By Jack Arnhold, Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Fans of pure eighties pop music will be rubbing their hands together in glee as legendary London two-piece Erasure are playing a midnight show on Saturday, May 12th, at Rio’s Vivo Rio Arena.
Andy Bell and Vince Clarke are making a stopover in Rio de Janeiro tomorrow night as part of their ‘World Be Gone’ tour, which has also seem them playing well-received shows in Curitiba on the 10th as well as São Paulo last night.
The tour is in support of their latest album, and their seventeenth in total, also entitled, ‘World Be Gone.’ It was released last year and was greeted with positive reviews while also reaching the top ten of the UK chart.
Formed in 1985, the synth-pop duo have recorded an astonishing five number one singles, with seventeen reaching the top ten. They are most famous for their hits, ‘A Little Respect,’ ‘Always,’ ‘Love to Hate You,’ and ‘Blue Savannah,’ which are sure to be featured in their set, alongside newer songs such as ‘Love You to the Sky’ and ‘World Be Gone.’
Erasure came to Brazil for the first time in 1990, and have had a number of good and bad experiences with crowds here. In a recent interview with O Globo, Vince Clarke recounted how he “can’t remember” their first concert in Brazil.
Andy Bell explained in another interview with the Guardian about an unsavory incident that occurred in Brazil later, “In 1996, we supported David Bowie in Brazil and the whole audience were chanting ‘puta puta,’ which means whore. Luckily I had some kind of forcefield around me ‘cos not one thing hit us.”
However, Vince Clarke said that at subsequent gigs the band experienced a “reconciliation” with Brazilian fans, and have been warmly received ever since. “The most amazing thing about those shows was that many youngsters were there. We did not expect that. The response from the fans was fantastic, you know? It was really very enjoyable.”
Fans of recent concerts by Phil Collins, Arianna Grande, or The Kooks will surely be in for a great midnight party.
What: Erasure at Vivo Rio
When: Saturday May 12th; doors open at 10PM
Where: Vivo Rio Arena, Av. Infante Dom Henrique, 85 – Parque do Flamengo, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, 20021-140
Entrance: R$120-R$300