Tag Archives: Blancmange

Blancmange, Commercial Break. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10

There are two ways to look at the world of advertising, one being is that is brings a product into our lives that is indispensable, that will go on to change the course of our day, our year because we were fortunate enough to understand the message that it was carrying; and the other is that we see it as an intrusion, a focused infringement into our psyche, one that can cause the weaker willed to purchase anything, everything, that is placed before them, and therefore cause a draining of resources that might have been put to better use elsewhere.

Blancmange, Commercial Break. Album Review. full post

(526 words, estimated 2:06 mins reading time)

Blancmange, Wanderlust. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10

Even in the act of the upbeat and positively engaging, there is always the beauty of the sudden and dramatic turn which leads the voyeur of art to appreciate the darker aspects of the performer’s work, an undertaking in which the sculpted metaphor of rhythm and rhyme cultivates a need to express itself in a way that is strangely familiar, but at the same time different, an altered perception of the reality that many would have been used to.

Blancmange, Wanderlust. Album Review. full post

(417 words, 1 image, estimated 1:40 mins reading time)

Blancmange, Gig Review. Hanger 34, Liverpool.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10

There are moments in Pop history that unforgivably seem to be forgotten by the majority, that some groups, lauded rightly by those whose lives were changed by the positivity of one song, have been allowed to be seen as a memory, a reaction to past events and the recall of certain emotions. Bands such as Blancmange offered a way of communication, of sincerity that arguably was unique to them, and one that for everybody who made their way to Hanger 34 on cold Saturday night in Liverpool would have been ecstatic to celebrate; it was a celebration that was wild and proper.

Blancmange, Gig Review. Hanger 34, Liverpool. full post

(432 words, estimated 1:44 mins reading time)

Blancmange, Unfurnished Rooms. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

It is one of those great quirks of musical nature that tease out every so often, that when people think of the great synth-pop bands of the 80s, they either naturally gravitate towards those that have come out of Yorkshire or even from down in Essex, the richness of the those particular bands has been, and arguably will always be forever be, enshrined in popular music history, and rightly so.

Blancmange, Unfurnished Rooms. Album Review. full post

(448 words, 1 image, estimated 1:48 mins reading time)

Blancmange, Semi Detached. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

In adversity comes the greatest of challenges, to overcome adversity twice, albeit for two very different reasons is a mark of greatness. There never really should be any doubt that Blancmange bring a mark of greatness to the table that cannot be fully appreciated unless you took the band for the every word in the respective periods they have come to be associated with. Two eras separated by time, by complication and inconvenience and exemplified wonderfully by the new album, Semi Detached.

Blancmange, Semi Detached. Album Review. full post

(561 words, estimated 2:15 mins reading time)

Blancmange, Gig Review. East Village Arts Centre, Liverpool.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

Neil Arthur stood almost transfixed on the stage of the East Village Arts Centre. Seemingly beautifully hypnotised by the sight and sound that was taking place before him as fans, young and old, of Blancmange didn’t just sing back to him, they liberated and gave freedom to the symbol of musical expression.

Blancmange, Gig Review. East Village Arts Centre, Liverpool. full post

(462 words, estimated 1:51 mins reading time)

Blancmange, Blanc Burn. Album Review.

Originally published by L.S. Media. February 26th 2011.

With other bands from the 80’s pop scene making waves with talks of come backs and releasing new albums for their fans in what can be seen as a blaze of glory, there is one band that has quietly been going about its business and creating a new album that stirs the desire for the Synth Pop era that they were at the forefront of at the time.

Blancmange gained a reputation for their style of recording great, memorable songs and even covering tracks by Abba’s The Day Before You Came to great critical effect.

Blancmange, Blanc Burn. Album Review. full post

(308 words, 1 image, estimated 1:14 mins reading time)

Blancmange, Gig Review. o2 Academy, Liverpool.

Originally published by L.S. Media. March 11th 2011.

The audience greeted the long awaited return of 80’s Synth Pop superstars Blancmange to Liverpool with the kind of noise you’d expect at the Liverpool Echo. It may have been two decades since Neil Arthur stood in front of a Scouse crowd but Liverpool music fans have long memories and the recollections of being entertained by Blancmange have long been smiled at.

Blancmange, Gig Review. o2 Academy, Liverpool. full post

(364 words, estimated 1:27 mins reading time)

Blancmange, Gig Review. Liverpool o2 Academy.

Originally published by L.S. Media. May 11th 2012.

L.S. Media Rating ****

When Blancmange were last in Liverpool, the Lancashire duo had just released the excellent Blanc Burn, their first new studio album in 26 years.

It was with great sorrow that keyboard player Stephen Luscombe couldn’t be there on the night then and was with greater despondency that he couldn’t be there again for the band to celebrate Blanc Burn being released as a special vinyl edition. However Neil Arthur is a consummate professional and has the air of a man who has the desire to prove that nothing will stop a show, even when one of your oldest friends is missing from an excellent show at the Liverpool O2 Academy.

Blancmange, Gig Review. Liverpool o2 Academy. full post

(412 words, 1 image, estimated 1:39 mins reading time)