Erasure have retired from live touring, the band’s Vince Clarke has revealed.
The synth-pop duo, also featuring lead vocalist and songwriter Andy Bell, formed in London in 1985. They played a brief run of UK shows last autumn, marking their first performances together in four years.
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Their 2025 tour saw them visit Edinburgh, London, Manchester and Bristol to celebrate their 40th anniversary. The gigs were billed as “informal evenings which combine elements of conversation and chat with some live performance, while taking some other twists and turns along the way”, instead of traditional concerts.
However, no further touring is on the horizon for Erasure. During a new interview with The New Cue, songwriter, producer and keyboardist Clarke was asked to share the “bravest career decision [he’d] ever made”.
In response, he said: “To stop touring.”
Clarke continued: “What happened was Andy Bell and myself, we did these fan shows before Christmas and they were great but… it’s difficult to explain… the simple answer would be is I just don’t want to be really old and going onstage!
“I just don’t want to do it anymore.”
The musician went on to say that “the best bit about making music for me is the process of making music as opposed to listening to it afterwards”, adding: “I never listen to records that we’ve made in the past unless I have to because we were performing them live. It’s the process.”
Last year also saw Bell release his third solo album, ‘Ten Crowns’, and he is still touring as a solo artist. Clarke, meanwhile, has launched a new band called Doublespeak with Blancmange’s Neil Arthur and producer Benge. The trio’s self-titled debut record is set to arrive in May, featuring covers of classic and cult songs.
Clarke has also been a part of Yazoo and Depeche Mode, and shared his debut solo album ‘Songs Of Silence’ at the end of 2023. Before then, he revealed that he discovered his love for synthesisers when working alongside OMD, who shared a remix of the song ‘Almost’.
In 2024, Andy Bell joined The Killers on stage in London for a collaborative performance of Erasure’s hit ‘A Little Respect’.
