In the U.S., Yaz has enjoyed longevity owing to a seemingly eternal nostalgia for 1980s pop and to Clarke's association with Depeche Mode. He was one of that group's founding members and penned the band's early signature song "Just Can't Get Enough" in 1981.
Those fans, who also grew to love Erasure, have supported Yaz throughout the years, as have DJs. Key remixes of Yaz hits such as "Situation" were released in 1990 and 1999, keeping interest in the band high among electronic music fans. At an April concert in downtown Los Angeles, dance music heavyweights Groove Armada dropped Yaz's "Situation" as their opening track, to wild applause from the audience.
Moyet too has her loyalists. Yaz received crucial early support in gay clubs from New York to San Francisco in the early 1980s, many of whom embraced the band for Moyet's soulful vocal work on tracks like "Midnight," in which she goes from a whisper to a wail with astonishing grace. Over the years, she's emerged as something of a gay icon, enjoying a particularly fervent following in Los Angeles and San Francisco.
"I'm aware that I have a lot of gay fans, and I love it," Moyet said. "In the 1970s when I grew up as a punk rocker, we were all on the outside and I think that we found common ground with one another."
Now that Moyet and Clarke have found their own common ground, they're funneling all their energies into touring. Earlier this summer, they spent several weeks performing across Europe to generally positive reviews -- which seems to be enough for now. There have been no announcements about the pair going back into the studio, nor are they looking to do anything beyond this string of live dates.
"I've been asked to do '80s package tours, but it doesn't appeal to me," Moyet said.
The other thing that doesn't appeal to Moyet and Clarke? Describing Yaz's music as "new wave." "I feel very 'old wave' these days," Clark said. "I'm old and wavering."
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charlie.amter@latimes.com
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Yaz
Where: Orpheum Theatre, 842 S. Broadway, Los Angeles
When: 8 p.m. today, Thursday
and Friday
Price: $52 to $75
Contact: (877) 677-4386
