Souvenir- 40 Years of OMD
Oct 2019 -Jan 2020
Liverpool’s British Music Experience Unveils a Brand New Exhibition
Souvenir: 40 Years of OMD
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (OMD) continue their 40th anniversary celebrations with an exhibition marking the band’s impressive legacy at the British Music Experience, the Cunard Building, Liverpool. The exhibition kicks off with a private view on October 10 and opens to the public on October 11 and will run through the end of the year.
The news of the exhibition, Souvenir: 40 Years of OMD, is another exciting installment of the band’s anniversary celebrations which first saw the reissue of their first four classic albums on 180g vinyl, mastered at half speed by Miles Showell at Abbey Road and housed in their original iconic die cut sleeves designed by the legendary Peter Saville, followed by the huge world tour. The band, Andy McCluskey, Paul Humphreys, Martin Cooper and Stuart Kershaw will be starting the tour in October in Portugal, stretching through to February 2020 finishing in Paris and including 21 UK dates. The band have also just announced the release of a special box set.
OMD have sold an astonishing 25 million singles and 15 million albums, which has established them as electronic synthesiser pioneers and one of Britain’s best-loved pop groups. Their 13 albums include recently reissued ‘Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark’ (1980), ‘Organisation’ (1980), ‘Architecture & Morality’ (1981) and ‘Dazzle Ships’ (1983).
The opening night of the exhibition will consist of a private view of the exhibition (attendees will also be able to browse the incredible BME collection too) and a Q&A with Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys.
Items on display include the bands’ instruments, stage outfits, prints, posters and Andy’s binders full of ideas, photos and press cuttings. Also included is the Vox Jaguar Organ on which Paul played Electricity, Messages and Enola Gay and the 1974 Fender Jazz Bass played by Andy on Enola Gay, Messages, Souvenir, Joan of Arc and Tesla Girls.
To complement the exhibits, there will be a short film featuring live footage of the band on the main stage screen at regular intervals throughout the day, and interactives that let you hear how the most iconic instruments on display sounded in the original recordings.
The Merch Store will have a great range of OMD items for sale, including t-shirts, prints, limited edition box sets and books.
Founding band member Andy McCluskey commented “A one-off concert at Eric's Club in Mathew Street in October 1978 just to satisfy our need to be able to say "at least played our crazy songs live", turned into a remarkable 40-year odyssey. We are honoured to have an exhibition at BME in Liverpool celebrating the journey from a two-piece experimental band with a borrowed tape recorder, through all the hits and world tours. It is incredible to look back at the primitive instruments on display and remember that it was with this miscellaneous collection of decaying junk that we set out to "change the world!"
Harvey Goldsmith, CBE, Chair of the Trustees for the British Music Experience said “We are thrilled to celebrate OMD’s 40 years with this exhibition. This much-loved band formed in the Wirral will shine a light on the extremely popular electronic synth music of the ‘80s. A must for all fans.”
Kevin McManus, Head of UNESCO City of Music for Liverpool welcomed the exhibition to the city saying, “OMD are one of the great Liverpool groups so it is only fitting that they are celebrating their anniversary in the city. The BME is the perfect place for what is a unique exhibition and a fascinating insight into an extraordinary 40-year career that has made OMD well known across the world. I was lucky enough to see them in their very early days and we should recognise them not just for their great songs but for their role as pioneers of British electro/synth pop.”
Tickets go on sale for the opening event on the 10th October 2019 on Friday 30th August at 10:00am, and are priced at £10 each. Souvenir: 40 Years of OMD will close on Jan 5 2020.
About OMD
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) are an English electronic band formed in Wirral, Merseyside in 1978. Spawned by earlier group The Id, the outfit is composed of co-founders Andy McCluskey (vocals, bass guitar) and Paul Humphreys (keyboards, vocals), along with Martin Cooper (various instruments) and Stuart Kershaw (drums); OMD released their debut single, "Electricity", in 1979 on the iconic Factory Records label, and gained popularity throughout Europe with the 1980 song "Enola Gay". The band achieved broader recognition via their album Architecture & Morality (1981) and its three singles, all of which were international hits.