China Crisis
Thursday 3 October
Live at Huntingdon Hall, Worcester
Whereas most people can instantly name at least one Human League or Duran Duran hit, people often struggle to recall any of the five Top 40 hits of China Crisis. Formed in Kirby in 1979 by vocalist/keyboardist Gary Daly and guitarist Eddie Lundon China Crisis were part of a remarkable wave of bands arising from the Liverpool area in Thatcher's Britain, a surge of talent that included Frankie Goes to Hollywood, the synth-pop of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark and A Flock of Seagulls and the darker post-punk sounds of Echo and the Bunnymen and The Teardrop Explodes.
If you mention China Crisis's hits - African and White, Christian, Wishful Thinking, Black Man Ray, King in a Catholic Style - you may still be met by blank faces and slight puzzlement at the oddity of the songs' titles. Finally, you may have to resort to singing the keyboard riff from Black Man Ray; people may half-remember the pizzicato strings motif from Wishful Thinking; there may be something vaguely familiar about the words of the strange, un-pop-song-like chorus of Christian: "I could lose myself in this honesty..." Their sound has been described as "wistful pastoral pop" and is a reminder that the music of the 80s, despite the synths and drum machines, produced haunting and deeply moving records epitomised by the songs of China Crisis along with the The Lotus Eaters' 1983 hit The First Picture of You (that would be The Lotus Eaters from... oh, Liverpool again.)
Gary and Eddie were joined at Worcester's Huntingdon Hall by Jack Hymers on keyboards and Eric Animan on saxophone. With no support act the band played two sets either side of the interval, and Gary proved himself to be as entertaining a comedian and raconteur as he is when singing. Quickly building a warm rapport with the audience, in a style that was somehow a cross between Tommy Cooper and Roger Moore, he told tales about working with the Human League and Midge Ure and regretted the fact that he wouldn't have time to visit the tomb of King John at Worcester Cathedral.
I wasn't expecting to laugh so much at a concert of "wistful pastoral pop" but somehow it's fitting that China Crisis are able to have a laugh at themselves - and with the audience - while effortlessly performing these delicate, elusive songs.
