No stopping Erasure

Andy Bell" class="imageframe alignright" height="130" src="http://www.expressandstar.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/wd2343533erasure-1-ts-16.thumbnail.jpg" width="175"/>Perhaps flamboyant Erasure frontman Andy Bell is bored of reviewers focusing on his skimpy stage garb.

Last night he swapped his usual sequins, feathers and diamante for a full cover-up as the electro-pop superstars combined camp showmanship with 80s classics during a sell-out show at the Civic Hall.

While strapping Bell danced about the stage, his distinctive voice as powerful as ever, sidekick and electronic keyboard wizard Vince Clarke stood impassively as ever as the straight man to Bell's court jester act.

The crowd erupted as they churned out every song fans wanted to hear including Love To Hate You, A Little Respect, Blue Savannah, Chains of Love, Who Needs Love Like That, Sometimes and Stop!

They played for more than an hour and 40 minutes, raising the roof with one of their biggest hits Oh L'Amour. But it wouldn't be Bell without an element of bizarre, and at one point he was prancing around making a glove puppet sing.

By Stella Stokes.