An internet search for concert dates in the 1980s for the band A Flock of Seagulls didn’t help me find when they played in Winnipeg, Canada at the Centennial Concert Hall; I think it was in 1983 or 1984. I also don’t remember if there was an opening act!
All that said, I do remember the vibe in the venue and it being a terrific and long concert by the new wave/technopop foursome from Liverpool, England. (I attended the show with my “friends 2.0,” through whom I had probably heard of the band.) Many in the audience were up on their feet dancing through most of the concert (which honestly would annoy the older me, if I were sitting). The concert hall is a perfect venue for a show, with excellent acoustics as it was built for musical performances, unlike the “old barn,” the former Winnipeg Arena which was where most bands played the big shows. It was quite unusual for a pop or rock act to use the concert hall at that time, at least in part because the seating is limited to 2,305 people.
A favourite of mine among A Flock of Seagulls’ songs is “Space Age Love Song,” from their self-titled 1982 debut album. I find it to be a very happy tune, similar to how I felt sharing Kiki Dee’s “I’ve Got the Music in Me.” “Space Age” seems so full of hope and wonder, and I enjoyed hearing it recently on KEXP Seattle.
AFoS has changed personnel several times since forming in 1979, though the best-known lineup (original three members Mike and brother Ali Score, and Frank Maudsley, plus Paul Reynolds) reformed in 2018 to record Ascension. The album includes the group’s hits rerecorded along with the Prague Symphony Orchestra. Today’s video is of the band and PSO collaborating on the piece.
Now you know a little about why this is my song of the day for today. Thanks for joining me here, and please enjoy.
Here’s the video for the song from A Flock of Seagulls’ official YouTube channel:
Song of the Day for Today 