The audience may have come from Culture Club but Berlin were outstanding on the night.
On this Australian tour, Terri Nunn is reunited with David Diamond and John Crawford. John was a founding member of the band and David was there for the second album ‘Pleasure Victim’ (and the first hits ‘The Metro’ and ‘Sex (I’m A…)’ in 1982.
With Terri, David and John, Berlin take on a powerful sound. They were quite the indie / alternate act of the early 80s before recording Giorgio Moroder’s Take My Breath Away’ and effectively diverting their career with a pop song that became the biggest thing they would ever do.
‘Take My Breath Away’ doesn’t sound like anything Berlin did before or after so that song became kind of an anchor for them. However, this show while including ‘Take My Breath Away’ was far from it. The early hits ‘No More Words’ and ‘Sex (I’m A…)’ were techno as good as New Order could give.
The AC/DC cover of ‘Highway To Hell’ showed every bit what a rock band Berlin can be. Terri Nunn channeled the power of Bon Scott on that one. There was no cringe factor. Berlin covering AC/DC rocked the house.
It must have made for a nervous Boy George back stage who would come on next and start with a Stones cover. More on that one here.
Berlin at Rod Laver Arena Melbourne, 9 September 2023
Masquerade (from Pleasure Victim, 1982)
No More Words (from Love Life, 1984)
The Metro (from Pleasure Victim, 1982)
Animal (from Animal, 2013)
Dancing In Berlin (from Love Life, 1984)
Transcendance (from Transcendence, 2019)
Take My Breath Away (from Count Three and Pray, 1986)
Highway To Hell (AC/DC cover)
Sex (I’m A…) (from Pleasure Victim, 1982)
AUSTRALIAN TOUR DATES 2023
Tuesday 5th September
RAC Arena, Perth
Friday 8th September
Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney
Saturday 9th September
Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
Monday 11th September
Adelaide Entertainment Centre
Thursday 14th September
Brisbane Entertainment Centre
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