The Short Circuit Presents Mute showcase of synthpop and electronic music wrapped up last night in London with a Vince Clarke extravaganza, which included a set with Erasure, an appearance by Alison Moyet for what might have been Yazoo’s final performance and a surprise reunion with Feargal Sharkey to play the lone single the duo recorded as The Assembly.
In addition to Clarke, the two-night Mute Records event at London’s Roundhouse featured three more current and former Depeche Mode members, as Martin L. Gore and Andy Fletcher performed DJ sets and Alan Wilder played as Recoil. Despite fans’ hopes, singer Dave Gahan did not appear for an impromptu DM set.
Other acts on the bill: Nitzer Ebb (who joined Recoil for DM’s “Personal Jesus”), Laibach (who covered the classic “Warm Leatherette”), Richie Hawtin (aka Plastikman), Moby, label founder Daniel Miller, Liars and The Residents.
Last night’s 11-song Erasure set was immediately preceded by three songs from Yazoo (“Nobody’s Diary,” “Ode to Boy,” “Don’t Go”), a performance Moyet had announced likely will be the duo’s last. The real surprise, though, came after Erasure, when Andy Bell introduced Sharkey, the former Undertones singer who stopped recording in the early 1990s and moved to the business side of music.
Taking the stage last night, Sharkey said, “It’s 20 years since I stood in front of a crowd like you guys, and the only reason I’d ever have done it was for this man standing over here,” he added, pointing to Clarke. The two performed “Never Never,” their 1983 U.K. hit single.
You can see video of that Assembly reunion above, and, below, we’re gathering other clips, including performances by Yazoo, Erasure, Laibach, Recoil and Nitzer Ebb, and more as they show up on YouTube.
See more video from Short Circuit Presents Mute after the jump…
Video: Yazoo, “Nobody’s Diary” at Short Circuit Presents Mute, 5/14/11
Video: Yazoo “Ode to Boy” at Short Circuit Presents Mute, 5/14/11
Video: Yazoo “Don’t Go” at Short Circuit Presents Mute, 5/14/11
Video: Erasure, “A Little Respect” at Short Circuit Presents Mute, 5/14/11
Video: Erasure, “Sometimes” at Short Circuit Presents Mute, 5/14/11
Video: Erasure, “Blue Savannah” at Short Circuit Presents Mute, 5/14/11
Video: Recoil + Nitzer Ebb, “Personal Jesus” at Short Circuit Presents Mute, 5/13/11
Video: Recoil + Nitzer Ebb, “Stalker” & “Family Man” at Short Circuit, 5/13/11
Video: Laibach, “Warm Leatherette” at Short Circuit Presents Mute, 5/14/11
Video: Martin Gore DJ set at Short Circuit Presents Mute, 5/14/11
Video: Andy Fletcher Short Circuit Presents Mute, 5/14/11
Video: Interview with Mute founder Daniel Miller at Short Circuit
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
Alison Moyet looks (and sounds) fabulous in these clips! Thanks!
this looks like it would have been an amazing event to attend! daniel miller is STILL a force to be reckoned with. god speed with the independence. mute has come full circle!
Easily the most influential and important label of the last 30 years. Would have loved to have been at this. How good does Moyet look?
was a fab event!! meeting Alan Wilder was so cool
Hopefully Mute will put out a DVD as a reminder of all the good acts they have on their books
Absolutely gutted I missed this weekender. I had to sodding work. Will probably never happen again either. ARSE!
Several of my friends attended, but sadly I couldn’t afford the bloody $900 plane ticket over, otherwise *I* would have been there too! Thanks to their frequent updates on Facebook, and YouTube, I’ve been able to catch most of the highlights. wow, just wow. Really a shame that Feargal doesn’t perform anymore (especially with the Undertones!) cause he looked and sounded AMAZING! Alison looks stunning (she lost a TON of weight since I saw Yaz just a couple years ago!), and Nitzer Ebb/Recoil together?? good christ! Oh – Dave Gahan WAS there (my friends spotted him), what a shame he couldn’t come out and do at least one number! Also a shame that no Nick Cave/Bad Seeds were represented. I hope this makes it onto DVD too.
SFGlam – I’m sure your friend saw one of the many Dave Gahan lookalikes that were there…
well, she texted me that she heard from several people that he was there, and she and our friends spotted him upstairs. I know she would be able to spot a lookalike! :)