OMD or Orchestral Maneuvers In The Dark is on tour, and it’s exciting for a lot of reasons. Going to see shows where I know the audience will be in their 60s is always a challenge, as these shows often serve up audio nostalgia on a soup spoon, with ghosts of artists trying to hold on to what’s left. While the audience was indeed older, they were definitely not having any soup; they were having margaritas and big 20oz cans of beer and dancing like it was 1985. I’ll probably be doing the same thing when I’m in my late sixties, hopefully, anyway. Dancing to Daft Punk, drinking Red Bull and vodka, and maybe a couple of glow sticks strapped to my head. Grandpa is going to go out raving!
If there’s one thing about the recent show at the Paramount Theatre in Denver made crystal clear, it’s that Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) isn’t just surviving—they’re touring like it was 1985. On June 5th, the legendary synthpop pioneers fired up the oxygen canisters (yes, that part is true). They gave a shockingly good performance that effortlessly fused nostalgia, relevance, and that 80s synth goodness that brought electronic music to the masses. This wasn’t some retro cruise down memory lane. It was a statement: OMD still matters. Hell, if Kraftwerk can still do it, with only one living original member, OMD can undoubtedly do it, and they nailed it.
Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys, backed by two tight bandmates, took the stage looking their age but certainly not acting their age—well into their sixties but still commanding the crowd with the poise and energy of artists half their age. And their voices? Spot on. You could close your eyes and genuinely believe you were back in 1981 with a popped collar, penny loafers, and all your dreams in front of you.
The live show leaned into minimalism—a stripped-back stage setup with synths, a drum kit, and a large video screen with visuals that never tried to upstage the music. During their performance of “If You Leave,” they projected images of Molly Ringwald from Pretty In Pink, and there were definitely some tears in the building. It was perfectly balanced, allowing the songs to take the spotlight without the distraction of overblown production.
New material from 2023’s Bauhaus Staircase was front and center and held its own remarkably well among the classics. The newer tracks blended seamlessly with iconic cuts like “Enola Gay,” “If You Leave,” and “Secret.” The emotional peaks came in waves, McCluskey dancing with wild abandon, his bass slung low, while Humphreys’ keys filled the theatre with everything they came for.
The crowd was a fun mix: original fans, still dressed to impress in new-wave black, interspersed with Gen Z kids experiencing this magic for the first time. One kid in his twenties even came fully decked out as Ducky from Pretty in Pink—complete with pleated pants, a beret, sunglasses, and all. He owned it, just like OMD owned the night.
If this is indeed one of your last chances to see OMD live, don’t hesitate. They’re not just revisiting the past—they’re reinforcing their legacy and proving that old dogs can indeed lay down some new tricks. Now, let’s get into that legacy and how Bauhaus Staircase fits into it.
OMD – Bauhaus Staircase Review (Vinyl)
I will admit it’s been a long time since I thought about OMD, and typically, I don’t expect much from 80s bands that reform or create new work. It’s usually subpar and never captures the original magic of those first records. Still, I did my best to refrain from this bias and listened to Bauhaus Staircase on vinyl in my basement on my Hi-Fi system fully cranked up.
For many of our younger readers, the name OMD or Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark might not mean much, but if you like bands like The Midnight and others who pull on those 80s sounds and feels, the OGs are well worth a listen despite being the age of your grandparents, they still have some magic left in those synths.
Before raves, electronic music festivals, before the dreaded EDM acronym, and long before synthwave became a Spotify playlist category, there was OMD. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, alongside peers like Depeche Mode, Yazoo, and Human League, helped etch the blueprint for modern electronic music—one arpeggiator at a time.
What they were doing in the early ’80s was, yes, pop—but it was also groundbreaking. These were bands that used synthesizers not as gimmicks but as core creative tools. The dance music we know today—whether it’s warehouse techno or glossy electro-pop—owes a debt to artists like Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys.
Bauhaus Staircase, OMD’s fourth post-reunion album and potentially their swan song, doesn’t break that blueprint. Instead, it plays on those familiar melodies with some new vibes mixed in to keep things progressing. The album opens with the title track, a pulsing, dystopian synth anthem inspired by the defiant artwork of Oskar Schlemmer, whose painting Bauhaus Stairway inspired the album’s title. It’s a bold political gesture wrapped in a danceable beat—1980s art school meets synthpop. Yes, you’ll want to revisit the old OMD catalog and probably put on Pretty in Pink, ideally on VHS tape, for that full vintage experience.
“Veruschka” is the emotional centerpiece. A ballad that’s vintage OMD in all the right ways. McCluskey sings, “If you’re too afraid to die / How will you ever learn to fly away?”—a simple lyric with big emotions that this band does so well. The production is warm and cinematic, showing off just how far they’ve come as producers without ever losing that essential analog synth sound.
Not every track hits the same highs. Songs like “Anthropocene” and “Evolution of Species” attempt to convey their message a bit too forcefully, relying on robotic narration and dated effects that border on corny. But that’s forgivable when the surrounding material is this strong. I would never expect them not to try something or push it a little; they can’t all be winners.
“G.E.M.” and “Slow Train” bring the swagger, while “Kleptocracy” channels the political angst of “Enola Gay” with just enough gloss to make it club-ready. Throughout it all, McCluskey’s voice remains a marvel—unfazed by time, emotionally resonant, and distinctively his own.
What’s key about Bauhaus Staircase is that it doesn’t feel like a legacy act trying to stay relevant. It feels like a band still evolving within their own sonic architecture, not leaving fans behind for some artistic folly but bringing them along. They push you just far enough artistically while retaining their sonic identity, and that seems key for fans of this era. No one wants to hear a new OMD; McCluskey and Humphreys get that, and fans respond accordingly, being willing to listen with open minds. They stay the course with what they do best, crafting emotionally intelligent, rhythmic, sparkling synthpop that is more than just ear candy.
If this is indeed the final OMD album, it’s a decent sign-off, and while not a blaze of glory, it’s a solid piece of work that feels right. Bauhaus Staircase is an album that is a miracle in and of itself, something that shouldn’t exist, but here it is, 30 years later. Whether you catch them live or spin Bauhaus Staircase on your turntable, OMD proves they’re not just part of synthpop history—they’re still writing their last chapters.
David Ireland is a professional strategist, creative, and marketer. He began his career in 1995 as creator and publisher of BPM Magazine. In August 2000, BPM Magazine merged with djmixed.com LLC, an online media company based in Los Angeles, which later evolved into the Overamerica Media Group [OMG] in 2003. In 2009, Ireland left Overamerica Media Group to serve as the VP of Marketing at Diesel. In 2011, he returned to his roots in media and cofounded the online electronic music publication Magnetic Magazine and created The Magnetic Agency Group. In June 2018, Ireland joined Winter Music Conference (now owned by Ultra Music Festival) as the Director to lead the reboot for 2019 and usher in a new era for the iconic brand. He served as Chief Marketing Officer at Victrola for three years, guiding product innovation and brand growth. He currently serves on the advisory board of Audiopool, a new music tech startup focused on AI-generated music licensing and artist revenue models.
