LIVE REVIEW: DEPECHE MODE, PALEO FESTIVAL, NYON, SWITZERLAND, 17 JULY 2018

In the first of a two part Paleo Festival special, we welcome back Luisa Carones who has previously and splendidly covered Berlin and Milan for this project. It's great to have Luisa return once again and, as you'll expect, her review is another excellent read. A special mention too for Going Bankrupt - I think many of us feel that way! Thank you for this Luisa and see you in Berlin next week. Thanks also to Depeche Mode Classic Photos & Videos Facebook Group for the pictures.

Picture courtesy of Depeche Mode Classic Photos & Videos Facebook Group

Festivals? 

So, here I am again at a DM gig – or, is it a proper gig? Because, as we all know, DM and Festivals are an over-debated issue in the devotees world. 

I am well aware that many of you are not super happy about our boys being part of a bill with acts sometimes – very often should I say? – DM fans couldn’t care less about. 

And that was my attitude too. As soon as festivals dates started to be announced, I said to myself: “I’m definitely not going to go: too many people who are not real fans, participation will be absolutely rubbish, too much stress, a whole day in the sun, or worse in the rain, listening to boring music, being pushed and trampled on, security levels below zero and, above all, a shortened setlist. No way!”. And I meant it. The only exception would have been Barolo because it’s not far from home, Italian fans are great, and I knew DM would be the only act on the night, simply supported by a short opening act. 

But then, you know, and I mean most of you REALLY know, how the DM bug starts working in your brain... What if it’s the last tour? I know I want to see them again. I am sure I will regret it if I don’t go. And so on. 

And so, from one only festival I was supposed to attend, Nyon is my sixth festival (and last, I promise), my 24th overall concert on this tour, and my new fix with the boys. In a way, I am really glad the tour is coming to an end because, as my friend and co-devotee Roberta said, “We are Going Bankrupt” more than Backwards.... 

Anyway, as I have written in my previous reviews, I always get ready for gigs just as if they were military operations because I want to make the most of the experience, but especially because I want to be as close to the stage as possible (as does much of the female part of the audience – I reckon I know the reason for this, right ladies?). Doing that at a festival is even more demanding because it requires not moving from your spot for hours and hours, with all that that entails... 

Picture courtesy of Depeche Mode Classic Photos & Videos Facebook Group

The Wait 

Around Europe, for regular gigs, we are used to starting to queue very early before the concert, at least the night before (when it’s not 2 days before, as it happens in Italy and in Germany), giving numbers, following a sort of ritual which, by now, works fairly well – except for the usual drama at the time of doors opening. Well, forget about that at festivals! Which is not that bad, after all. 

Since normal festival goers are not as crazy as the Black Swarm, no one, and I mean absolutely NO ONE, starts queuing before the opening time. Paléo Festival is a very familiar and laid back event and, at 8.30 am, outside the gates, there were only just 5 or 6 of us hardcore fans, a number which got close to no more that 20/30 by the time the gates were actually opened at 3.30pm. 

Nobody even bothers about giving numbers, and all the normal people working at the venue just looked at us as if we were strange beasts. And maybe they are right: we are a little odd, aren’t we? The good thing though is that Paléo is such an easygoing event that they let us, poor crazy DM fans, in during the morning, just to enjoy the site, provided we exited by midday. I mean, WHAAAT??? Have you ever heard anything like that?! No ticket checking, no security checking, just walk in and look around... And so we went inside the area and we enjoyed the DM crew preparing the stage and sound checking....that was a real treat! 

Besides, the area of the main stage is amazing because it’s a huge field with the shape of a theatre, so everyone from the audience can see the stage perfectly, and I guess the view from the stage is amazing as well, since the artists can see people’s faces, not just an indistinct mob. 

So we stayed there for a while, we laid on the grass, and let the hours pass... sorry guys, I couldn’t resist.... 

Anyway, I went back outside the gates just past midday and it was a smart choice, because that was the only covered area of the site and at 1pm it started pouring. Well, it’s not a real festival if you don’t get a bit of rain, is it? 

Luckily, the rain lasted only half an hour and then the glorious sun was back again with a light breeze blowing from the lake, which dried the ground so that we avoided being in the mud dring the concert. 

Picture courtesy of Depeche Mode Classic Photos & Videos Facebook Group

Pre DM 

When the gates finally opened, there was just a bit of rush, but, with barely 50 people who were not even running to get to the main stage, I could peacefully walk – fast – the 400m to the stage and place myself in my favourite spot: front row, slightly on Dave’s left (and if you have read my reviews from the other gigs, you know why: I won’t go over the matter again, the ladies reading this will understand anyway). 

There were just 2 bands before DM started and I must say they were both pretty good. The first act, starting at 6.00 pm, was Altin Gun, a Turkish-Dutch group which, in my opinion, perfectly represented the folk spirit of a music festival. They sang in Turkish, with a fantastic Oriental flavour, but they also sounded very international, with a hint of a ‘70s vibe, but still very contemporary. I would suggest you check them out. After all, this is the aim of a festival: you get to hear things you didn’t know of. 

The second act was a more traditional rock group, from Iceland, Kaleo, whose lead singer really has a great voice, controlled and educated a bit more, but that is my personal taste. He is really goodlooking: he had his share of teenage fans screaming. Overall, they were good and they made the whole crowd dance, which is always a nice way to spend your time while waiting for the main act. Much better than other festivals I have been to this summer (Liam Gallagher anyone? errm...) 

By the time the second band had finished their set, the place was absolutely packed and the atmosphere was full of excitement. It was finally getting dark and the weather was absolutely perfect. So, it was time for me to plunge into my personal DM trance. 

Picture courtesy of Depeche Mode Classic Photos & Videos Facebook Group

15 songs 

As we know by now, the setlist for the festivals is made up of just 15 songs, but, even though I would love to have Dave singing all night, I have to say that for a festival it is the right amount of time. People have been on site all day, at least the whole afternoon, they have had plenty of music to enjoy, it is a mixed audience, it is often very hot (or, worse it could be raining), so, no one can really complain if the concert does not last 3 hours. And the majority of DM fans are not getting any younger... 

I know that many diehard fans are not happy about the choice of the songs, but I think it is a good setlist for a festival, with a good balance created to engage festival goers who may not be familiar with DM and their music. The first part is perfectly balanced with A Pain That I’m Used To setting the crowd into motion with its fast pace and then the melodic structure of Precious which is a popular tune and which is always well received. I’m not going into World In My Eyes because I do not want to get carried away by talking of certain moves with that damn mic stand, you know. And then the second part is just amazing: hit after hit after hit. 

The Nyon crowd was really participating, they all answered to Dave’s inputs and prompts, even during the first songs which in other dates fell a bit flat. At least that was my impression from up front, where, of course, the most devoted people were. But from what I heard, the reaction was great for every song. And I could see it reflected also in the faces of the band on stage. They looked to be enjoying the show as well. 

By now I know every single move and gesture of everyone on stage, since they tend to repeat what they know works with the audience, so we got the usual stuff, always delivered with utmost skill and craft. It still amazes me that they can look so fresh and on top of their game after so many concerts. 

I can just underline a couple af different things: the Pollock backdrop to Going Backwards is slightly different from the one used throughout the tour (I noticed it had changed at Mad Cool in Madrid, I do not know in any other places), and Dave knelt down during the instrumental part of Everything Counts, when he shouts “Take it boys!”, just before pretending to yawn. So much for the innovations! 

But they are so good, their music is so brillant, that, no matter how many times you have experienced them live, they just blow your mind. Dave’s vocals were absolutely outstanding, he was really focused on delivering a stunning vocal performace, especially before the final rush from Everything Counts on, when, of course, the entertaining aspect takes the upper hand. He introduced variations and subtleties that the attentive fan could notice and appeciate, and, maybe thanks to the place itself, there were moments of sheer emotion. I noticed that especially during Stripped and the chorus of In Your Room, when Dave let the crowd sing “Will I always be here” standing with his open arms: in those moments, the darkness on stage, the spotlight on Dave, the smoke around the scene, and the wind from the lake, created an utterly magical combination: goosebumps. 

Another great moment was, of course, the wheat field: at festivals something astonishing happens. Even normal people take part in the wave, everyone is so involved that they lap up Dave’s commands in a flash and, when the whole floor waving is shown on the big screen, the roar from the audience is absolutely deafening. Last night in Nyon was exactly like that and my hair literally stood up at the back of my neck, even though I have often been part of the wave and I do not usually really get emotional with it. I think this is because festival goers are not used to such scenes and so their reaction is over the top, while we DM fans are really spoilt and we usually just look around to see if our ritual is working fine. 

Picture courtesy of Depeche Mode Classic Photos & Videos Facebook Group

See You All Some Other Time 

Yes, Dave said that at the end, but I am not going to speculate. I’m sure that if and when they feel like it, they will get together once more and the cycle will start all over again. 

So, all in all, my festival experience was really worth it, at least at smaller festivals, because I got to enjoy different aspects of the DM world. 

Now, it’s time to say goodbye to this wonderful journey which has been the Global Spirit Tour for me. Thank you David for having me on this huge project and I’ll see many of you in Berlin for the final bow. Take care!

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Thank you Luisa

LIVE REVIEW: DEPECHE MODE. MEDIOLANUM FORUM, MILAN, 27 JANUARY 2018

For this review we welcome back Luisa Carones (@tanisluis) , fresh from her Berlin experience and ready to face the trial of Early Entry in her home city of Milan. As you'll see, Luisa displayed devotion on a level many of us would get no near to and was rewarded both in terms of her place in the queue and by Mr Gahan himself. Thank you to Luisa for the great review and thank you also to Roberta Sotgiu (@RobertaSotgiu) a photographer from Genoa who has provided the pictures. She and Luisa got talking at the gig and Roberta suggested the blog could use her pictures which was very kind. The Depeche Mode family at work!

Where should I start? By telling you that Milan is my hometown and, as such, a DM gig here is a special event for me? Or by apologising for not being as articulate as I would want, as I skipped rest, nights, meals and everything else in normal life, for 4 days in a row, and so my brain is not really functioning? Or simply by stressing that Saturday gig has been the best experience I have had on this tour so far – hence my brain working even less efficiently?

If you have read my previous review, you know that I’ve been to multiple shows on the Global Spirit Tour, and Saturday's concert in Milan was number 14 for me. As you can guess,  the gig in Milan on Monday 29 was number 15, but reviewing that one is someone else’s job, luckily... 

Thus, by now, I have acquired quite a nice amount of experience in preparing that military operation aka queuing for EE; besides, being at home and thus not needing all the logistical support normally required for a woman travelling alone abroad, I could focus on the basics: what time should I start queuing? As I said for Berlin, I knew that German people are crazy and would camp outside venues starting the night before the concert, but I also know my hometown and my fellow citizens too well, so I was ready for something big. And that’s what I got: the queue started not just the night before, but at 9a.m. ON FRIDAY...yup, that means that people, including me, waited outside the arena, in the cold and in the rain, for 36 hours!

The nice thing is Italian fans are very well organized (you wouldn’t expect that, would you?) and the checking of names and numbers at regular times really works well. There is even a fan – and a big shout-out to Nicola here is absolutely required – who prepares wonderful “passes” with numbers and dates of events, each with the title of a different DM song on it. It’s a great souvenir of the evening, one especially foreigners appreciate a lot, and I can barely figure out the amount of time and love he puts into this, for free of course, even for gigs he does not attend. I hope you can appreciate Nicola’s work in the photo of my badge.

As you can see in the photo, I had number 8, which means that I managed to be in the first row and in my perfect spot facing Dave and his nice little moves...And this time it paid off! As you will see...

On Saturday, the Forum was absolutely packed and people were filling their seats well ahead the beginning of the show. Right after EMA had ended with their act, the crowd started chanting and clapping to the rhythm of the DJ set. When the charity video was shown, the arena boomed with thousands of voices singing Where’s The Revolution and when the band appeared in the clip for those 2 seconds, the roar from the audience was almost as if the boys had actually got on stage. I knew my town would not disappoint.

When they did get on stage the party began: we all know that Going Backwards is a very strong opener, but this was the first time I had felt so much energy coming from the crowd, as if everyone’s heart had burst in unison releasing the tension and anticipation they had kept inside. The voices of people singing every single word with Dave filled the place, and it was clear that even the band thoroughly felt that strong reception: Dave was laughing as a child right from the second verse of the song (not very appropriate, though, considering the lyrics...)

That energy and pouring of love kept on building and building throughout the night, and all the guys on stage were clearly pleased, happy, entertained and even moved by what they were getting from the audience, and gave their all to please and move the audience in turn. Barrel Of A Gun, for instance, was so strong and aggressive that, even though it has never been a favourite of mine, I could really feel how deeply Dave lives it, especially in the final bridge when he sings about “the holy one”.

Precious is another example of how the band senses the mood of the crowd. That song has always been a fan favourite in Italy, possibly because it has a melody which suits the Italian ear for music, and Saturday it got the best reaction I’ve heard on the tour: as in response to that, the rendition of the melody and Dave’s flawless vocals produced a magic and moving vibe in a section of the set which normally gets a little overlooked by fans around the world.

Even the usually not-so-sponateous final oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh chorus to Home – let’s face it, Martin often has to work a bit hard to get the people going – this time sounded really unprompted and, of course, it became an ovation when Dave got back on stage and conducted it. We could have gone on for hours, and actually we kept on for a good 3 minutes, even after everyone on stage had stopped. The same happened at the end of Enjoy The Silence, when people erupted in a spontaneous chorus, never heard in other cities, taking up the melody of Matin’s guitar riff for several minutes and with the band silent, happy and almost astonished on stage.

And this leads me to underline the singing and chanting so typical at concerts in Italy. Every word of every song was sung, not only by the hotheads in the first rows, but virtually by every person in the audience, and that sound was so powerful that, at times, it almost blew the roof of the MediolanumForum off. We have all heard crowds all over the world singing the chorus to Enjoy The Silence when Dave asks for it, and we also know that Martin’s backing vocals can still be heard above the voices of the crowd during his section of the chorus. Well, in Milan, for the first time, the sound coming from the audience had such a mighty punch that it overwhelmed Martin’s own voice, and the arena just reasounded with 13000 happy voices....simply amazing.

The same level of sound was kept throughout most of the songs, with Stripped sung at the top of everyone’s lungs as much as any of the fan favourites. Stripped is another song I have often felt gets overlooked at several venues, as though it suffered its positioning in the set and for that reason it sometimes comes across somewhat flat. Well, that was not the case on Saturday: people just kept the flow and level of energy at the top, without missing a bit the whole concert.

And then there are the stadium like chants (Depeche Mode – Depeche Mode in-between songs or po-poro-poro po-poro-poro at the beginning and end of Walking in My Shoes) for which Italian venues are famous. The boys clearly enjoyed that part too: Dave kept laughing all night, Martin was smiling and, surprisingly, looking at people in the eyes, and even Fletch danced more than usual showing off his skilled moves.... Everyone was having a blast and dancing and singing like mad.

The only exception to all that was Cover Me. But do not get me wrong, it was a mindblowing exception. As if by magic, with all that sound and singing, everyone just kept silent all of a sudden: 13000 pair of eyes were simply captured by Dave’s wiry figure in the spotlight and 13000 mouths lip-synced to the song without uttering a sound, enraptured by the sheer beauty of that song, which has clearly reached the status of a DM classic hit by now.

I guess I do not need to get into details of what happened during the most popular crowd pleasers, as I have run out of words and adjectives: I can just repeat myself by saying that everyone danced and sang and screamed and shouted and jumped up and down like crazy. In a word a real and thoroughly entertaining mayhem...with a band so energized by the instinctive reaction of the audience that it just responded in tune. An astounding flow of passion, love and enthusiasm going back and forth between audience and stage.

Where’s The Revolution, though, deserves a few more words. I know that some devotees think that that song has had it by now, and, actually, I felt the same. But on Saturday it sounded absolutely powerful, raw and meaningful – maybe because of the special bond of love and energy I have been trying to describe – with many people in the audience rising their left fists during the chorus, really kind of calling for a revolution.

As for the remaining songs of the usual setlist, I can’t find anything else to add which you do not know already, I just loved every minute of it and I can say – without sounding a patriotic junky, which I am not – that a DM gig in Milan is an out-of-this-world experience.

On a not-so-side note I have to add that standing in the front row has A LOT of bonuses: I could feel part of that living body of passion without being distracted by anything else (as finding room to breathe or to move), I could study the expressions and little gestures of everyone on stage and the way the guys interact with one another, with Dave always playful and in an excellent mood. But, most important, I got the chance to often lock eyes with Mr Gahan and to enjoy his beautiful childlike smile (oops...here I go again with my fangirlish side...). You all know that he always looks for eye-contact with the audience in order to engage everyone, but when it happens to you he just makes you feel like he is singing for you, and for you only, and, geez, that’s positively amazing! 

Then, at the end of the concert, when all five of them got togheter front stage for the final bow, I showed Dave my little banner which just said “thank you”, he aknowledged it and when he came forward to wave the last goodbyes he thanked me, blew a kiss to me and made the heart gesture with his hands: I just melted on the spot and ended up as a puddle....

A pretty nice ending to a great evening, uh?

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Thank you Luisa!

LIVE REVIEW: DEPECHE MODE, MERCEDES-BENZ ARENA, BERLIN, 17 JANUARY 2018

Berlin is one of those cities that most if not all Depeche fans want to see the band play live in. The band's link to the city, the German crowd, the fact that Berlin is a wonderful place - all these add up to make a DM Berlin gig a must see. Luisa Carones (@tanisluis) was one of the lucky gig goers on Wednesday night and this is her review. A lifelong Depeche fan, Luisa only saw the band live for the first time on this tour and she's made the most of it. It's a great read and one you'll really enjoy. Thank you to Luisa and thank you too to Depeche Mode Classic Photos & Videos Facebook Group for use of the pictures.

Picture courtesy of Depeche Mode Classic Photos & Videos Facebook Group

So guys, here I am trying to put into intelligible words for you what I felt – and what I normally feel, for that matter – at a DM gig.

Ever since I – purely on a whim at the back of a VERY black day - answered David’s call over the net for reviewing some uncovered winter leg dates, I have been thinking about what I could possibly write which might be of any interest and which hasn’t been written about this tour yet. Pretty much a hard task, considering that, unlike many of the reviewers here, I’m not such a music expert. I see myself as an average DM fan (well, maybe not that average, as you’ll find out), by now every devotee on the planet knows everything there is to know about every gig and, on top of that, English is not even my language. So, I’ve just decided to have a go and try to convey what goes through my mind and soul at a gig and in preparation for it. Hope you enjoy.

But first things first, I must confess that I have a – VERY – soft spot for Mr Gahan – yeah, who would have thought it, right? – so I apologise in advance if I get a bit carried away on that subject.

Picture courtesy of Depeche Mode Classic Photos & Videos Facebook Group

The Global Spirit Tour

My first memory of a DM song is Master And Servant, which in 1984 won me over for its melody, industrial sound, the outstanding warm deep voice of a young baby-faced lad and, yes, its lyrics – I was a naughty girl, wasn’t I?.... Thus, as you can imagine, I’m a pretty old fan. I even remember seeing the boys by chance at Milan Linate airport in (I guess) 1986, with no one else taking notice of them....but, because life is strange and takes you to diverse directions, for many different reasons I have never been able to see the band live until this tour. So you can imagine my anticipation for something I had been waiting to do for 30 odd years. For this tour I was determined to resume my teenage years habit of going to multiple gigs and of doing it alone.

Going Solo

I know it may sound strange to many of you, but going to concerts on my own is my favourite way of enjoying such a special event. I simply love being part of a crowd only united by the same enormous amount of love for what is going on on the stage: I do not want anyone to comment, to talk to me during the concert or to even try to understand and put into words what is happening. I just take in every second of the pure energy flowing from the stage to the audience and back. I do not even take photos, such is my level of involvement in the music and the performance. After all, as “someone” said, we are kind of odd, we just do not fit in with “normal” people, right? So, alone I went, and now that I’m old enough I can choose the best venues I want to attend without asking for anyone’s permission.

As we all know, Berlin is a special place for DM and, having been to Paris, London, Frankfurt, Barcelona, Madrid and Amsterdam (and, of course, most Italian cities), Berlin was still missing to my list, so I set out for this 5-day jaunt to the German capital.

Picture courtesy of Depeche Mode Classic Photos & Videos Facebook Group

The Queue

I knew it was going to be tough because of the weather and the German fans: yep, I’m the kind of fan with EE tickets who starts queuing up very early, and in January it can get f**ing cold...and it just happened that on Wednesday it was positively freezing: a cold breeze and hours of snow could discourage less devoted fans. But, oh no, not the German Black Swarm! At gigs in Germany there's always the same group of loyal people who defy any weather condition and start queuing up at the EE gate the NIGHT BEFORE the concert. They are probably hardened by the hell of a weather they normally get, while I'm used to more forgiving climate or, simply, I'm well past the age of spending nights out in the cold like that, so, when I got to the Mercedez-Benz Arena at 7 a.m. (7 in-the-bloody-morning!) I was number 34, which is not bad, though no chance of making it to the front row.

Then the long wait starts, but, as many of you know, that is all part of the fun of going to DM gigs. In the queue you get to meet up with many people you saw at previous gigs – actually we are more or less always the same crazy bunch – you chat with people from all over the world and we share our experiences and emotions. DM fans are just great!

Picture courtesy of Depeche Mode Classic Photos & Videos Facebook Group

Doors Opening

During the day the queue is generally quiet and relaxed, but, as the time of doors opening approaches, you can really sense the anticipation and the thrill going through the crowd. Up to that moment we are normal, civilised adults, almost making friends with one another. When security checks start and the doors are about to open however, everyone starts looking at their neighbours as impostors and competitors for the best spot in the pit: no more friends. I would say sharks ready to fight.... I am really glad that security reasons nowadays do not allow running and pushing that much.

As I hinted at above, I have my own preference concerning the band, unfortunately that preference happens to be shared with another hundred women of all ages in the queue, and that’s where the real cat fight begins! Anyway, I think you all guessed which is MY perfect spot in the pit....yeah, that’s right!!! I’ve been incredibly lucky – and strong-willed, and resilient – in the winter leg. I have been standing up front centre stage at many venues, sometimes even first row, generally second or third. I have however always succeeded in standing right opposite Dave’s mic stand, and the ladies here know too well what that means. This time I got to second row, slightly to Dave's left. Luckily I’m quite tall – many on this blog have underlined that tall people seem to concentrate in unusual high percentages at DM gigs, dammit! – and most of the time I can manage to get a great view of the proceedings.

My 2+ Hours Of Bliss

OK, I might be overreacting a bit here, but, actually, every time for me the concert itself is like suspending reality, just let everything go and have a blast. This time around I entered the venue with mixed feelings: in Frankfurt the German audience had felt a bit flat – at least to my Italian sensibility – but I also hoped that Berlin would deliver a different atmosphere. And it did.

As I said, I’m not a music critic so I won’t take you through each song – besides you know the setlist by heart. I just would like you to feel the atmosphere and the emotions of the night.

As soon as the usual charity video was over, the crowd got into a frenzy: the floor audience started to launch into Mexican waves while everyone in the seats was clapping to the rhythm of the DJ set music. This even before the Beatles introduction had started and with the arena still lit. When the lights went off and the familiar boots appeared on the screen, the roar from the audience was stadium like, only to grow even louder when the band walked on stage, turning into thunder when Dave, unexpectedly, stopped for a brief moment at the left of the stage, his back to the audience, his right hand up in the victory gesture, before getting up to the elevated catwalk. That fleeting moment told me that Mr Gahan was in for a serious performance. I know he always delivers, I know he has such a great charisma that no one in the audience can take their eyes off of him for a second, but, maybe because of the special meaning of Berlin, last night his vocal performance was extraordinary. He was extremely focused throughout: in the verses of Useless he hit some amazingly deep baritone - almost bass-like - notes I had never heard him hit before: my soul is still vibrating with that sound. He harmonized the “engine’s humming” lines of Where's The Revolution in a different key, once more his awesome deep silky baritone, which made my ears dancing with joy. I had never witnessed a more consistent and high quality vocal performance, especially in the first half of the set, which, sometimes, just flows by as an intro to the hits part of the gig.

Picture courtesy of Depeche Mode Classic Photos & Videos Facebook Group

Another vocal highlight for me was In Your Room. That song builds and builds live in a way that the studio version does not, and it also gives Dave the chance to delight us ladies with his mic stand pole dance, which is always received with enthusiastic screams by the female part of the audience. The same must be said of course for World In My Eyes with his repeated suggestive hand gestures and hips movements we lust after (err...ok, I am getting carried away here...). Ahem... getting back to the general atmosphere of the gig, besides the usual crowd pleasers of the second half of the set, the audience, and your reviewer, went nuts for A Pain That I'm Used To and A Question of Time, during which the whole first four or five rows jumped up and down like mad: simply cathartic!

The usual closing to Personal Jesus left everybody exhausted but happy and wanting more.

So, that’s it. As always, the experience is so overwhelmingly magical that I forget the hundreds of times in the queue I said this would be the last time I’m doing such things, that I’m too old for queuing up at night outside concert venues, that I’m too tired and too cold, etc. etc. and I’m ready and eagerly waiting for my next fix (by the way, that will be tomorrow, hoping for the usual slight changes of the setlist on second shows in the same city). I’m almost appalled at the idea that this tour is coming to an end because I know I will sorely miss feeling “my senses to overflow” like this... 

On reading back, I realise that I will probably come across sligthly fangirlish and completely addicted. Yeah, I know, but DM do this, you see.

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Thank you Luisa!