Souvenir
Honouring the rich legacy of OMD by performing their music with authenticity, passion and respect. We create a one of a kind live experience by capturing their unique sound and showcasing the full breadth of their catalogue from iconic hits to deep cuts.
Andy – Bass/Vocals
For as long as I can remember, OMD’s music has been part of my life.
Growing up in the late 1980s and early to mid-1990s, songs like Sailing on the Seven Seas, Enola Gay, Souvenir and Walking on the Milky Way were fixtures on my parents’ compilation CDs. One of those songs, Walking on the Milky Way, became part of my own story too, playing as my wife and I walked back up the aisle after our wedding ceremony.
But it wasn’t until 2019 that admiration became obsession.
Hearing Maid of Orleans stopped me in my tracks. I couldn’t believe that something that sounded so timeless, a melody that felt as though it had existed for centuries, had been written in the early 1980s. From that moment on, I wanted to understand everything about OMD: the band, the songs and the ideas behind them.
By then I’d already spent the best part of a decade singing professionally in a duo, following earlier years in cover bands. But I decided I wanted to focus my energy on music I genuinely loved rather than music I thought other people wanted to hear.
That’s where the idea for Souvenir began.
My first OMD concert was at Hull Arena on November 5th 2021. My eldest daughter, who was six at the time, insisted I take her with me since she’d also fallen in love with their music after hearing it on a daily basis for the past two years. If I wasn’t already hooked, that concert sealed it for good.
If I was going to sing OMD’s songs, I wanted to do it from behind a bass guitar, just as Andy McCluskey does. The only problem was that I’d never played bass before. So I learned. Gaz and I spent nine months rehearsing before taking our first booking, giving me over a year to develop the confidence to perform the role live.
Away from the stage, I also create much of what audiences never see. I produce some of our backing tracks from scratch, programme our lighting, design our artwork, build and maintain our website, manage our bookings and look after our social media. Every hour spent behind the scenes is driven by the same goal: to present OMD’s music with the care and attention it deserves.
When people leave a Souvenir show, I don’t want them talking about me or us. I hope they leave remembering what incredible songs OMD have written, and the feeling of enjoying that music alongside us as fellow fans.
And if OMD ever happen to read this:
Thank you for writing the songs that inspired this project.
Gaz – Drums
One day in a school music lesson the teacher asked if anyone wanted to learn to play an instrument. Excitedly I asked if I could learn trumpet. “Not with those lips kid” was the reply, and so began my journey behind the drum kit.
After leaving school I spent 32 of the next 44 years playing in various bands, playing venues all over the U.K., from the local pubs and clubs to nightclubs in London, and festivals including a Butlins ‘80s weekender with Antflavour, an Adam and the Ants tribute.
Around October 2024 after taking a break from drumming I was ready to start playing again when Andy mentioned he was forming an OMD tribute. My interest was piqued and I asked him to send me a list of the songs he wanted to do. When I listened to the songs I was amazed by how many of them I actually knew, I had no idea how prolific OMD were, and over the next few months I disappeared down a rabbit hole, from which I emerged as a confirmed fan.
My first memory of OMD was when I came home from the pub aged 16 (don’t tell mi mam!) and fell asleep with my headphones on listening to the top 20. The intro to Maid of Orleans came on and I was instantly awake wondering what the hell was going on!
When me and Andy first got together to play the songs through it became apparent how much work we would have to do to put the show together, not least from my perspective, with the need to play to a click track.
I soon realised that an electronic kit was the only way to authentically play the songs, so I spent the next few months assembling a close replica of Stuart’s kit.
Alongside getting the sound as close as possible, we also wanted to create a stage show that as best as possible, resembles what the fans have seen at OMD concerts over the years. To this end, my background as an electrician has been an advantage, from building the panels we use on stage, to figuring out the copious amounts of automation required in the show, not least controlling a 1970s reel to reel tape recorder from a MacBook.
Trying to replicate the drumming of Mal Holmes and Stuart Kershaw is far from easy, I have the utmost respect for their talents behind the kit, and will endeavour to do justice to their playing.
Winnifred
Winnifred is the twin sister of Winston – the TEAC A-3340S reel to reel tape deck used on stage by OMD in their early shows. Winnifred is affectionately known as the ‘eye-candy’ of the show and can be seen in full glorious action at our shows on songs released from 1979-1983