After finding out about the show and planning on attending, my next step was to call my compadré in the Chapel Hill area to inform him that OMD were coming within driving distance. The last time I had seen OMD [Jan. 1986 – Lakeland Civic Center, opening for Thompson Twins] was in his company so that he’d want to go was a given. The spouses were happy to go, but weren’t buying into the $150 VIP ticket, but the compadré thought that meeting OMD would be a fine thing, concurrent with his birthday, so I was assured of company on my OMD adventure.

My wife found astounding Atlanta lodgings and booked the unit for the three days surrounding the concert date of March 14th. My friends had relatives they wanted to visit in Atlanta so they asked if we would like to stay an extra day or two. No problema! We would arrive on Friday the 11th and leave on Tuesday the 15th. That left plenty of time to sightsee in Atlanta a bit, visit the new aquarium, eat five six star meals that we just can’t scare up locally, and yes – shop for records! Remember that this lovely activity was capped by meeting OMD and seeing them perform a full length set for the first time ever. I’m on record as to how I think their new album is the cat’s meow and when all is said and done, OMD are among the cream of the many groups I dearly love and collect. They speak strongly to me and watching them get off message in the mid eighties was sad and a bit painful. Their resurgence has been a great gift to me in this last year and this trip would be an experience to savor.

My companion and I had arranged to be at the venue at 4:30 for the soundcheck/meet & greet. Our wives had general admission tickets and the venue’s doors opened at 8 PM, so they would meet us in the venue at that time. I hadn’t been to the venue complex in over 20 years, so I hit the first underground parking garage that I felt was walking distance to where it was. We hoofed it a few blocks to see the VIP crowd queueing outside of  The Loft entering the building just as we arrived. After flashing a photo ID, we were given our passes, which were also our tickets. It was impressed upon us that we were to affix the cloth stickers to our person and not lose them. Ever. Having done this, we were escorted along with the rest of the 30 VIPers to a separate room with a bar in the venue. It was here where we were given our tchathke bags full of OMD swag. In addition to soundcheck access and a meet & greet session with the band for you and 29 others, the $150 VIP ticket netted you:

The US edition of "History Of Modern" on your choice of CD or 2xLP

Exclusive VIP T-Shirt design

Autographed glossy - real photo print

History Of Modern tourboook

History Of Modern tote bag

• US pressing of the album “History Of Modern” on CD or 2xLP
• Exclusive T-shirt design commemorating the event
• Signed 8″x10″ glossy [a real photograph!] signed by all four members
• a tourbook
• the fifth feature was the bag itself, a nice black canvas tote silkscreened with the HOM artwork. I had expected a bubblesac!

I picked the CD for me and my companion when I ordered the tickets, but an error saw us given the 2xLP instead. My friend just swapped with another VIPer who had asked for the LP but been given the CD. Since I already plunked for the UK ltd. ed. boxed set, I already had the UK CD and 2xLP [in unique cover], so I kept the US 2xLP. The US version of “History Of Modern” has an extra track, but it’s “Save Me,” a mashup of “Messages” and Aretha Franklin’s “Save Me” that frankly, I was not looking forward to hearing. Since the album climaxes with the intensely beautiful and melancholy “The Right Side,” the notion of hearing the Queen of Soul in a fake duet with Andy McCluskey immediately  afterward just rubbed me the wrong way!

As we were given our stuff, we could see the band in the next room setting their instruments up. The bar area had two large glass doors and I was wondering if this was the access we’d have to the soundcheck when we were given the all clear and led into the club’s main floor. The Loft was a small-to-medium concrete box with low ceilings as it literally used to be the storage area above the much posher thousand seater Centerstage venue below. Max capacity here was 600 or so, SRO. I then saw OMD on the small stage, which probably measured 24 feet wide, tops. Damn, this place was small! The band had their gear set up and were ready to get started.

Next: …the soundcheck begins