious to see how they evolve as a band.
Totally Tubular Festival
On Friday, 80s nostalgia set the tone for the night at Meadow Brook, with many people wearing their tackiest neons. It made for a fun atmosphere, carefree and unpretensious. Bow Wow Wow was better than we expected, and having just seen Adam Ant this spring, we were amused to discover just how much his original band contributed to his early sound. The percussion style perhaps most associated with Adam Ant obviously belongs to Bow Wow Wow's original drummer.
Wang Chung also surprised us with how much better their music was than what their radio hits suggested. Their performance betrayed no shortcomings in their musicianship. If you like Wang Chung, see them while they're still touring. They remain committed to being a worthwhile expenditure of your time.
The Thompson Twins' Tom Bailey's stage show had nice visual elements. LED light bars lit up to resemble an early digital EQ. He and his all-female backing band wore matching white outfits, echoing Robert Palmer's Addicted to Love music video, including looking and sounding like no one was playing live. The only evidence that at least one mic was live was that Bailey's singing was painfully flat.
Modern English played well enough, though we personally could not get into their style, and singer Robbie Grey was likewise not in tune. Any childhood affection we may have ever had for their big hit was long ago worn away by its use in a McDonald's commercial.
Thomas Dolby headlined, coming on last in his signature brown duster, solo. He opened with a montage of various 80s sounds, mostly recognizably New Order's Blue Monday. He's the consummate professional, and delivered exactly the synth performance one expects of him.
We must admit to our dismay at the absence of Detroit natives, The Romantics, who had to cancel due to an unexpected medical issue. Their inclusion in the bill was a large driver in our decision to attend, so it was an unhappy moment when we learned we wouldn't be watching them perform. We hope to see them in the future, and that whatever difficulty caused their absence passes without any complications.
The real highlight of the show was Men Without Hats, inexplicably stuffed into the middle of the lineup. They wasted no time. Dessert before dinner, their set started with a bang- a quick jump into the Safety Dance that quickly had much of the audience cheering, dancing, and singing along. Energy was high, and their half hour set was filled with songs we were surprised to find ourselves enjoying. Singer Ivan Doroschuk is a skilled frontman, and the whole band was zipper tight. Fun fact- keyboardist Sahara Sloan is Ivan's niece. For us, we've largely regarded them as one-hit-wonders, but it turns out they have a good back catalogue, and a natural charisma that gets people on their feet without even asking. That is how it's done! Theirs was the best set of the whole show. Imagine our delight when they snuck the Safety Dance in by way of a stealth intro to close their set. It's a catchy song, and absolutely no one was disappointed that they played it twice.
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