Friday 28 April 2017

DEPECHE MODE - THE GLOBAL SPIRIT TOUR PROJECT



I'm sure this is me biting off more than I can chew, but what I'm wanting to do is to have a review of every gig on the Global Spirit tour up on the blog, so that we have a record of each gig.

As I'm only going to two concerts on the first leg I'll need a bit of help and that's where you come in. What I'm looking for are volunteers to write a review of the gig they were at. Assuming there's enough interest, I'll pick one person for each show and their review will be up within a couple of days of the gig taking place. It doesn't have to be an essay or a work of art - it just needs to be something talking about the gig and what you enjoyed about it.

Fancy that? If you do, contact me on the blog's Facebook page or via Twitter:
Twitter - @almostprdalmost or @davidjmcelroy

The list below will be updated as it (hopefully) fills up:



June 11 - Hannover - Niggels Uhlenbruch
July 17 - Minsk - Nastia Enavigo - CANCELLED

July 23 - Cluj - Peter Fenn
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/07/live-review-depeche-mode-cluj-arena.html




SECOND LEG  - NORTH AMERICA:

August 23 - Salt Lake City - Roger Erickson
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/08/live-review-depeche-mode-usana.html

August 25 - Denver - Stephanie Koren Crone
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/08/live-review-depeche-mode-pepsi-centre.html

August 27 - Detroit - Sangeeta Rao
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/09/live-review-depeche-mode-dte-energy.html

August 30 - Chicago - Jenny Wilson Siklos
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/09/live-review-depeche-mode-hollywood.html

Sept 1 - Uncasville - Sean Salo
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/09/live-review-depeche-mode-mohegan-sun.html

Sept 3 - Toronto - Ryan J @ninlive
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/09/live-review-depeche-mode-air-canada.html

Sept 5 - Montreal - Amanda Chaffee
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/09/live-review-depeche-mode-bell-centre.html

Sept 7 - Washington - Sangeeta Rao
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/09/live-review-depeche-mode-verizon-centre.html

Sept 9 - New York - Michael Lyons
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/09/live-review-depeche-mode-madison-square.html

Sept 11 - New York - Jamie Highland
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/09/live-review-depeche-mode-madison-square_13.html

Sept 13 - Tampa - Matthew Wolfe - CANCELLED

Sept 15 - Miami - Amanda Chaffee
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/live-review-depeche-mode-american.html

Sept 18 - Nashville - Linda Dorland
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/09/live-review-depeche-mode-ascend.html

Sept 20 - Austin - Amanda Chaffee
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/live-review-depeche-mode-austin-360.html

Sept 22 - Dallas - Tara Salt
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/live-review-depeche-mode-starplex.html

Sept 24 - Houston - Wendy Grew
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/live-review-depeche-mode-cynthia-woods.html

Sept 27 - Phoenix - Sara Lauder
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/live-review-depeche-mode-ak-chin.html

Sept 30 - Las Vegas - Mads Kruse
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/live-review-depeche-mode-t-mobile-arena.html

Oct 2 - Santa Barbara - Kristin Pinnatore
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/live-review-depeche-mode-santa-barbara.html

Oct 6 - San Diego - Rob Rohm
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/live-review-depeche-mode-mattress-firm.html

Oct 8 - San Jose - Glen Hammarstrom
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/12/live-review-depeche-mode-sap-center-san.html

Oct 10 - Oakland - Kristin Pinnatore
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/live-review-depeche-mode-oracle-arena.html

Oct 12 - Los Angeles, Hollywood Bowl Night 1 - Kristin Vogel - Campbell
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/in-first-of-five-hollywood-bowl.html

Oct 14 - Los Angeles, Hollywood Bowl Night 2 - June Tan
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/live-review-depeche-mode-hollywood-bowl_27.html

Oct 16 - Los Angeles, Hollywood Bowl Night 3 - Lluvia Arras
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/live-review-depeche-mode-hollywood-bowl.html

Oct 18 - Los Angeles, Hollywood Bowl Night 4 - Karen Sykes-Orpe
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/live-review-depeche-mode-hollywood-bowl_91.html

A Boy, His Band And The Bowl - Depeche Mode 12, 14, 16 & 18 October 2017 - Jamie Highland
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/11/a-boy-and-his-band-at-bowl-depeche-mode.html

Oct 21 - Seattle - Stacy Lynch
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/live-review-depeche-mode-key-arena.html

Oct 23 - Portland - Stephanie Koren Crone
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/11/live-review-depeche-mode-moda-center.html

Oct 25 - Vancouver - Alan Lines
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/live-review-depeche-mode-rogers-arena.html

Oct 27 - Edmonton - Tracy Anderson
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/live-review-depeche-mode-rogers-place.html




THIRD LEG - EUROPE (INDOORS) :

Nov 15 - Dublin - Michael Lyons
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/11/live-review-depeche-mode-3arena-dublin.html

Nov 17 - Manchester - Part 1:Claudia Schulzi
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/11/live-review-depeche-mode-manchester.html

Part 2: Andy McMinn
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/12/live-review-depeche-mode-manchester.html

Nov 19 - Birmingham -
Part 1: Shaun Coward
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/11/live-review-depeche-mode-arena.html

Part 2: Robbie Sargent
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/11/live-review-depeche-mode-arena_29.html

Nov 22 - London - Amanda Stock
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/11/live-review-depeche-mode-o2-arena.html

Nov 24 - Frankfurt - Nadine Desiree
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/12/live-review-depeche-mode-festhalle.html

Nov 26 - Antwerp - Jean-Francois Cimino
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/11/live-review-depeche-mode-sportpaleis.html

Nov 28 - Stuttgart - Thomas Ohst R Mann
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/12/live-review-depeche-mode-schleyerhalle.html

Nov 30 - Mannheim - Niggels Uhlenbruch
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/12/live-review-depeche-mode-sap-arena.html

Dec 3 - Paris - Me
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/12/live-review-depeche-mode-accorhotels.html

Dec 5 - Paris - Sandrine Specia
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/12/live-review-depeche-mode-accorhotels_14.html

Dec 7 - Barcelona - Sandrine Specia
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/12/live-review-depeche-mode-palau-st-jordi.html

Dec 9 - Turin - Panos Sialakas
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/12/live-review-depeche-mode-pala-alpitour.html

Dec 11 - Turin - Katia Gigliotti
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/12/live-review-depeche-mode-pala-alpitour_18.html

Dec 13 - Bologna - Marta Mase
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/12/live-review-depeche-mode-unipol-arena.html

Dec 16 - Madrid - Ian Morrison
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/12/live-review-depeche-mode-wizink-center.html

Jan 9 - Copenhagen - Martin Sernestrand
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2018/01/live-review-depeche-mode-royal-arena.html

Jan 11 - Hamburg - Claudia Schulzi, Thomas Ostermann and Michael Pinzon
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2018/01/live-review-depeche-mode-barclaycard.html

Jan 13 - Amsterdam - Me
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2018/01/live-review-depeche-mode-ziggo-dome.html

Jan 15 - Cologne - Claudia Schulzi
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2018/01/live-review-depeche-mode-lanxess-arena.html

Jan 17 - Berlin - Luisa Carones
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2018/01/live-review-depeche-mode-mercedes-benz.html

Jan 19 - Berlin - Michael Rose
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2018/01/when-i-saw-that-michael-rose-was-going.html

Jan 21 - Nuremberg - Stephan Bobinger
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2018/01/live-review-depeche-mode-arena.html

Jan 24 - Bordeaux - Benji Ubu
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2018/01/live-review-depeche-mode-metropol-arena.html

Jan 27 - Milan - Luisa Carones
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2018/01/live-review-depeche-mode-mediolanum.html

Jan 29 - Milan - Claudia Smith
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/live-review-depeche-mode-mediolanum.html

Jan 31 - Prague - Martin Sernestrand
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/live-review-depeche-mode-o2-arena.html

Feb 2 - Budapest - Cecilia Castro
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/live-review-depeche-mode-bsa-budapest-2.html

Feb 4 - Vienna - Thomas Wargocki
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/live-review-depeche-mode-stadthalle.html

Feb 7 - Krakow - Chris Snoddon
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/live-review-depeche-mode-tauron-arena.html

Feb 9 - Lodz - Katarzyna Kaluza
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/live-review-depeche-mode-atlas-arena.html

Feb 11 - Gdansk - Martini from Mode2Joy.pl
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/live-review-depche-mode-ergo-arena.html

Feb 13 - Minsk - Nastia Enavigo
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/live-review-depeche-mode-minsk-arena.html

Feb 16 - St Petersburg -
Part 1 - Jan Ronald Stange
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2018/03/live-review-depeche-mode-skk-arena-st.html

Part 2 - Alina Higher
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2018/03/live-review-depeche-mode-skk-arena-st_3.html

Feb 18 - Helsinki - Steav Hunt
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/live-review-depeche-mode-hartwall-arena.html

Feb 20 - Riga - Alan Lines
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/live-review-depeche-mode-arena-riga.html

Feb 22 - Vilnius - Polina Lipezina
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2018/03/live-review-depeche-mode-siemens-arena.html

Feb 25 - Moscow - Polina Lipezina
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2018/03/live-review-depeche-mode-olimpiski.html




FOURTH LEG - SOUTH AMERICA:

March 11 - Mexico City - Michael Lyons
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2018/03/live-review-depeche-mode-foro-sol.html

March 13 - Mexico City - Ana Soto
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2018/04/live-review-depeche-mode-foro-sol.html

March 16 - Bogota - Dicken Schrader
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2018/04/live-review-depeche-mode-simon-bolivar.html

March 18 - Lima - Natalia Burgos & Jimena Parra
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2018/03/live-review-depeche-mode-estadio.html

March 21 - Santiago - Roxana Villagran Lizana
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2018/03/live-review-depeche-mode-estadio_25.html

March 24 - Buenos Aires - DM Paraguay
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2018/04/live-review-depeche-mode-estadio-unico.html

March 27 - Sao Paulo - Claudia Schluzi
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2018/04/live-review-depeche-mode-allianz-parque.html




FIFTH LEG - NORTH AMERICA 2018

Thursday, May 24 - Sacramento - Golden 1 Center - Kristin Vogel-Campbell
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.com/2018/06/live-review-depeche-mode-golden-1.html

Sunday, June 3 - Philadelphia - Wells Fargo Center - Jessica DeBiase Stevens
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.com/2018/06/live-review-depeche-mode-wells-fargo.html

Wednesday, June 6 - Brooklyn - Barclays Center - Sean Salo
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.com/2018/06/live-review-depeche-mode-barclays.html





SIXTH LEG - SPRING/SUMMER 2018

June 23 - Isle Of Wight Festival -
Part 1:Sue Lawrence
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.com/2018/06/live-review-depeche-mode-isle-of-wight_26.html

Part 2: Adele Mitchell
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.com/2018/06/live-review-depeche-mode-isle-of-wight.html

June 26 - Volt Festival, Sopron, Hungary- Stephan Bobinger
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.com/2018/07/live-review-depeche-mode-volt-festival.html

June 28 - Tinderbox Festival, Odense, Denmark - Peter Philipsen
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.com/2018/06/live-review-depeche-mode-tinderbox_30.html

June 30 - Openair St. Gallen Festival, St. Gallen, Switzerland - Claudia Schulzi
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.com/2018/07/live-review-depeche-mode-openair-st.html

July 2 - Collisioni Festival, Barolo, Italy - Katia Gigliotti
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.com/2018/07/live-review-depeche-mode-collisioni.html

July 5 - Open'er Festival, Gydnia, Poland - Mototaka Fujii
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.com/2018/07/live-review-depeche-mode-opener.html

July 7 - Main Square Festival, Arras, France - Stephen Lawson
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.com/2018/07/live-review-depeche-mode-main-square.html

July 9 - Beauregard Festival, Herouville-St-Clair, France - Benjamin Ubu
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.com/2018/07/live-review-depeche-mode-beauregard.html

July 12 - Musilac Festival, Aix-Les-Bains, France - Helena Wirth and her Dad
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.com/2018/07/live-review-depeche-mode-musilac.html

July 13/14 - Mad Cool Festival, Madrid - June Tan
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.com/2018/07/live-review-depeche-mode-mad-cool.html

July 17 - Paleo Festival, Nyon, Switzerland  -
Part 1: Luisa Carones
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.com/2018/07/live-review-depeche-mode-paleo-festival.html

Part 2: Michael Pinzon
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.com/2018/07/live-review-depeche-mode-paleo-festival_20.html

July 19 - Vieilles Charrues Festival, Carhaix-Plouger, France - Christelle Bauchet
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.com/2018/07/live-review-depeche-mode-vieilles.html

July21/22 - Lollapalooza Festival, Paris - Henno Taams
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.com/2018/07/live-review-depeche-mode-lollapalooza.html

July 23 - Berlin - Kevin May
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.com/2018/07/live-review-depeche-mode-waldbuhne.html

July 25 - Berlin - Me
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.com/2018/07/live-review-depeche-mode-waldbuhne_26.html

There's no pay, no medical plan and no form of reward at all other than the warm glow you'll get for angering the Black Swarm with your views on Policy Of Truth etc. You will of course get full credit (I don't want the blame for what you say!) and links to whatever of your social media you want to expose the world to.





Friday 21 April 2017

NOW THIS IS FUN: DEPECHE MODE FACEBOOK TAKEOVER - 20 APRIL 2017


Well, that was an odd day.

As you probably know by now, Depeche Mode are running a Facebook Takeover for 365 days, inviting fans to apply to be in charge of the band's Facebook page for a day. I obviously couldn't pass this up, so I applied and, fortunately, got picked. It was a remarkable experience.

Before your day goes live, you liaise with the lovely Carl and Ale who sort everything out for you. You can submit up to 5 posts including an opening bio post and, once they've been cleared, the DM Facebook team schedule them and post them. All you've got to do is be online when they pop up and interact with any of the band's 7.3 million followers who happen to get involved. No pressure there then.

I chose 4 posts in addition to the bio thing (see here) and after more thought that was no doubt necessary, went for these (click each for article):


I thought they offered a good spread of things from the interesting (Gareth Jones) to the collector geek friendly and that seemed to work. What was most surprising though was that, firstly, Live In Scotland has proved to be the most popular post and, secondly, that many, many more people than I expected got involved both on the Depeche Facebook page and on the blog itself.

Th experience of seeing my picture on Depeche Mode's official page together with a picture of my records was incredible. For that second, and in the picture I captured (below), I featured heavily on my favourite band's own site. If you'd told the 16 year old me that in 1990, once you'd explained what the internet and Facebook was of course, he'd have been beyond happy. To be honest, the slightly older than 16 year old me was very much beyond happy when he saw it yesterday.

Just me and Dave - remarkable

I'm a Depeche Mode fan and I know what we're like, but nothing prepared me for this. Before 2 p.m. yesterday when this all kicked off, my blog had had 251,000 visitors since I started this in 2011. I was happy with that figure and I've had consistent increases in hits each month since I began. Yesterday though caused these figures to go absolutely crazy. At the time of typing this, my blog stats are currently:

All time visits - 644,537 (an increase of just under 400,000!!)
Pageviews today - 222,673
Pageviews yesterday - 166,179

Good grief. The Live in Scotland post alone has had 180,019 reads since it went live at 9 p.m. on 20 April. That's less than 24 hours ago at the time of writing. I can't get my head round it really.

That's the Depeche Mode effect I guess, or really, that's the Black Swarm effect. Eager to read anything and discuss everything about Depeche Mode, the DM fans have blown my mind and the whole Facebook takeover thing was a one off, incredible experience. I even got responses like this from the clearly wise Camie Chance:



It was that sort of day!

Thank you very much for the chance Depeche Mode and thank you Carl and Ale for all your help. Thank you mostly to each and every Depeche fan who got involved. If you're new to this blog, welcome and I hope you'll stick around. If you're a regular, thank you for spreading the news around the world yesterday and making my day so much fun, if a little tiring. 

If you're a Depeche fan and you think you're interested in the takeover, apply and watch your Facebook notifications go through the roof. You'll love it. 

Thursday 13 April 2017

NEW RELEASES - MARNIE, MT. DOUBT AND AMOR

I've been stuck in a world of Depeche Mode blogging of late, meaning that I've fallen far behind on all non Mode related blog duties. There are three new releases, all Scottish and all superb, that I've been meaning to write about but haven't had the chance until now. To improve your Easter weekend no end, grab yourself all three of these tracks - you won't be disappointed.

MARNIE - LOST MAPS

Ahead of her forthcoming album Strange Words and Weird Wars, Marnie has released a second track from that record, Lost Maps which follows the quite brilliant Alphabet Block (review and interview with Helen here - click ). Lost Maps is a wonderful song, filled with dark, pulsing synth parts that bring the type of modular synth sounds you find on the new Depeche album. Once again, Marnie expertly manages to balance dark, electropop synths with a captivating, almost pure pop vocal melody, making Lost Maps a track that you instantly fall in love with. Like Alphabet Block, Lost Maps is a tantalising glimpse of what's to come with Strange Words and Weird Wars, an album that's destined to be one of the finest records you'll hear this year.




MT. DOUBT - TOURISTS

The buzz surrounding Mt Doubt continues to justifiably grow. Tourists is the band's first release of 2017, issued on the Scottish Fiction label as a split 7" with Foreignfox, and as with each new Mt. Doubt release, the songwriting is taken to another level. The track is a poppier affair than you might expect from Mt. Doubt, albeit the pop I speak of is very much at the darker end of the scale. Surrounding Leo Bargery's trademark powerful vocals are ever increasingly powerful layers of guitar that give you a real flavour of how powerful this band is live. It's great to hear the sheer scale of their live performances captured here. Listen to Tourists below then head to the Scottish Fiction bandcamp page to get the 7" single.



AMOR - PARADISE

Amor are made up of Paul Thomson, Michael Francis Duch, Luke Fowler and Richard Youngs, and with Paradise they've released one of this year's great tracks. It's on the wonderful Night School Records, a label that specialises in releasing nothing but magical records and this is no exception. The 12" single was limited to 500 copies which have probably all gone by now, but you should still buy the download immediately. Paradise sounds like a great lost 12" extended remix from the days when singles had such things as opposed to the generic substandard famous name DJ rubbish that blights remix singles these days. There are elements of disco, electro and even a dash of Can here, creating a type of sound that LCD Soundsystem would have come up with if they'd hailed from Glasgow rather than New York. It's an epic song basically, and once you hear it, you will fall in love with it



That's me caught up then. Normal Depeche Mode service will shortly be resumed.