Kicks Off North American Tour
Live at Basement East | Nashville
October 7th, 2025 Review by Traci Turner
The musical icon known as Andy Bell – aka one half of synth pop legends, Erasure – kicked off his extensive solo tour in Nashville last week, bringing his “Ten Crowns” album to fans across North America. While Erasure often plays arenas, Bell is hitting clubs and theaters, giving fans a more intimate experience.
While solo material is not new to Bell, it has been 15 years since “Non-Stop” and 20 years since “Electric Blue.” His Erasure partner Vince Clarke also released a solo album fairly recently, 2023’s “Songs of Silence,” but the duo has been working on the next Erasure album. OC Music News recently spoke to Bell about that and more, which we will share before Bell stops in SoCal December 10th (San Diego at Music Box) and December 12th and 13th (Los Angeles at The Fonda Theater) as part of this trek.
Supporting Bell on this jaunt is glam rock goddess, Savannah Pope. The Los Angeles artist was named Best Rock Performer by LA Weekly, and her dramatic style brought a theatrical flair to the evening. With the stage darkened, Pope stepped out as a hooded figure in a cape, her voice belting out the first song, sounding like Concrete Blonde’s Johnette Napolitano. Accompanied by Adam Gimenez, Pope’s rock vocals meshed well with the wailing guitar riffs Gimenez was dishing out.
After the pulsating rock track, the lights turned up and we had our first look at Pope as she asked, “How is it going, beautiful people?” She continued, “My name is Savannah Pope. Savannah like the city in Georgia. Pope like the man at the Vatican. But I am a Jew from California.” She said she was overcome with emotions to open for “the legendary Andy Bell” and it was her first tour outside the West Coast.
For the next 30 minutes, Pope gave a glam rock show full of swagger and strut, which had the early crowd head bopping along. She debuted some new material, gave off some wickedly fun “Rocky Horror Picture Show” vibes, and passed out pacifiers to the crowd for a song called “Daddy Issues.” The audience seemed to enjoy her performance and she not only manned her merch booth after, she walked around and talked to people throughout the night.
As members of Andy Bell’s band walked on stage, the crowd began applauding, but the cheers and whistles for Bell himself were intense. There is always the standard length of time for applause and we as a crowd “feel” how long to clap for a song or artist. At this show, there were many moments of extended applause, whistles, and cheers, which seemed to overwhelm Bell at times.
Of course, Bell would not be in any boring ole outfit – he was radiant in a “broken glass” metallic suit, paint splatter combat boots, and reflective sunglasses. A human mirror ball lighting up the intimate venue!
Bell kicked things off with a track from his solo album, “Breaking Thru the Interstellar,” and the crowd began dancing right away. Immediately it was clear Bell still has his unmistakable voice. The Basement East is a 575-capacity venue and more than once, his voice almost seemed too powerful for the room, as if the mic was unnecessary.
BASEMENT EAST
Nashville, TN
October 3rd, 2025
At the song’s end, Bell exclaimed, “Thank you very much!” This was one of those times where the cheering went beyond the typical length, showing just how loved Bell is. When it finally quieted, he continued, “How are you? It has been a long time. Forty years?” After getting a chuckle from the crowd, he went into the first of many Erasure tracks. When “Blue Savannah” started, the cheers and whistles were significant and it became a singalong with a sea of phones and hands in the air.
The song’s end was met with more loud cheers, and Bell removed his jacket – which got more whistles – and jumped into another Erasure song, my personal favorite, “Sometimes.” Bell’s voice was flawless, holding the notes on the chorus as if he was 25-years young. He did joke when it was over, “Thank you so much for singing, although some of you may be too young remember that song.”
He followed up with another “Ten Crowns” song, the very danceable “Don’t Cha Know,” after which he inquired, “Is it ok?” He was met with lots of approval and he went on to explain how the album was half made in Nashville with Dave Aude as producer and writer, as well as playing keyboards at the show. The rest of the band was AH-MAY-ZING. Jerry Fuentes is a killer guitar player, Chelsea King’s vocals were angelic and solid, and Sarah Tomek is an absolute beast on drums.
After Erasure’s “Drama!” Bell stated, “If you are a purveyor of our work, you know there are hints of Blondie all around.” On “Ten Crowns,” Blondie’s icon, Debbie Harry, duets with Bell on “Heart’s a Liar.”
Obviously, Harry could not tour with Bell, but Chelsea King handled the task and did a fantastic job. At the song’s end, Bell gushed, “What a gay teen fantasy that was for me!” about working with Harry.
Erasure classic “Chains of Love” drew long applause, leading nicely into “Godspell,” which had some dramatic heaven and hell lighting. Another of my favorites – of the Erasure catalog and of the night – “Love to Hate You” showcased Bell’s vocals with him hitting those extended notes, and once again, he probably did not need a mic.
Bell left the stage for a quick breather while King and Fuentes did lovely guitar duet of Erasure’s “Breathe,” but when he returned, he went all out for Erasure’s “Always” and ELO’s “Xanadu.” Then back to “Ten Crowns” for the song “For Today,” which truly allowed Tomek to show off her incredible drum skills.
When “Victim of Love” began, the crowd went a bit crazy, and perhaps it fueled Bell. While he had been moving and dancing most of the night, he now looked like the sassy, fierce Andy Bell of Erasure that we adore. This drew a heavy amount of applause and cheers.
After “Dance for Mercy,” another lively track from the solo record, Bell stated that sometimes “you gotta go back where you left the breadcrumbs” and began “Chorus.” At the song’s end, he declared, “Now THAT is a piece of electronica!”
While “Put Your Empathy on Ice” is also a new track, the crowd seemed to know and enjoy it, but when “Oh L’amour” began, the sea of phones and hands shot up and another singalong dance session launched. There was thunderous applause at the song’s end and everyone left the stage, but with a room full of cheers, whistles, chants of “Andy!” happening, an encore was required.
Bell thanked everyone for “coming out tonight as we kick off the North American tour.” He seemed so genuinely happy and humble, and “Thank You” was a perfect song to go into. Of course, nothing could touch the energy and excitement that “A Little Respect” brought out! The diverse crowd was so positive and happy, and I feel like we all left there feeling better about life. Or at least, we forgot about our less-than-exciting stuff for a bit.
Andy Bell’s “Ten Crowns” tour is now traveling the US and will make its way to the West next month. If you want to forget the world for a bit and dance away to Erasure songs you already love, and Andy Bell songs you WILL love, now is the time to make it happen!
SHOW PHOTO GALLERY
by Stephanie Pepper Photography
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SID 251008 | JIMMY ALVAREZ | EDITOR
