7 minute read
Krautrockin' in the Free World
Krautrockin’ in the Free World
BERLIN’S TERRI NUNN ON 40+ YEARS OF RIDING THE NEW WAVE
By Michael Mackie
The last time Terri Nunn and her Berlin bandmates were in Kansas City, they played to a packed, uh, parking lot. It was November 2020, and pandemic restrictions turned Berlin’s Leawood performance into an outdoor, pseudo-drive-in concert. Nunn laughed when I reminded her how the appreciative crowd would honk and flash their high beams at the end of each song.
In fact, Nunn laughed through much of our interview as we took various trips down memory lane. The famed synth-pop ‘80s band—founded by lead vocalist and songwriter Terri Nunn, bassist John Crawford, and keyboard player David Diamond—is poised to hit the road again this summer. The new wave rockers are teaming up with Boy George & Culture Club and Howard Jones on “The Letting It Go Show.”
The national tour kicked off its 25-city run in mid-July, with a stop in Kansas City on Tuesday, August 8, at Starlight Theatre. It’s the band’s first big tour since they tagteamed alongside The B-52s and OMD back in 2019.
Fresh off another recent blow-out performance at the Cruel World Festival, the dynamo songstress says she’s more than ready to reconnect with her KC audience— and not just a wall of headlights this time around.
The Pitch: Can we dish for a minute about Kansas City? The last time you were here was during the heart of the pandemic. You did a drive-in concert at Town Center. It was your first concert back—literally. What do you remember about that?
Terri Nunn: [laughs] I remember it was really hard. And it wasn’t the people who came; it wasn’t their fault. It was cold. And it was in November. And I thought, okay, people will get out of their cars and bring out their chairs—and I’ll be able to see them and connect. Well, no, because it was fucking cold—so people stayed in their cars.
There was no sound coming from anywhere. I was going, “Hey, how are ya’ out there?!” And, like, literally one person would go: Honk! I’m freezing, and it’s windy, and it’s outside.
I walked off the stage, and I said to my guys, “If this is what concerts are now, I need to get another job.” It was like playing to machines that weren’t alive.
I mean, that’s why I do concerts—to connect, you know? It’s all about connecting with everybody and with the band. That’s the whole point, and that show—you were there. Wow, I’ve just never had that experience before.
Well, thank goodness things are back to normal. You’re back on the road with Culture Club and Howard Jones this summer. And you’re at Starlight on Tuesday, August 8—it’s a perfect ‘80s trifecta. What are Boy George and HoJo like?
When I first met him—well, he’s a lot different now. You know what’s interesting is that Boy George is tall. I didn’t expect that. There’s something about making music and getting older that I really like. People in my field are getting out of their egos. We’ve been there, done that. Then, it was all about competition and who’s better than who and all that bullshit. Now, it’s, “Wow, we’re making music—and we get to make music with each other.”
I mean, for me to play with Boy George and Howard Jones, it’s a privilege. They’re icons, their music has stood the test of time— and I get to be there. We get to do this together like a traveling circus. It’s kind of fun to be one of the only girls on [stage] that whole evening.
Is there a particular Berlin song that always brings the house down? Or is every audience different?
Yeah, “The Metro.” For some reason, that really hits people—whether they know it well or not. That song really gets to them, and it doesn’t get old. It’s one of those songs that—it’s just its own thing. It’s unique in its way, and I think that’s why I love it. And I think that’s why people resonate with it. It’s very dark, it gets people moving. And it’s deep.
It’s also fun to do it on stage with John Crawford and David Diamond back in the band. The nucleus of Berlin is rejoined.
And, of course, “Take My Breath Away,” because so many more people around the world know that song. We were kind of underground darlings before that. [laughs] “No More Words” put us more on the map, but worldwide it was “Take My Breath Away” that gave us an audience everywhere.
I sat behind you and your hubs on The ‘80s Cruise right before the pandemic, and you were rocking out to Lita Ford. What other female rockers get you amped?
I just went to see Shirley Manson and Garbage. That was great.
I also like Metric. If they’re coming near you, that’s a good show. I really like [Emily Haines], and I like their songs.
And then Noel Gallagher from Oasis, his new band, The Flying somethings. [Editor note: High Flying Birds.] I’ve watched them. That’s one reason why I love these multi-band shows. It’s a longer show, and I also get to check out something that’s like, “Okay, well, I don’t really know this band, but I’ll listen to this.” And Noel Gallagher’s band is pretty good. I actually really liked the new stuff.
You’re big on doing stadium cover songs. I’ve heard AC/DC and, of course, Jefferson Airplane. Are there songs you want to incorporate into your playlist?
Well, we’re doing one right now that you might like—The Cult’s “She Sells Sanctuary.”
Your signature blonde/black hair is making a comeback with other artists. Hello, Dua Lipa! How do you feel about being an original trendsetter?
It’s great— because it’s great for my hair. My hair is kind of boring, dirty blonde. Not really big. So, the color thing works for me. You know, some people have lots of hair—like Stevie Nicks. So, she can have all different kinds of looks. And Madonna, I hear, has lots of hair. That’s not me.
So, the color thing is a better deal for me. Now everybody’s doing color, which is great. You know, when I was doing it, there weren’t a lot of colors that would stand out. They hadn’t really mastered it yet.
Let’s take a trip in the Wayback Machine. Do you have a favorite music video memory from your library? All your ‘80s videos were, like, epic mini-movies.
I really loved that everybody liked my concept for “No More Words,” which was the Bonnie and Clyde idea. I loved that movie with Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway. I got my first kiss while watching that movie, and it meant a lot to me. It was very sexy.
So, getting to have a moment to portray Bonnie in that video was really exciting. That was the beginning of my sexual life. You know, when you get your first kiss.
Not a day goes by that I don’t hear you on 80s on 8 or First Wave. Forty-plus years later, you’re still everywhere. Is that just bonkers to you?
It’s probably a schmaltzy answer, but I’m really grateful for it. There’s no way to know how long anybody’s gonna like anything. And we just celebrated 45 years of Berlin. John started the band in 1977. I think we got lucky in deciding to do electronic music and that it would last and morph.
It’s still at the top of the charts. We don’t sound old. And I think that’s why my daughter actually listens to my music—because I don’t sound so different from Billie Eilish or her style. I don’t have Billie Eilish’s voice, but you know what I mean.
It helped to have MTV sort of conveniently propel you along.
MTV—they were fantastic. Oh my God, when they started, they didn’t have enough videos to play. And we were all about videos. Luckily, we signed with a record label that believed in them— David Geffen. We just gave ‘em videos, and they played them all the time. They played Berlin constantly because they didn’t have much else to play yet.
