When it was announced that Alison Moyet’s latest tour would heavily feature Yazoo songs, alongside numbers from her ‘the minutes’ and ‘Other’ electronica albums, there was no question that her Brighton Dome date was one not to be missed. Yazoo only toured once at the height of their fame, in 1982, and Vince Clarke reunited with Moyet for their Reconnected tour in 2008, with both tours stopping off at theDome.
Roll forward to 2026 and a capacity crowd, many of whom probably still have their original release copy of Upstairs at Eric’s album in their collection, wait in anticipation for this rare opportunity to hear Moyet perform the electro-pop classics from the two Yazoo studio albums.
Looking at the stage, it was clear this was a big production setup, with the whole stage area filled with risers and strip lights. A throbbing synth bass track played as Moyet and her three-piece band walked on, all dressed in black.
The show started with Alive and, in the spotlight, Moyet looked great and sounded amazing, swaying in between verses before the song climaxed with a big wall of sound and great use of the stage lighting.
After sharing that “It’s so lovely to be home” there was a big cheer for the catchy synth introduction to Bad Connection and, with the mic removed from its stand, she sang and danced her way through Vince Clarke’s perfectly crafted pop song, placing the mic to her ear as the band sang the “ooh can you hear me” chorus.
On Ode To Boy, written about Vince Clarke, Paul Jones played synth drums, band MD Sean McGhee took the bass lines and guitarist Brendan Cox picked out the melody and delivered a laid-back rock solo as Moyet effortlessly handled the tongue-twisting lyrics with a rapid delivery.
The audience, clearly die-hard fans, cheered every Yazoo song introduction, and on Nobody’s Diary, Moyet showed how her unmistakable voice had matured into a fine instrument, with her Basildon twang intact as she robotically swayed to the music.
It’s easy to forget how many ballads/slower-tempo songs Yazoo recorded and this continued with Mr Blue and Midnight, the latter’s synths sounding like a retro computer lab. Clarke’s ear for a catchy riff was fully evident as the songs were faithfully recreated. Moyet explained that she wrote Midnight years ago based on her love of Janis Joplin’s “miserable songs”.
Throughout the show, Sean McGhee played the bulk of the synths, with Cox dropping his guitar to back him up on keys, and took on backing and shared vocals, to great effect on Changeling, which saw Moyet clearly enjoying the set as much as her fans.
It was a canny decision to feature songs from her last two solo albums, their electronica sound fitting in perfectly with the early 80s Yazoo songs. Lover, Go was introduced with an explanation that it is about being an old lady, a status she enjoys, as this means not having to give a shit about things. “I’m as rough as old houses!”, she proclaimed and is clearly not one to suffer fools gladly. The song gave her the opportunity to show off her vocal range to great effect and there was a comic moment when her “thank you” was echoed by a shout from an audience member. She said she could hear it through her mic but always assumes that all shout-outs are lovely as she usually can’t hear them.
There’s a dramatic arrangement for Winter Kills, with pounding drums and picked guitar chords, but its verses recalled a torch song, a genre her smoky voice is perfectly suited to. Her background stories to songs are consistently funny, but all tend to include a positive message about self-faith and determination to succeed, even when you fail.
Before Other, which we are told is the last reflective song, Moyet spoke of growing out of youthful insecurities and embracing the self-confidence and “don’t give a shit” attitude that comes with age. The sparse ballad began with voice and guitar, as subtle keys popped in and out, McGhee’s vocals proving to be a great match for the star.
State Farm may have been a B-side, but it ushered in the uptempo portion of the set and had people moving in their seats, as the lighting provided a nightclub feel that perfectly suited Beautiful Gun, a song with a swagger that allowed Moyet to become a vampish, disco diva. The theme continued with Right As Rain, its dirty bass and squelchy keys backed by Jones’s hi-hat disco drums driving Moyet to dance, using the mic stand as a partner before letting loose to move alone to this club anthem.
The set closes with Yazoo’s first single, Only You, with a perfect rendition of a perfect pop song that is peppered with random whoops and hollers throughout from an excitable crowd and In My Room, another classic that perfectly conveyed isolation and loneliness with feeling bleak. Ms Moyet took a graceful bow and exited to cheers and applause as the band finished the song.
They were soon back to a standing ovation to which Moyet responded “You’re so lovely, we’re going to play some 1982 disco”. Situation, probably Yazoo’s finest club cut, had everyone out of their seats to dance and was followed by Goodbye 70s. On this song, and throughout the show, you could see by the way she sounded and moved how influential she has been on disco-based female frontwomen ever since Upstairs At Eric’s came out over 40 years ago.
Don’t Go ended a carefully curated set, perfectly paced with a big party to end that really was one of those nights you wish didn’t have to end. Alison Moyet has reached the stage where she’s grown as a person and performer, her voice richer, more soulful and stronger than ever, and it was a joy to spend an evening in her company.
It’s not every day that you see a support act who’s been nominated for a Grammy and is in a band with the current Poet Laureate. Oxford-born Richard Walters can lay claim to both of these achievements (and more besides) and more than showed his worth in his short opening set.
Looking very unassuming, with his only accoutrements a beany hat, glasses, an acoustic guitar and a capo he delivered five songs interspersed with amiable chat. His clean and crisp, folky voice paired well with the gently strummed guitar and his performance was definitely a case of less is more, as evidenced on his stripped-back take on Robyn’s With Every Heartbeat. He shared that he’d previously toured with Alison Moyet and quickly dubbed the hall full of fans ‘Moyettes’. On King of Leaves, we were taken on a travelogue around the world, name-checking Brian Wilson along the way
There were big aahs when he announced the final song, which showed he’d easily won over ‘The Moyettes’, which is no mean feat for a support act. In just five songs, he showed the skill of his songwriting, executed with superb breath control that allowed him to hold and bend notes with ease. This was a gentle, enjoyable start to the evening that was favourably received, with no audience members chatting or bailing to the bar, and I’m sure many people left the show as fans.
Alison Moyet, Brighton Dome Concert Hall, Saturday 10th October 2026.
Photos by Fran Moore.
