THE TOTALLY TUBULAR FESTIVAL LIVE AT THE AMP IN BRIDGEPORT
By Ralph Beauchamp
The Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater hosted an 80’s inspired concert event entitled the Totally Tubular Festival which featured Thomas Dolby as the headliner. Also on the bill were the Plimsouls, Tommy Tutone, Annabella’s Bow Wow Wow, Men Without Hats, Wang Chung, Modern English and Tom Bailey of the Thompson Twins. The show started fairly early. Around 4;30 due the the large amount of acts involved. Another treat of the day was my working with my photographer Rich Russo. We haven’t done anything together in a while and it was just fun catching up.
Opening the show was The Plimsouls. Most of the early sets were only 20 minutes and The Plimsouls took full advantage of the time. Their energetic set included their hits “Million Miles Away” and “Oldest Story In The World”. They were the perfect band to start off the festivities. Up next was Tommy Tutone which features Tommy Heath who is the last original member. Tommy Tutone brought the heat with their 6 song set. It began with “Trust Your Memory” and “Angel Say No” and ended with their big hit “867-5309/Jenny” with everyone in the house singing along. The surprise tune was an amazing rendition of Cat Steven’s “Wild World”.
Annabella’s Bow Wow Wow took the stage next. By this time, the attendance began to swell as the people who had to work started to arrive. Annabella (Lwin) came out enthusiastic and pumped up. Her band was made of of three great musicians who were definitely much younger but played the songs quite well. Opening with “Love, Peace and Harmony”, the crowd was all in. Annabella was personable and the audience loved it. “Do You Want To Hold Me” drew a huge response. The Bow Wow Wow cover of The Strangeloves’ song “I Want Candy” was the set’s highlight.
The surprise act of the night was Wang Chung. Consisting of founding members, Nick Feldman and Jack Hues, the band was tight and their music felt fresh. Feldman and Hues held the venue’s total attention. “Wait” was the first song out. It was followed by “To Live and Die in L.A.” and their hit “Let’s Go”. “Dance Hall Days” had the crowd on their feet, swaying to the intoxicating beat. They punked out with The Clash’s “Should I Stay or Should I Go” which hit the mark. Finishing with “Everybody Have Fun Tonight”, everyone was Wang Chunging away.
Canada’s Men Without Hats were really enjoyable. Opening with a shortened version of “The Safety Dance”, Ivan Doroschuk was a whirling dervish. He flew and danced all across the stage. The audience truly enjoyed his spark of kinetic energy. The band flowed into cool renderings of “Where Do the Boys Go” and “I Got the Message”. “Pop Goes the World” had the house once again on its feet. They stayed up for the extended club mix of “The Safety Dance”. Everyone had a smile on the face. Men Without Hats were fantastically delightful.
Modern English followed. Fronted by the ineffable Robbie Grey, Modern English performed an extraordinary 6 song set including several tracks from their newest release 1234 which dropped this year. Opening with “Gathering Dust”, they immediately went into “Someone’s Calling”. Two new songs off of 1234, “Long in the Tooth” and “Crazy Lovers” were well received. “Hands Across the Sea” led to their monster hit “I Melt With You”. By this time, the venue was packed and gave Modern English a loud roar of approval.
Tom Bailey of Thompson Twins fame was my only disappointment. He looked great and his all female band were not only gorgeous but excellent musicians. They all looked superb garbed in white. Opening with “Love on Your Side”, immediately the vocals seemed flat and off key. The music was top notch but Bailey just couldn’t cut it. “Lay Your Hands On Me” came next followed by “If You Were Here” , “King for a Day” and “You Take Me Up”. Bailey ended with the Thompson Twins’ gigantic hits, “Doctor! Doctor!” and “Hold Me Now”. The audience enjoyed the set but it just didn’t grab me.
Thomas Dolby was pure magic. All alone and dressed in his futuristic military garb, he controlled the stage even though the only other thing on it was his synth equipment. He was both ethereal and spiritual in a fascinating sort of way. One could’t take you eyes off of him. New Order’s “Blue Monday” started it off. “Europa and the Pirate Twins” and “One of Our Submarines” came next.
Dolby’s homage to David Bowie featured a cover of Bowie’s “Heroes” which also included a fascinating visual film. Dolby was just steeped in unbridled mystery and panache. “Hyperactive” had the venue in awe. As soon as “She Blinded Me With Science” started to play, the audience was in pure ecstasy. He closed out with “Hot Sauce”.
The Totally Tubular Festival was an entertaining event and full of fun. I’m sure everyone there remembered where they were when they heard their favorite 80’s track. I know I did.
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