LIVE REVIEW: DEPECHE MODE, ACCORHOTELS ARENA, PARIS, 5 DECEMBER 2017

After enjoying my first ever Depeche gig in Paris on Dec 3 (link), I would happily have stayed on for the next show on 5 December. Sadly, the realities of life and work sometimes have to be given precedence over Depeche Mode, so I had to head back to Glasgow. Sandrine Specia from Barcelona did go however and happily she reviewed the gig for the blog. Thanks to Sandrine for this great review and for the superb pictures too.

After the Olympic Stadium in London on a sunny day, and the Stade de France in Paris on a rainy day last summer, I started my European winter-leg tour in Paris on 5 December.

I’m now aware that this exercise is gonna be a tough work for me. If I could, I would write it like a movie scenario in my head. Depeche Mode has to do with the story but it’s not just about them. The soundtrack is also ready. I know who I would submit it to: Ken Loach (if I ever could contact him). I’m unable to write it though, so I'll just tell it. To put words on feelings, my own feelings, to structure and tell a 2-hour gig, then share them, I’m not good at it. I live the moment, that’s all there is. The next one takes place. It’s impossible to go backwards and live it over and over.

It has been a long very long wait that made me think I was living a dream that would never come true. I almost lost hope. My daily routine meant that the initial energy I'd felt knowing I was going to this show started to fade.  How could it happen? As Dave stated several times through interviews, “well, you know, life is made of ups and downs”. I was down, spiritually, physically. Life and its share of sad news meant I got so depressed, I actually believed that something wrong might happen and that I would not make the gig.

It was a cold, cloudy day when I landed in Paris on Sunday late afternoon. I couldn't attend the Sunday night gig, but was there in spirit with my “French David” who was there without me. I needed to be on the spot two days before the second-winter Parisian show to soak up the upcoming moment, and strolling around the Parisian streets, losing myself again, in my homeland. I’ve been living in Barcelona for 23 years and I always go back to Paris to see them.

It might be a cliché saying it, but DM music is the soundtrack of my life, although I do understand it is for so many devotees.

Depeche Mode music is my personal drug, an intravenous painkiller injection for each listen. Some particular songs have different functions, comforting, tranquility, relaxing or just to give me a boost. Some say DM’s music is dark and sad, but I’m the kind of person who gets depressed because the sky is grey. Paradoxically, I feel comforted by Dave’s voice, so soothing, sometimes acting like an anesthetic. Indeed, an excellent and healthy anti-depressing medicine. Healing lyrics in order to relieve the pain. What pain? I don’t know … the world we’re living in and life in general.

This gig was what I deeply needed, as soon as possible. I know I’ll have my head in the clouds. I won’t be the everyday me but more myself. For two hours. I don’t know who is the real me, but she’s happy and joyous - this is priceless.

During a disappointing and fairly useless Early Entry experience, the fortunate among us spent our exciting waiting time sat on the cold floor inside the hall of the venue. DM was in the heart of all the conversations around, best live songs, number of shows attended, years of devotion, favorite tours … Once we came into Bercy, we decided to head to the end of the catwalk where Dave comes and greets some lucky fans, touching their hands. My French friend David finally joined us and all in a sudden …. I’m hanging on your words, living on your breath, feeling with your skin, will I always be here? I think he doesn’t know but he’s my Personal Jesus by just being close to me. As a die-hard fan, he’s immediately able to detect every single lyrics mistake that Dave may make. Shit happens. Dave got the words wrong during Precious. 

I had heard comments that Re-Tros would properly warm up the show. I never heard about them before. Thirty minutes of a weird stuff to my ears, a sort of experimental music.

We watched the clock so many times it felt like we were stuck in a time-warp, feeling like the moment would never end.  In reality though, thankfully, we were closer to our beloved band acting. 

How do I feel 15 minutes before DM takes the stage?

Moved

Lifted higher

Moved

My soul is on fire

Moved

By a higher love

… The lights turned off and the Beatles’ Revolution resounded, announcing Depeche Mode. The crowd welcomed the band with screams, applause and whistles.

I think I’ve been tele-transported to another dimension, with all the DM community. This is what we are. Not a random bunch of fans. We become one. 

I couldn’t yell their names, I never do. Martin, Fletch, Peter and Christian took to the stage the air filled with the shouts of joy of the Parisian room.  At this point, I cannot even scream their names as the others did, or scream my happiness (no one would hear me !!!), no, I applauded and I raised my arms up making the V of victory. As the first notes of Going Backwards rang out, I know that we will enter into communion. We all waited for the master of the place, we were all in master-slave mode.

Dave, since the beginning of the tour is generous, smiling, happy, grateful to his loyal audience. He seems totally fulfilled on stage.

I’ve followed the American tour on FB, and what a disappointment when the European tour resumed without "Heroes". I fell in love with this delicious and poignant cover, I was dying to listen to it live again.

It was a pleasant surprise for me to hear several Ultra era songs, it’s my favorite album.

Judas, performed only with piano and voice, thrilling. However, it can't beat the Devotional Tour version.

Somebody has also been skipped this day in favor of Sister of Night. Beautiful but boring. This song works far better with Dave's warm and mesmerizing voice.

Policy Of Truth doesn’t move me anymore musically speaking, but it's an opportunity for Dave to revel in his incomparable sex appeal, playing with the mic like he’s doing pole dance.

He always tries to speak few French, with "ça va?”, or "merci!" and it gives him a sort of shy mood that I like. He who always seems so self-confident.

I confess that I do not really enjoy on Enjoy The Silence on this tour. This is a hymn for us, I think it lost a lot on this tour, by dint of too many updates for each tour, it is less punchy although it still causes the same enthusiasm among fans. It is a must-have in their concerts. I am nostalgic for the version of Devotional or WVT.

A Question Of Time that had been zapped altogetherduring the summer tour was very welcome this winter, an opportunity to jump and sing it our lungs out altogether. That's what I thought. Four years ago, we all jumped in unison. The choice to perform it at the end of the concert is definitely not the most judicious, we do not have more energy after 2 hours for most of us, or the first 20 seconds, in particular for those who have been in line for hours to rush the first rows.

We left Bercy (people still call the venue by its old name) with stars in our eyes, we could have lighted on the Ville des Lumières.

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Thanks Sandrine

LIVE REVIEW: DEPECHE MODE, ACCORHOTELS ARENA, PARIS 3 DECEMBER 2017

This review is by me. So are the photos. 

The most common question I have been asked by friends and colleagues since March this year (the Barrowlands gig) is "why do you go and see them so many times?" Tonight was my 5th gig of the tour, not counting the Barras show as that was technically a warm up and not on the tour itinerary. Ok, it's on the back of the blog t-shirts, but we're now splitting hairs. My point is that I am someone who in the context of the normally sane music fan sees a specific band far too much. I consider what I do to be perfectly normal, and indeed I find myself jealous of the likes of Claudia and Thomas, reviewers for this blog past (here's Claudia on Manchester) and present (Thomas on Stuttgart to come soon), both of whom I was delighted to meet tonight and both of whom have seen Depeche Mode over 30 times on this tour alone! 

Depeche Mode do this you see. They draw you in, grab you and never let you go. They rarely alter the set, yet many people go to multiple shows on every tour and there has to be a reason for that. Let's not get bogged down in arguing about the lack of variation in setlists - that has been a DM thing since God knows when. Ok, Black Celebration was an astounding, era defining record, but have a peek at the setlist on that tour. Try and find a Cure like variation of tunes. It doesn't happen. World Violation? A tour viewed as THE Depeche Mode tour universally. EVERY gig was the same bar Martin's acoustic rotation. Why we should expect the band to be playing setlist A one night, then a mix of b-sides including the Pre -Deportation Mix of Flexible the next night I don't know.

So what is the reason people like me, Claudia, Thomas and many, many more people see Depeche Mode multiple times on each tour? It's highly likely that as a reader of this blog you know why. You buy the records, get the t-shirts, buy the Golden Circle tickets - you know what you like and you know that you will get what you like when you see the gigs. What keeps us going is the power and beauty of the music. There's something unique about Depeche Mode, a thing that has outlasted their peers. The Smiths had the poetry of Morissey and the genius of Marr, New Order the chemistry of their main players constantly at odds with themselves, but both bands burned brightly and either faded out relatively poetically or did what New Order did and became a messy shadow of themselves. Depeche have a mystery about them, a mystery borne of 7 albums (excluding compilations and live albums) in 9 years, 7 albums that defined electronic music and were released so close to each other that we never had the time to ask why or what each one meant. They delivered a catalogue most bands would kill for in that spell, and that first part of their discography is their bedrock, the tie that binds us all to them.

"Yeah fine you massive dullard, we're reading this seemingly endless run of reviews so that we can read about the current tour. What about that?"

You make a good point.

I'd wanted to see Depeche in Paris ever since I bought my first bootleg from Rage Mail Order, a double cassette of the first World Violation gig at Bercy. It's always talked of as being a home from home for Depeche Mode and a venue that has a special atmosphere whenever they play there. And here's the thing - that is absolutely right.

From the off tonight, the crowd were on fire. The support act Re-Tros were wonderfully received and rightly so. Their mix of Neu meets LCD Soundsystem was a joy and I'd recommend them to you all. Do check them out on this tour. The usual advert for DM's charity work followed Re-Tros and that was greeted with the sort of cheer usually reserved for last minute winners in a cup final. At that point it was clear that this was going to be a special gig.

I was at the gig with my wife Pam tonight. She likes Depeche Mode but not in the way I do which is perfectly understandable. I wanted to stand near the back of the floor tonight which she was fine with as it meant we could avoid the high percentage of oddly tall Depeche fans one finds at shows. She thought tonight was the best she had seen Depeche play and that says it all for me. People who have seen them multiple times on this tour have said the band are on the form of their lives and I agree. When we hear casual fans say the same however, it's worth paying attention. Depeche Mode are playing in a way they've not played for years and that really is worth celebrating.

I won't run through the gig song by song as there's nothing I can tell you that you probably won't already know. Going Backwards remains their best opener since Higher Love, So Much Love is much missed but It's No Good has found its natural home at number 2 on the set and Cover Me is a late period classic that deserves to be considered as one of the band's finest. Dave is on sensational form, gurning, preening, chicken dancing and twirling as if he was 20 years' younger; a man who surely MUST be considered one the Britain's, if not the world's finest frontmen. Martin still looks anxious despite the love the Parisian crowd bombards him with as he skips around waving his arms in that unique shooing away a wasp whilst hopping way only Gore can do. And Fletch remains Fletch - which is just what you want, arms raising and waving in that Fletch way, almost regal, safe in the knowledge that he is a member of Depeche Mode and you and I are not. 

Tonight, the Bercy crowd demanded the best from Depeche Mode and that is what they got. I struggle to recall a more powerful Never Let Me Down Again and I know I've never seen a livelier  A Question Of Time. Dave stuck his tongue out at Fletch at the end of a stunning It's No Good and Andy himself grooved like a madman during Barrel Of A Gun. The terrace like chant at the end of Enjoy The Silence  as the crowd sang the sampled vocal line of Martin's from the original back at the band was stunning and they were just the highlights I recall as I type this now, There was no lull tonight, no "this is the toilet/bar break song," no let up in the power and intensity of the set. I saw people much older than I am (and I'm old) having a whale of a time and I saw kids no more than 5 years old on their parents' shoulders, bouncing along to Enjoy The Silence. This was a special, special gig and I feel honoured to have been there.

How do you do it Depeche Mode? How do you make people like me, Claudia, Thomas and even Pam, this was her 5th DM gig after all, come back again for more and more?

"Why do you go and see them so many times?"

Because they are Depeche Mode.