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Erasure Picnic

Erasure in the Ship of Fools video

Welcome to the website of Erasure Picnic! Erasure Picnic is a fan project that seeks to archive, analyze, and appreciate the work of Erasure. It began as an Instagram page, and most of the work can be found there. This website supplements the page and provides more resources, including interviews, sources, and more.

Resource Links for Specific Posts

December 3, 2024 - Giving Tuesday

Website for Stroke Association
Website for Hetrick-Martin Institute
Website for Dhiverse
Andy Bell Interview - Hotspots Magazine
I Advocate...Andy Bell - The Advocate
Check your pulse this Stroke Prevention Day - video from Stroke Association (with Andy Bell)
Andy Bell ( Erasure ) ~ 'A Little Respect' live at The Stroke Association Awards
A Little Respect (HMI Redux)
Cambridge 105 Radio - Interview with Andy Bell on his work with Dhiverse (click here to listen)

June 21, 2024 - The Multisexuality of Erasure

Text version

April 28, 2024 - Permanent Record Podcast

Permanent Record Podcast - Erasure episodes

Permanent Record Podcast - official website

April 28, 2023 - The Roxy (Erasure Firsts)

Erasure - Victim of Love - The Roxy 09-06-1987

Erasure - The Circus - The Roxy 29-09-1987

Erasure - The Circus - The Roxy 20-10-1987

Erasure - Ship Of Fools - The Roxy 08-03-1988

(Many thanks to Darren's Classic TOTP TV Music and Comedy Channel for the high-quality uploads!)

April 17, 2023 - Sean Hayes (Artists Influenced by Erasure)

"Andy Bell / Double Hip Replacement" - episode of the podcast HypochondriActor

"How Will & Grace Beat Ellen's Gay Curse" - video by Matt Baume

April 2, 2023 - Erasure Interactive Press Kit

Video transcript

Transcript of included interview

Transcript of included press release

VHS video interview for Electronic Press Kit (1995)

March 31, 2023 - "The Best"

Staying in with Erasure: Vince Clarke and Andy Bell in Conversation

March 20, 2023 - "Andy Bell is Torsten"

Andy Bell is Torsten - YouTube channel

Andy Bell is Torsten - Facebook page

Andy Bell is Torsten - Instagram page

March 17, 2023 - "Ship of Fools" moodboard

Erasure - "Ship of Fools" (link to video on Internet Archive)

Philip Vile's website. He directed the "Ship of Fools" video and now works as an architectural photographer.

March 10, 2023 - The "Vince is a puppet" reel

Erasure - Always & Stay With Me (Acoustic) + Interview (Much Music 1995) (link to YouTube video)

March 6, 2023 - "Fingers and Thumbs", Top of the Pops

Erasure - Fingers and Thumbs (Cold Summer's Day) - Top Of The Pops 07-12-1995 (link to YouTube video)

February 23, 2023 - Erasure Música y Amigos

Erasure Música y Amigos - YouTube channel

Erasure Música y Amigos - Facebook page

Erasure Música y Amigos - Instagram page

What is Erasure Picnic?

Erasure Picnic is an Instagram blog dedicated to the pop duo Erasure. The blog features Erasure pictures, videos, clippings, and deep dives into moments in the band's history. It aims to celebrate the music, iconography, and activism of the band - in other words, to give them a little respect.

Why did I start this blog?

The short answer

I started Erasure Picnic for three reasons:

  1. To process, interpret, and share what I learned in my collection of Erasure interviews;
  2. To express my enthusiasm for Erasure in an environment that would be receptive towards it (aka, to get out all my Big Erasure Feels);
  3. To connect with other fans.

The long answer

I discovered Erasure through an online radio station around 2016, but fell deeply in love with them in late 2021 (thanks to a lovely friend who flipped me onto them). When I fall in love with a band, I want to know everything about them. I start collecting anything I can find - and I have a special love for interviews. Turns out, Erasure have done hundreds of interviews over the course of their career, so I had a lot of digging to do.

The more I dug, the more amazing the band seemed to me. I was discovering all these incredible anecdotes, quotes, and moments in their career. My brain was buzzing, and I couldn't stop thinking about them. I needed a place to process everything I was reading, organize my thoughts, and get them out to an audience who would be interested. Hence, Erasure Picnic was born.

Why do I love Erasure?

  • I love their music. I find it soothing, uplifting, and personally meaningful. I'm a big fan of Vince Clarke's synths, and I find they pair so beautifully with Andy Bell's words, vocals, and melodies.
  • I find their story fascinating, for a number of reasons.
    • I'm intrigued by the element of fate that drew them together. I agree with Andy that they were destined to meet, and I think it's so interesting that they almost met in 1982 but didn't. What could have been?
    • Before Erasure, Vince Clarke was known as someone who didn't like collaborating on songwriting, playing live, or sticking with a band if things didn't go his way - and after Erasure, all of that changed. How did that happen? I enjoy putting the pieces of that puzzle together, and seeing how Vince's working style morphed after meeting Andy.
    • The fact that a quiet, spotlight-shunning, straight musician like Vince took a chance on a spiky young gay singer who wanted to be out in 1985 is something that continues to amaze me. Vince encouraged Andy to be himself, to be open about being gay, and I love that Andy felt free to be himself with Vince, as this is what made their art and activism so powerful.
  • I admire them as people. Their openness, activism, and kindness to fans makes me happy.