LIVE REVIEW: DEPECHE MODE, LETZIGRUND STADION, ZURICH, 18 JUNE 2017

This review has been written by Jan Cvengros, a long time friend of mine on the wonderful Home forum. We've had a few technical issues hence the Zurich review appearing later in the running order here, but it's been worth waiting for. Thanks very much to Jan for the great review and pictures - enjoy everyone.

I love the gigs taking place in the city, where I currently live. You do not have to bother with the flight and the hotel. You just take the tram and in 20 minutes you are at the venue. The weather on Sunday June 18 was just great. Maybe more than enough. Cloudless sky, searing sun and queueing in black clothes are certainly a killer combination. But not for me. I took shorts, white shirt and a cap but the devotion (or obsession?) of some Depeche Mode fans still keeps me astonished. Black attire was everywhere and I even spotted some leather jackets (temperature certainly reached at least 35 °C). I came to the venue just before noon and got my number from an Italian girl, who was there since 6 AM. Being number 11 seemed fine to me. The queueing passed actually quite fast, I met a couple of old friends and got to know some new people. It was great to meet Claudia (Miss Kaleid) from Milan and Glyn (Spooks) from Geneva again. Hard to believe, but 8 years ago, the three of us and Giacomo (Last Violator) made a car trip from Zurich to Luxembourg for the warm up gig of the Tour of the Universe.

As the gig is pretty much same everywhere, I would like to write a bit more about other aspects of the concert. Glyn had an early entrance ticket, which he still had to pick up at 1 PM. We came to the Live Nation stand just before one and Glyn got his number from German fans, who actually spend the night in front of the stadium. Well, so you pay 200 Euro or so to be first in the venue, yet you still spend the whole day and night to be even “more first”. Hmmmmm, what comes next? 

But there is other thing I wanted to point out. Glyn got number 36 and he was one of the last ones that came there on time to really secure the front row spot (i.e. die-hard fans creating a great atmosphere in the front section). There were altogether 200 EE-tickets available and the remaining owners of the tickets actually came as late as possible. As they had to pass our gate on their way from the Live Nation stand to their entrance to the stadium, it was easy to recognize their shining Early-Entrance badges hanging on their necks. Most of them passed just before the entrance time and they looked, hmm let me think, just not to offend anybody, they looked like someone, who has nothing to do with Depeche Mode but can easily afford expensive tickets. And that is what I truly loath about the current ticket policy.

Approximately 200 of the Early Entry Ticket holders just before entering the stadium

The whole event was perfectly organized and I know what I’m talking about as the organization in Bratislava a few weeks earlier was a massive catastrophe as the crowd dashed towards the front section without any security or ticket check. In Zurich we just had no choice. Enter slowly, pass the security and walk toward the front section. I love the Letzigrund stadium, which is not a massive building as it is buried in the ground. That means that when you enter the venue from the street, you find yourself actually at the top tiers and you have to walk downstairs to get to the standing area. A rather unexpected thing happened right after we got in. The entrance was at the side of the stage, so I thought, it will be a short run. Well, the security sent us to the other end of the venue to take the stairs down to the pitch and then back to the stage again. It was a decent distance and not very fair to those, who did not expect any sporting event. When I hit the front section as the first from our gate, the early entry folks were already there centered mostly in front of Dave’s mic, at the end of the catwalk and in the corner in front of Fletch. Yet there were some free spots on the catwalk. I chose the right side somewhere in the middle of the catwalk. 

The sun kept on shining also inside of the venue but the time passed pretty fast. I certainly belong to biggest critics of any warm-up bands and I never truly understood, what is the point of sending a band with a club experience to a stadium gig, where they get completely lost. Over the years I can hardly think of a band at the DM gig that would make the waiting for DM enjoyable. So naturally, I had the worst expectations also in Zurich, but Algiers had some good tunes and a couple of good tracks. They could just cut the lengthy instrumental parts and the man at the keyboard/bass should get his limbs under control but otherwise it was pretty good. 

The final half an hour before Depeche Mode pretty much suggested what to expect during the gig. The crowd was quiet and reserved, enjoying the drinks and chatting. It is just not in the nature of the local people to create an atmosphere similar to those in Italy or Eastern Europe. An atmosphere, that is so important for the overall experience at the Depeche Mode concert. After living in this country for some time now, I would say it’s like the Swiss people think: I have paid for the ticket, you make the show. Don’t expect anything from me. It’s not my job.

Finally! The band is on stage

There was an uproar as the band entered the stage and there was a reaction from the crowd every time Dave suggested, that he can’t hear anything. But otherwise the audience was very reserved, including the front section. First I thought, it might be just me, but various fans in different areas expressed the same opinion. This was obvious during the sing-alongs on Home or Everything Counts. The miserable efforts faded before they even properly started. Despite that, Dave was in great shape giving his best and he tried really hard to motivate the audience. He did his usual show repeating the now well-rehearsed set of events (going to the catwalk on the same songs, going to the screen on the same songs, going to Christian’s kit on the same songs …). Depeche worked like a well-oiled machine and it only screeched once as the trio at the keyboard (well just one of them, guess which one) screwed a simple tune at the end of Everything Counts. Even Dave noticed that and send an ironic comment to the band from the catwalk. You can see it in this video starting at 5:50 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LPb7LJKK58.

On the catwalk

My overall impression compared to the gig in Bratislava did not change much. The setlist works fine, the highlight remains the second part of the gig after Martin’s two-track intermezzo. For me it was not Personal Jesus, Enjoy the Silence or Never Let Me Down Again but Wrong and Everything Counts, which create together an incredibly powerful combo. I also still feel that the encore just does not work well. Martin’s slow track, a disturbing and distracting projection on Walking in My Shoes, a non-Depeche track, exploding-drums-remix of I Feel You and a compulsory Personal Jesus just did not manage to crown the concert. And if you missed it in the previous sentence, I want to emphasize again that Christian’s fight with the drums was unusually loud and pretty unbearable. We could hardly hear Dave’s singing. Please get rid of that song. 

The concert and the whole day passed incredibly fast. And it was a great day with beautiful weather and the greatest band in the world. However, the older I am, the less urge I feel to go to other gigs just for sake of going to more gigs. It might be the missing element of surprise at DM shows that is responsible for my lack of excitement. Or maybe the age. But when the band comes back to Europe in the autumn, you can be sure I will not miss them.

LIVE REVIEW: DEPECHE MODE, STADE DE FRANCE, PARIS, 1 JULY 2017

There are few bigger dates on the Global Spirit Tour than the Stade De France one, so to make sure it's covered properly, you need someone who knows what they're doing. Happily for me, Mr Halo, Kevin May kindly agreed to cover his second show for the Global Spirit Tour Project and, believe me, you are in for a real treat. He also provided the stunning pictures for the article too. Once you've enjoyed this as much as I know you will, go and tell him about it on Twitter. Links to his social media sites can be found at the end. I'd also like to thank Kevin for the blog promotion with his choice of t-shirt. Very cool! If the junior Mays stay fans long enough for the next run, I'll ask if we can get child sizes. Anyway, enough from me. Here we go...

I am making a fairly confident guess that the vast majority of those both writing and reading this wonderful series of reviews for the Global Spirit Tour are not newbies to Depeche Mode.

They probably range from hardcore devotees who go to ten or more gigs on a tour and collect every format of every bit of new material, to those who probably take in one show each time and buy the latest album.

We, both readers and scribes of this series, generally know our stuff and can relate in some way to most of the reviews, and we all certainly have an opinion about the band and how they are performing.

For this review, my second in the series (I penned a piece about night #2 of the tour in Amsterdam - http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/live-review-depeche-mode-ziggo-dome.html), I wanted to come at it from a different angle, primarily because I had two newbies in tow.

And this particular pair of Depeche debutants happened to be my two kids, aged 12 and 9 respectively.

They certainly know of the band (their father is obviously a fan and just happens to be writing a book about them - so there's a fair amount of discussion at May Towers about all things Depeche!) and they both have opinions of sorts about songs.

Ella, the more senior of the two, is typical for her age - she likes Katy Perry, Little Mix (she saw them at the O2 in London a few years back) and Justin Beiber, claiming they are all "AMAZING" compared to the 1980s-formed boys from Basildon.

Sam, alternatively, recognises many songs and even says he has a few favourites: World In My Eyes and Personal Jesus, for example.

I've played them many live clips and enthused about how seeing Depeche at a gig is a wholly different experience to listening to the recorded output.

At this point, I usually get something along the lines "well, i'm too young - I'm never going to get to go" or "yeah, whatever, Dad".

I was determined to prove them both wrong at some point...

* * *

Late last year, as the first gigs on the tour were announced, I figured it was time to act - getting some money from a speaking engagement, snapping up tickets for the Stade de France show and deciding to make a weekend of it, with both elements kept as a surprise.

Through a combination of stealthy tactics and a few small lies here and there (they were told I was doing a speech in Manchester for my day job), eight months later, we found ourselves getting off Metro Line 13 at one of the stations close to the stadium.

I’d already had a funny conversation earlier on the Metro with Ella, who was asking “huh, how can something be ‘almost predictable’?” when she noted the t-shirt for David McElroy’s blog that I was wearing for the evening.

I explained it was a line from a Depeche song – “oh, right, okay...”, she remarked before, in that way kids do so well, moving on swiftly to something else of more interest to her.

The game was nearly up though.

Having already been taken aback somewhat as they boarded a train to Paris, rather than Manchester, we got within a few hundred metres of the stadium before my daughter asked why a group of men (old school ticket touts!) were holding up bits of paper with Depeche Mode written on them.

It’s time to confess.

Within minutes of them slowly absorbing the news that they weren't going to be "watching a sunset from a famous hill in Paris" after all, but seeing Depeche instead (“NO WAY?!?!?!”), they were immersed into the pre-gig world of hundreds of fans milling around the stadium.

"I can't believe how many people are smoking!", says Ella. Welcome to France :) ...

Sam, innocently and rather amusingly, asks: "Are they going to sing all the songs in French?"

It's easy to forget, as fans of music generally for many years and regular gig-goers, how alien and surreal the experience might be for a kid.

The Stade de France and its surrounding pedestrian areas are easy to navigate, and within minutes of moving quickly past the merchandising stands (come on, lads, it's pretty hard to feel revolutionary against the "system" when being bled dry for a tour t-shirt - sorry, rant over), we are in our seats.

As fans, especially during active periods for the band, it is fairly typical to get wrapped up in the Depeche Mode universe.

Many live and breathe the meanderings of life for the band - examining set lists, checking pictures on forums, wondering about the crowd configuration at shows, looking for hints of strains (or not, it seems, at the moment) between band members.

But in the heads of two kids who are about to experience Depeche Mode for the first time, the questions come thick and fast, covering every type of issue:

· "So, there are three in the band [looks at my DM-branded beer cup], but five are going to play? I don't get it."

· "Does the song Personal Jesus mean they are really religious?"... Let's not get started on that one!

· "Will the neighbours complain if it's too noisy?"

· "What happens if they need the toilet?"

· "The front cover of your book has four people on it. Why did the other guy leave?"... Let's also not get started on that one!!

Thankfully, Algiers (who are excellent as the support act) create enough noise and visual interest from our vantage point on the second tier, between the stage and halfway line of the pitch, to stem the flow of questions.

It is perhaps the general atmosphere of the huge stadium that they absorbing like sponges by this point, as the Martin-curated techno set builds ahead of the first strains of Revolution by The Beatles.

Much to their delight, after exchanging messages, I point out a friend who waves up at us from the Golden Circle.

And then, Depeche finally arrive shortly after 9pm (giving rise to perhaps the most frenzied reaction I've seen so far on the tour, at least where we’re perched), with the now well-known run of songs that make up the first half a dozen songs of the set.

A Pain That I'm Used To is the first where the crowd appears to unanimously get to its feet, including - much to my surprise - both of the kids.

There is clapping and cheering, a few questions here and there ("Does he always wiggle his bum like that?"... "Err, yeah."), but, perhaps most wonderfully, they have taken the plunge into our little world.

Never underestimate the impact of live music, whatever its form - it can truly surprise and thrill, especially to those that rarely experience it or, as in this case, are witnessing the power and passion of a Depeche Mode on top of their game and clearly enjoying themselves.

The wonderful In Your Room triggers the first "that's a bit weird" about Anton Corbijn's visuals but any confusion or distraction is soon forgotten as the opening bass line of World In My Eyes rings out and both the Stade de France and son Sam cheer loudly.

Dave’s first foray on to catwalk at the close of Cover Me brings about a huge cheer, plus an “oh no – is he going to fall in at the end?!?” from one of the kids.

Some brief fan punditry coming up:

Judas is a very welcome addition to the set, replacing A Question Of Lust and ensuring Martin gets a gentle and genuinely moving "if you want my love..." chiming around the stadium.

Home has its usual and loud sing-a-long at the end but I feel there is (after seeing three gigs so far on this tour) an awkward dialling down of the momentum, not least after two slower numbers from Martin.

Perhaps this is the point where Everything Counts or another old fave (maybe even Where’s The Revolution) should get their airing, rather than the plodding and lesser-known Poison Heart.

By now, close to 10.15pm, Paris has finally fallen dark enough for the light show to really kick in.

It’s a bizarre sight to see both kids singing “WRONG!” at the top of their voices and pointing to the sky, clearly picking up on what the crowd is doing around them.

By the time we get to Enjoy The Silence, a song that the kids actually know the words to, much to my surprise, enjoyment and total immersion in the show takes over.

Ella leans over and shouts: “Will they sing the ‘I’m taking a ride with my best friend’ song?” – again, surprising me somewhat as I never realised she even knew the song.

Martin still says how incredible it was seeing an entire crowd waving their arms in unison for the first time on Never Let Me Down Again, back in 1988, so it must be equally breathtaking for a child to witness 70,000+ people doing it for the first time.

I’m not usually one for hyperbole, but it is a moving experience for a parent, seeing their children lapping up the experience, waving frantically along with everyone else – perhaps finally getting what all the fuss is about.

The encore (“oh, they’re coming back – YES!”) glides through with the rendition of Somebody, with mobile phone lights twinkling everywhere, a stomping Walking In My Shoes and a gentle "Heroes" before the final pair of I Feel You and Personal Jesus.

As the final “reach out and touch faith” comes and goes, with both jumping in the air and shouting at the tops of their voices, there is the immense relief that eight months of mild subterfuge and planning worked out, and pleasure knowing that it really was worth the effort.

It is arguable that they would perhaps have the same level enjoyment at any other large gig – experiencing an enormous crowd and the living passion that live music can create amongst the fans attending.

But this is something else – there is also an emotional connection for them as they know how much this band and the buzz around it (not least with my decision to spend a lot of time writing about it) means to me.

And, yet, weirdly, the most satisfying part of the whole experience was not something that happened in the stadium on the night of the gig – it was the following morning, when all I could hear was them quietly talking about it and sharing their favourite moments as they woke up.

Kevin May is a UK-based journalist who usually writes about the travel industry and technology. He is also the author of HALO, the forthcoming book from Grosvenor House examining the story behind Depeche Mode's classic album, Violator.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks very much for that Kevin. You're possibly now officially the coolest Dad on the planet. At least until the next Little Mix gig...

Halo Twitter - https://twitter.com/HALOBook

Halo Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/halotheviolatorbook/

LIVE REVIEW: DEPECHE MODE, STADIO RENATO DALL'ARA, BOLOGNA, 29 JUNE 2017

Today's reviewer is Mike Cooper from Sandbach in England. Mike is not only a well known Depeche fan, but he's also a recording artist, releasing music as Your Silent Face. I'd certainly recommend that you check out Your Silent Face's range of electronic music which goes from techno to pop and anywhere in between - all info on the band's Facebook page here . Mike's been on his Depeche travels over the last few weeks and Bologna was the last stop on his tour for now. He's written a great review I know you'll love and provided some cool pictures as you can see below. Thanks Mike!

On a glorious summer evening in late June, myself and my wife Nic came to be in the lovely stadium of Bologna FC just outside the city centre of Bologna. Its red brick tower reflects the architecture of the city and we were pleased that it was relatively easy to get to and to get inside once we got there. The stadium is a traditional bowl shaped arena, mostly open to the sky, which was most pleasant under the sun and gentle breeze. The previous day had been cloudy with some showers and the odd rumble of thunder, but the evening of the gig was clear and warm in the evening sun.

We arrived at about 7pm, having got Prato tickets which were general admission to the field, but not the the area immediately by the stage. We managed to get a good position just to the left of centre (the Martin side of the stage) about 2 rows back from the barrier separating us from the Prato Gold area. Initally the stadium was relatively empty,  with the seating areas mostly unfilled at the time that Algiers came for their support slot. Personally, their stuff didn't quite hit the spot from me, but they got a decent reception from the Italian crowd who were getting more and more excited as time went by and the stadium filled up. There was a roar of excitement at about 8.40pm as the video screens were testd with the Global Spirit Tour test card! Then the final empty seats of the stadium filled rapidly as the Beatles' Revolution rang out over the PA system.

DM came onstage to a mighty roar at just a few minutes past 9pm and looked to be in fine form, Dave and Martin both grinning widely, Fletch doing his usual waving and making shapes :) and then, we were ready as Going Backwards kicked off proceedings. As with the other gigs prior to this, there isn't much to say about the setlist except to say that it pr​o​ceded exactly as previous shows through the first 35 minutes or so. 

The Italian crowd were very lively, singing their hearts out and up until the point of Martin's solo spot... then we were treated to an excellent surprise, the tour debut of Judas (instead of A Question of Lust), with Peter Gordeno on piano backing. Sung as a mid tempo 3/4 ballad, Martin injected plenty of feeling into it, and the crowd, and ourselves, loved it. The setlist then reverted back to type with Home, the crowd doing a particulalrly long sing-a-long of the closing melody, conducted by both Dave and Martin. No further surprises at this stage for anone who's seen the setlist or already been to a show up until the first encore, when again Martin threw us a nice surpise by changing Somebody for Strangelove again. Then, the encore setlist proceeded as it has in previous concerts.

Highlights for me were several - the crowd were really really lively, we had sing-a-longs after Home, Everything Counts, Stripped, Enjoy The Silence, Never Let Me Down Again, Walking In my Shoes and Personal Jesus. I really love the moment when the new remixed version of Everything Counts begins, because there are 3 stages to the crowd reaction now - those that know it's coming and cheer immediately, those that get it after the first 4 bars when the 'siren' sound comes in, and those that don't get it until the first melody line is played by Martin. It's a great track, cleverly re-enlivened for this tour. And of course the Conrfield Wave at the end of Never Let Me Down Again is a highlight for both us fans and for Dave, who was looking particularly pleased with himself after this one. Then there was of course "Heroes" - as a big Bowie fan who was affected greatly by his death, I still shed a tear every time I hear this song.

​Also, Dave was in a relativ​e​ly talkative mood, interacting with the crowd more than usual. And I was pleased that the Italian crowd was lively, friendly, happy, but not rude or pushy! :) 

​My only complaint? I'm not a fan of Poison Heart, I'd happily see this track switched for comething else from Spirit - Scum, You Move, or No More maybe?

At the end of the gig, we managed to meet up with quite a few Homies from the US, Canada, Italy, the Netherlands, and Greece, which was lovely, proving yet again that DM are a force for bringing people together. Then, on seeing the state of the traffic jams around the stadium, we opted to walk back to our hotel, which proved to be a much better bet in the end than waiting for a bus despite the pained feet!

This was our 4th gig of the tour and I can definitely say - bring on more! The band are happy and energised, the setlist is great and works well, and, I am one happy DM fan!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks very much to Mike

LIVE REVIEW: DEPECHE MODE, STADIO OLYMPICO, ROME, 25 JUNE 2017

This review has been written by Chris Snoddon from Belfast, a man who not only has great taste in music, but also in football teams. I really am kicking myself not not going to any of the outdoor Italian gigs as they all sound incredible and Chris really gets that across here in this great review. Thanks very much to Chris for writing this and thanks too to the team at Depeche Mode Classic Photos and Videos for once again letting me raid their stash of photos. 

Photo courtesy of Depeche Mode Classic Photos And Videos FB group

It was decided after visiting the Stade de France during Tour of the Universe and the Olympic Stadium Berlin on the Delta Machine Tour that our gig list for the Global Spirit Tour should contain another behemoth of a stadium, and where better to go other than the great Stadio Olimpico in the Eternal city. I had dreamed of visiting this place ever since I witnessed my beloved Liverpool FC hold aloft the European Cup there in 1984, but really never had any great reason to be there until now.

After another day in the Roman sunshine of walking around on my already sightseeing obliterated feet. we decided to meet up around 5pm at the Scholar Irish Pub on Via del Plebiscito with Home board members Michael “Excitermode” Lyons and Mike “Coops” Cooper, along with a few others as it was close to the bus route that would eventually get us to the Stadio Olimpico. After a few pints and some bad timing where none of us actually met up, we had a rather crammed bus journey to the stadium where we disembarked and again headed for the beer stalls. The stadium itself was beautifully set within a backdrop of trees and we made our way past the Mussolini Obelisk to the entrance where everything was extremely casual and light hearted with security staff, before entering the Stadium via Curva Sud. 

Photo courtesy of Depeche Mode Classic Photos And Videos FB group

As I went into the huge stadium I could still see a lot of the blue seats that were not being used as the Stage set up was placed to the right as I entered on the half way line and not at the usual goal end. This had the effect of rendering at least a quarter of the stadium unoccupied. Algiers had already been on and played their set by the time I made another quick beer stop and fortunately bumped into “Coops” and his partner Nic in the drinks line. Just as we had then started to manoeuvre ourselves into the best position we could at the “Fletch” side of the stage the intro started and the Roman crowd started to get excited. 

Going Backwards started us off in the sweltering heat with Dave and Martin both sounding glorious with their harmonising.  The energised So Much Love then set the crowd around us alight, not that we needed any encouragement. The set list continued as it has through 95% of the previous shows with all tracks, even Corrupt and Barrel Of A Gun, two sings that  some fans had wanted removed from the set list getting great receptions. World In My Eyes as always proved to be a real crowd pleaser and Dave sounded really strong through In Your Room where I focused on him and not the detracting video accompaniment. The band were very tight and have really got to the top of their game with Martin confidently performing A Question Of Lust and Home to the jubilant masses who filled the air with sound at the final sing along. 

Photo courtesy of Depeche Mode Classic Photos And Videos FB group

Poison Heart made the mood slightly subdued after Martin's segment, but that soon rectified itself with a fantastic rendition of Where's the Revolution, the crowd now at this stage of the tour fulfilling their duty to boom out the chorus at the end at Dave's request. My personal highlights of the tour so far followed with the creepy new start to Wrong and the tech'd up Everything Counts before the crowd pleasers Stripped and a monumental Enjoy The Silence worked the Romans into a frenzy. 

By this stage and having known the set list and what was to follow I was already hyper at the prospect of throwing my arms about from side to side like a complete lunatic and, as always, Never Let Me Down Again didn’t disappoint. With its anthemic finale and Dave manning the catwalk, the atmosphere was electric and this is one of the key reasons probably thousands of us Mode fans keep coming back time and time again for more. For me anyway, it's like a drug that I cannot get enough of, with an urge to keep experiencing over and over again. I was certainly not left deflated on his occasion. 

Photo courtesy of Depeche Mode Classic Photos And Videos FB group

Martin returned for the encore with Somebody, a track that had mobile phone lights held aloft and then the newly intro'd Walking in my Shoes lifted the audience even further again. Bowie's mid paced “Heroes” was beautifully performed and then the two final tracks livened up the gig even more. An energised I Feel You and the magnificent Personal Jesus sent the audience into musical ecstasy. The lights came on and we waited to all meet together and watched the rush that then came for the exit gates. It was surreal watching 50 odd thousand trying to get out of the stadium at once. When we finally got outside the wait for the bus was agonising until we realised it was after midnight and no buses would be coming. Unfortunately for me and my friends, the walk back to Trastevere from the Stadio Olimpico wasn't a pleasant one, not for my feet anyway. 

That however can never take away what was for me a wonderful experience in the Italian capital with a great crowd and utterly fantastic performance by the band.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks Chris!

LIVE REVIEW: DEPECHE MODE, SAN SIRO, MILAN, 27 JUNE 2017

As well as being a football stadium I've always wanted to visit, a Depeche gig at the San Siro is a must see. I wasn't able to go this time, but Ana Soto was and this is her review of the gig. Ana is a hardcore Depeche fan from Mexico City who travels all over to see the band as well as running the wonderful Mexican fan site depechemode.mx. Check our their Facebook page here. Thanks very much to Ana for this brilliant review and for the wonderful videos. Reading this makes me feel like I was at the show AND makes me very jealous.

Picture courtesy of Depehce Mode Classic Photos And Videos Facebook Group

Everything Counts In One Of The Largest Stadiums: 

Depeche Mode at San Siro 

Finally a concert where the weather gods are in our side: no more heavy rain nor the hottest night ever. 

That really changes everything in a show: in Berlin and Rome I saw many people leaving their privileged places close to the stage because they couldn’t stand anymore the storm or the suffocating heat. 

But Milan is different, everybody is happy, clapping and really excited to see Depeche Mode, nobody looks tired, they are just waiting eagerly. They are a great crowd even before the show starts. 

And the audience is even better as soon as Going Backwards begins. Not just that, even the sound and the acoustics are much better tonight, really strong and powerful, with Dave Gahan’s voice sounding huge in every corner of the ground.

“Good evening Milano!” yells Dave and the fans go nuts. Everybody is singing every song. It doesn’t matter if is new or old, everyone sings every word. The choruses especially sound amazing in unison. 

During A Pain That I’m Used To Dave almost hits himself on the head with Gordeno’s bass, but nothing bad happens and he just dances around as usual. Then comes In Your Room and, unlike at previous gigs, the singer awaits for Eigner’s cue to start and doesn't mess it up. Well done - everything is fine again with the problematic song. 

The grandstands are slightly illuminated at the end of World In My Eyes and the band can fully appreciate their fans' excited yelling. It is in that moment when a girl next to me shows her friend that her cheeks are starting to hurt just because she cannot stop smiling. And I could guess that her hands were in pain too, cause she couldn’t stop clapping either. 

When Martin Gore sings A Question Of Lust, there is some kind of a respectful silence, just to hear him, which is broken in the middle of the song with a huge ovation. Martin smiles and his eyes are bright in proud. What a beautiful moment!

Then another great moment in Where’s The Revolution. Dave’s voice is echoing all around the stadium, he comes to edge of the stage and for a second his hand seems to touch an imaginary beard. At that point many fans actually cover their faces with paper beards, imitating Depeche Mode's role as Russian revolutionaries in their video. 

When Dave arrives on the catwalk during Everything Counts, someone shows a sign asking him to take the vest off, but not even the extremely hot temperature in Rome was enough for us to see a half naked Gahan dancing around like in the old times.

Enjoy The Silence makes everybody jump around and dance overjoyed. At the end of the song everybody sings along and Dave exclaims: “Beautiful!”

The high point of the show is Never Let Me Down Again. It is just amazing to see the people in the l seats literally flying high, standing and waving their hands in the top of the stadium. 

At the end of the song, it is impossible not to laugh when the third shot of the t-shirt cannon doesn't work and Dave hits the cannon a little just trying to fix it. 

After the short break, Martin comes back smiling and saying “Thank you!”, then Somebody is played, the perfect soundtrack for some couples who start kissing each other. 

And then a little mistake that makes everybody yells overexcited: It’s No Good is written on the screen, and for a moment we think we are about to hear a new song on this tour. But  sadly not, as Walking In My Shoes comes on as usual just without the projection, that means tonight the screen is no good ;) 

“We have a new thing” said Dave in Berlin when the fans chanted that new chorus for Walking In My Shoes (but the greatest chanting of this was in Hannover second night!), sadly here in Milan, Gahan said: “Very nice, but lets save it for the next time”.

But we forget about it when Personal Jesus starts, telling us that it is the end of the show. We savour everything until the last minute, until Flecth, Martin and Dave come to our corner to wave their hands and say goodbye. 

On a personal level, I must say this has been the best show since Frankfurt, which was amazing. I am very glad to have been here this night in Milan with these awesome fans. 

Ana Soto

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you Ana!

LIVE REVIEW: DEPECHE MODE, OLYMPIC STADIUM, BERLIN, JUNE 22 2017

For many Devotees, the Olympic Stadium gig in Berlin was first on their must buy tickets list for this tour, as it has become a gig where the combined might of the German fanbase and the Rest Of The World fanbase might and celebrate Depeche like in no other venue. Dan Turner, from Sydney, was at the gig and he wrote this great review for you all to enjoy. Thanks for that Dan and for the cool pictures.

It has been just over seven years since I stepped into the Olympia Stadium for the first time. An awe inspiring 75,000 seater stadium that was built in the mid 1930's for the Summer Olympics and is now the biggest concert venue in Berlin. Depeche Mode have a huge fan base here (and all over Germany) and have played the Olympia Stadium countless times. I saw Depeche Mode there on the Sounds of The Universe tour back in 2009 and now we are here again for their Global Spirit tour in 2017.

Huddled down at the front of the stage with hundreds of other devotees there was an eager sense of anticipation in the air as support act Algiers blasted through a tight set - including many new tracks from their second album, The Underside of Power. Their songs have always had a raw edge to them and the sound was fantastic in an arena setting. Bass/synth player Ryan Mahan did a wonderful job engaging with the crowd & lead singer Franklin Fisher's vocals turned the ear of quite a few DM fans down the front.

Around thirty minutes later, the opening chords of Going Backwards blared out across the stadium against an immense visual backdrop that resembled a psychedelic Jackson Pollock painting. Martin Gore, Andy Fletcher, Peter Gordeno and Christian Eigner took to the stage whilst Dave Gahan's silhouette appeared just behind the drum riser. Minutes later he started prowling the stage with a ruthless enthusiasm and the roars from the crowd were deafening. There was no respite as they launched into So Much Love - an 80's fuelled electro stomper with Anton Corbijn's trademark black and white visuals on the massive LED wall behind the band.

Corbijn's visuals also shone on one of the standout tracks from Spirit - Cover Me. The short film of Gahan walking around the streets in an astronaut's suit was paired seamlessly with his existential lyrics and the ambient sci-fi instrumental odyssey in the middle of the song.

Depeche Mode have always played different variations of their own tracks and, quite often, other artists remixes of their work. For the Berlin show, they went with the upbeat dancefloor version of Jacques Le Cont's A Pain That I'm Used To, a stripped back Martin Gore vocal of Strangelove and a complete reprogramming of Everything Counts. Walking In My Shoes had an uptempo makeover and Enjoy The Silence was given a similar treatment.

After Gore's stunning torchlight renditions of A Question Of Lust and Home, the rain started bucketing down during the start of Everything Counts. It soon turned torrential but it didn't dampen the spirits of the fans. Lighting flared overhead but the accompanying thunder was drowned out by Never Let Me Down Again and Enjoy The Silence. David Bowie's "Heroes" was a nice surprise and the rain started to fall a little softer. They closed with the incendiary double barrel of I Feel You and Personal Jesus, leaving the huge crowd still wanting more. We were soaked to the bone but it was well worth it.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks very much Dan.

LIVE REVIEW: DEPECHE MODE, COMMERZBANK ARENA, FRANKFURT, 20 JUNE 2017

Today's review is provided by Nikolay Sabev who attended his seventh Global Spirit Tour show last night in Frankfurt. When he's not following Depeche around, he dj's as DJ N:Mode and you can check out hos music here https://soundcloud.com/djnmode . Nikolay's written a superb review of the Frankfurt show and here it is for your enjoyment. Thanks Nikolay. All photos are Nikolay's unless credited otherwise

My concert day started with an early train from Zurich to Frankfurt (also known as Mainhattan) that took about four hours. The heat that I experienced around the Swiss stop of the Global Spirit Tour was following me all along the way to Germany where a few hours before the concert the temperature was 35C – not cool!

I checked-in at my hotel near the Main Station (Hauptbahnhof) at about 13:00, went to see some friends for lunch and headed towards the stadium around 18:00. Frankfurt was my seventh concert on the Global Spirit Tour. I had decided to take a seat for a change, however, I managed to exchange it last minute for a FOS2 one with a girl in front of Commerzbank Arena who had a spare – the view (and energy) was much better so  it was a good decision on my end.

It is difficult to describe a show that was more or less identical with the previous ones I had seen during 2017 (excluding Glasgow as that was a one-off very intimate and unique event). When I say identical, I mean exactly the same setlist each and every night. Unfortunately, I wasn’t in Hannover for Strangelove but I hope Martin will sing it again at some point … maybe during the winter gigs depending on  how the routine is going.

Anyhow … it must be said that the Frankfurt crowd really made the concert a special one. After witnessing a very passive and quiet audience two days ago in Zurich, the one at Commerzbank Arena was on their feet from the beginning – I even looked around during Corrupt and majority of the seated fans were up and dancing – beat that!

Algiers were interesting but not my cup of tea – it seems that my favourite support band so far on the Global Spirit Tour are The Raveonettes. The Atlanta-based guys kicked off playing at 19:30 sharp and played for 30 minutes. The Beatles intro came on at 20:41 and here they were – Depeche Mode making an appearance at a city where they have a very solid following. It was obvious that the crowd would be on top form even before the guys hit the stage as everyone was evidently enjoying the punchy techno selection by Martin. 

As usual (on this tour), the show was flawless. Dave was in a great mood (as always) and the rest were feeling the energy at the venue from start to finish. Fletch requested a fan after the end of So Much Love while Dave was using the towel every few minutes. It is worth mentioning that in my opinion Going Backwards is one of the strongest tour openers they’ve had maybe since Higher Love in 1993 – I really feel this song. So Much Love is also a killer one – it sounds very solid live as well. Barrel Of A Gun sounds better on this tour than the previous one but to be honest, playing BOAG and A Pain That I'm Used To with the same arrangement two tours in a row is a little disappointing (at least to me). Corrupt works surprisingly well live and unlike many other places on this tour, in Frankfurt people were singing along with Dave on this one. 

The new (old) arrangement of In Your Room is providing this classic track with some vital new life that was much needed as since the last few tours people were getting a little tired of it. Next up was World In My Eyes and that is one my highlights on this tour – it just sounds so good live with the new intro and its overall arrangement. I also love the fact that it is just the band + lights with no video projection – very stripped-down performance. As usual, Cover Me ended with a crowd “clap” participation which Dave seemed to really enjoy – maybe because he is on the songwriting credits, who knows.

Martin performed A Question Of Lust and Home (as usual) which both sound great and I kind of understand his decision to keep them on a regular basis. They are two of his most popular solo tracks and Home especially really engages the large crowds / masses they are playing to. However, I would always welcome some new additions to this slot (i.e. Higher Love last tour was incredible).

Poison Heart and Where's The Revolution are not my cup of tea, especially the former – just don’t feel this song at all – I hope they will replace it with something else for the Winter Leg. WTR - I don’t mind too much but it doesn’t seem to work that well live – not sure why. 

Everything Counts and Stripped have been discussed a lot. The new intro of EC is a killer one and the Frankfurt crowd once again exploded once they heard the first notes of the original arrangement. The singalong went well this time (unlike Zurich) and Dave was quite happy (and proud) of it! Stripped is a legendary one – I just love this intro and it gives me goosebumps every time I listen to it – I am very happy they play this one as it is one of my all-time favourites. Last tour, I got lucky to attend the second night in Madrid where they played Stripped for the first (and only) time on the DeMa Tour. 

Picture courtesy of Depeche Mode Classic Photos and Videos Facebook Group

Enjoy The Silence and Never Let Me Down Again worked perfectly fine as usual - all audience members clapping and traditionally waving hands during the latter. The video projection for ETS is a weird one but I don’t mind it too much – just trying not to focus on it for longer than few seconds as it doesn’t really develop into something. 

The encore was standard setlist-wise. The crowd loved Somebody and along the traditional LED mobile flash lights, you could see some old-school fans with lighters – loved it! Walking In My Shoes always works well live in my opinion, I’m happy to see it at the encore on this one – it really brings back the energy into the set. I find the video projection interesting – maybe because I lived in Berlin for four years and some of the filmed locations resonate with me. 

Picture courtesy of Depeche Mode Classic Photos and Videos Facebook Group

After it was dropped in Hannover 2, "Heroes" was brought back both in Zurich and Frankfurt which means it will remain in the main set (at least for a while). I really appreciate that Dave loves Bowie and he really enjoys performing this masterpiece but for me it is still weird to accept that they perform a cover track live. I guess the last time they did that was with Route 66 … long time ago.

The last two songs – I Feel You and Personal Jesus - did their job and every single fan got what they paid for – top class entertainment!

To sum the concert up, it was another flawless show from the band – they seem to be feeling comfortable in their comfort zone and  are definitely not planning to leave it. Well, it seems that (so far) it works perfectly so  there's no room for criticism!

Next stop : Berlin!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks very much Nikolay - a great review.