Live Review: Andy Bell- 16 May 2025- Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London UK
4 min read
Pop legend and gay icon Andy Bell has been making music for 40 years and as one half of duo Erasure (with Vice Clark) is an one of the most integral figures in British pop history thanks to hits like Sometimes, Chains of Love and signature juggernaut, A Little Respect helping mould the 80’s new wave scene and inspire countless artists that have followed since.
With Clark sometimes being dubbed the ‘Father of Synth Pop’ what does the make Bell…the Uncle? Bell recently released his third solo studio album, Ten Crowns, fifteen years since his previous. Primarily a Eurodance album, the lead single Don’t Cha Know was released in February and contains 10 brand new tracks produced by Grammy-winning musician Dave Audé who is notable in the industry and has produced songs for the likes of Rihanna, Lady GaGa, Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears and Beyonce to name a few.
Ahead of a slot at Brighton Pride this year, Bell has recently embarked on an extensive solo tour which includes the UK and Europe, and winds up in mid-December after many stops in America. We caught him at London’s Shepherds Bush Empire on Friday night and what a show it was!
Taking the stage in a futuristic, sparkly red sequined suit with black glittery sleeveless top, he was accompanied by a backup singer, guitarist, drummer and keyboardist with minimal staging in the form of several mounted light features. He started the show with the first track from the Ten Crowns album Breaking Thru the Interstellar then worked his way through a 90 minute set made up of mostly Erasure hits. It was quickly apparent that he is not one of those artists who wants to keep a strict separation between his solo work and his Erasure music for which he is much better known. Instead, he expertly intertwined songs from his new album with some of the best known and loved Erasure songs spanning the whole catalog. The audience clearly appreciated it and enthusiastically embraced the nostalgia and danced and sang to their favourite songs right form the opening song, knowing the words by heart of course.
Bell is an entertaining performer and kept the pace of the show moving along with minimal chit chat, but always included his quirky and endearing dance moves. In addition to a handful of songs from the new album such as Don’t Chat Know, Dance For Mercy and Put Your Empathy on Ice, the set was at its most vibrant when it came to the superstars offering of his work within Erasure with stelar performances of Erasure favorites like Sometimes, Drama, Victim of Love, Chorus, Chains of Love, Oh l’amour and an encore of A Little Respect. A nod to his famous pairing in Erasure, Bell at one point told the crowd “Vince says hello” which was met with a thunderous applause from fans. A spectacular cover of Xanadu was also added to the set and was performed to a standard that Olivia Newton-John herself would have given her stamp of approval.
At 61, Bell still sounds amazing. His, as well as Erasure songs really stretch the singers vocal range and he doesn’t temper the songs down in the slightest. In fact, he does the opposite and roars through each song with confidence and precision. His pitch is amazing, as well as his stamina for someone who has had a double hip replacement – there is no holding back this pop legend from delivering a masterful performance for his fans. He was also doting over his talented backing back – in only a brief intermission of the nearly 90 minute set, he let his backing singer and guitarist perform a lovely country number while the singer took a break and a breather from his full throttle hit-fuelled set.
Unlike our last time seeing Bell as part of his last Erasure tour a couple of years back, the smaller setting of the Shepherd’s Bush Empire gave a more intimate feeling to the show, and the audience was jubilant and appreciative from start to end, and stayed until the very closing note of A Little Respect. Overall, it was a fantastic show for someone who has had a 4 decades long career in music and shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. We can’t wait to catch Bell again at Brighton Pride in August.
Setlist:
Breaking Thru the Interstellar
Blue Savannah (Erasure song)
Sometimes (Erasure song)
Don’t Cha Know
Drama! (Erasure song)
Heart’s a Liar
Chains of Love (Erasure song)
Godspell
Love to Hate You (Erasure song)
Breathe (Erasure song)
Always (Erasure song)
Xanadu (Olivia Newton‐John cover)
For Today
Victim of Love (Erasure song)
Dance for Mercy
Chorus (Erasure song)
Put Your Empathy on Ice
Oh l’amour (Erasure song)
Thank You
A Little Respect (Erasure song)
::: Renowned For Sound Technical Director and Film Reviewer ::: Robert is an IT geek, movie fan and part-time movie reviewer/editor. Robert also looks after the ‘behind the scenes’ technical elements of Renowned For Sound.
