GUEST BLOG NUMBER 7 - SEAN SALO

The last time I embarked upon a month long album special. Sean Salo provided one of that month's highlights with his incredible blog about Depeche's show at Radio City Music Hall in 1986. With that in mind, and no doubt testing the limits of our friendship, I asked him if he could write something again. He came up with this article about the World Violation tour gig at Giants Stadium and it is incredible. I'm lucky in that I got to read it a few days ago and it made me feel like I was at the gig. Superb. You'll love this. Thank you Sean for the blog AND for backing up my point that U2 ripped off World Violation for ZOOTV. 

As I write this, we are living amidst the coronavirus pandemic where self-isolation is the reality for much of the world. It paints a communal event with tens of thousands of ecstatic people with rose-colored hues (pun intended). We are Depeche Mode fans -- we’ve been training for doom, gloom, and isolation our whole adolescent and adult lives! This crisis also makes me thankful for events like these upon which we can look back fondly and to which look forward after we have overcome what is hopefully a blip on our collective radars.

Picture courtesy of Depeche Mode Classic Photos & Videos Facebook Group

The price to cross the George Washington Bridge from New Jersey into New York City was $3, and the toll booths caused miles of traffic during normal rush hours. Even at midnight, crawling in 45 minutes of traffic to pay the bridge troll was not unexpected. But on that warm June night in 1990, you could hear Depeche Mode bumping from the radio or tapedecks all over the New Jersey Turnpike. From a few lanes of traffic over came a yell, “Sean! Yo, Sean! I knew I’d see someone else I knew here.” It was a frat kid from my university; Chad?... Brad? (Before 1990, Depeche Mode had largely been a cult sensation in the States. But that summer, you couldn’t throw a rock into a frat house or at a line of cheerleaders without hitting someone who owned a copy of Violator.) With nearly 80,000 other concert-goers all making their exodus from Depeche Mode’s World Violation Tour show at the old Giants Stadium back toward New York City, it was indeed a near certainty.

Photo: Malibu Sue McCann

Earlier in the day, we arrived at the stadium later than I’d hoped. Admittedly, I underestimated the time it would take to get there. That didn’t stop me from blaming everyone else in my crew who I had agreed to drive there. We parked what felt like miles away, and as we made our way toward the entry gate, I could hear the opening percussion of Nitzer Ebb’s Fun to Be Had echoing through the parking lot. I panicked and started to run, not wanting to miss a second more than I needed to, and my girlfriend at the time refused to join my trot, choosing to walk instead. (I’m not saying this was the reason we broke up, but it weighed heavily...)

Ticketmaster tickets and parking pass ticket scans

I finally arrived at my seat on the floor of the stadium for the Ebb’s third song of the set, Join in the Chant, just in time to see half of the crowd who’d been sitting or milling about feign fandom and jump to their feet for the song they knew from any of the dozens of dance clubs catering to synthpop, post-punk, and industrial music at the turn of the decade. 

Photo: Malibu Sue McCann

It was still bright as day when The Jesus and Mary Chain sauntered on stage with their set of fuzzy, feedback-laden noise. One might think this might be why they were gazing at their shoes throughout their set, but they were just staying true to form. For the first half of 1990, they’d been playing largely in clubs and medium-sized venues, so the bright sun and open-air stadium was an atypical setting for them. While JAMC certainly had the catalog and the name recognition, there was a noticeable drop in stage and crowd energy from NEP’s set just prior, even as the stadium continued to fill. 

Many of us take for granted the experience of seeing Depeche in a stadium setting now, but in 1990 North America, Depeche Mode had yet to host audiences that large east the Los Angeles Basin. Giants Stadium, home to American football’s New York Giants and New York Jets, hadn’t hosted many concerts up to that point, save for some stadium rock giants like Aerosmith, U2, and the hometown Jersey boy, Bruce Springsteen. As a sign of the changing musical tastes of American young people, the last concert held before DM’s World Violation Tour stop there was a bit of a stunner, as well, with Love and Rockets, Pixies, and Shellyan Orphan providing support for DM’s contemporary, The Cure, on the 1989 Prayer Tour for their masterpiece, Disintegration. Still, The Cure required a mini-festival lineup to fill the stadium. Depeche Mode was largely carrying this show on their own, as JAMC and Nitzer Ebb only attracted a very niche lineup. Proving they warranted the booking, 42,000 tickets sold on just the first day of sale, in an era where fans still had to queue up -- many overnight -- for hard tickets to be sold and printed at box offices and ticket selling locations.

The near-endless chatter and advertising created the feel of a not-to-be-missed event. Radio station 92.7 WDRE (aka WLIR) was an exclusive media promoter of the gig, and they broadcasted live from the venue throughout the afternoon leading up to the show, interviewing all three bands and highlighting their music throughout the day. As I detailed in an interview with WDRE on-air presenter, Malibu Sue for the Home site in 2006, her quick thinking saved half of the duo. “Nitzer Ebb opened the show – personally chosen by Depeche. I ended up saving one of the guy’s necks -- can’t remember [if it was Bon or Doug] now -- as he decided to crawl out the open window of the press box we were watching Depeche from and almost fell to his death! I grabbed him and pulled him back into the window!” Sue’s personal connection to the Giants Stadium show runs even deeper. “One of the fondest [memories] of my career was when the band only allowed me to go on-stage to intro them at Giants Stadium. The reception I got from our beloved listeners brought tears to my eyes. Looking out over a crowd of about 80,000 was daunting, to say the least, and I was very grateful to the band for the opportunity! I was so touched and overwhelmed, I barely choked out ‘I love you’ to the crowd. It was exhilarating.”

Malibu Sue and Denis McNamara with Depeche Mode
Photo: Malibu Sue McCann

Nitzer Ebb with Denis McNamara of WDRE-FM
Photo: Malibu Sue McCann

The Giants Stadium show was certainly momentous for Depeche Mode and their fans. It also proved monumental in shaping other bands’ histories. Violator producer, Flood, was introduced by Anton Corbijn to Bono and Adam Clayton in the press box, which led to Flood’s production of U2’s iconic Achtung Baby album. 

Flood recalled the meeting for U2.com: “Depeche Mode were playing Giants Stadium (after we’d recorded Violator together) and I was sitting on my high throne in the press box, getting absolutely mullered, thinking, 'How good does this get?', when Anton Corbjin says, 'Flood, I have a couple of people to see you.' These two scruff-bags with hoodies and a beard walk through the door, and it’s Bono and Adam, in disguise. So we were all there, having a few jars, and they said, 'We want to blow up the old U2, and go to Berlin to make a new record. Are you interested?' 

“The band [U2] couldn’t go back to where they were - that was the overriding philosophy. They were saying to me, 'Be as free as you want to be. Try everything!' I’d been working with Depeche and Nine Inch Nails, so they were looking for some of that ‘industrial’ input.”

Megafan Christian Montone shared this encounter from earlier in the evening: “That June, friends and I (and seemingly the ENTIRE New York / New Jersey area) descended upon a packed Giants Stadium to see Depeche Mode, The Jesus And Mary Chain and Nitzer Ebb on what was called The World Violation Tour. Bono from U2 was in the lighting booth behind [our floor seats]. Those of us nearby in the crowd sang [the “how long to sing this song?” chorus of] U2’s “40” to him and well, he wasn’t thrilled. He nodded at us with a withering smirk and was spirited away by security.”

VIP Patch for the gig - picture courtesy of Depeche Mode Classic Photos And Videos Facebook Group

Picture courtesy of Elsa Trillat

Picture courtesy of Depeche Mode Classic Photos And Videos Facebook Group

Having already seen Depeche Mode on the Black Celebration and Music for the Masses Tours, I wasn’t prepared for the spectacle of seeing them in a stadium setting. The 50-foot-high stage rigging dangled similarly gargantuan roses flanking stage left and right. The sun was still setting in the early summer sky as the opening house music thumps of Kaleid began pulsating, sending the crowd into a frenzy. It was the perfect intro to prep the crowd for the bass-heavy World In My Eyes show opener. This and the five tunes that followed (Halo, Shake the Disease, Master And Servant, and Never Let Me Down Again) could’ve stood on their own as a perfect intro to DM mixtape. Waiting For The Night gave us our first chance to catch our collective breaths and take in the vocal duo of Dave Gahan and Martin Gore. The acoustic set of I Want You Now and World Full of Nothing followed. (IWYN had actually received steady airplay on 92.7 WDRE-FM for years, so it was greeted rapturously by the tens of thousands of us hanging on every note.) Clean bookended the acoustic set, and provided the last chance for any butts-in-seats for the evening. The setlist for this tour has been obsessed over, especially in the absence of an official live recording release. But the remainder of the set that evening was all-killer/no filler. (I’ll leave my current feelings on Policy Of Truth out of this, as I recall it being the only tour I enjoyed hearing it.) 

As my friends and I made our way back to my car, drenched in sweat from the second encore’s one-two punch of Behind The Wheel and Route 66, we were still in awe of what we’d just witnessed. Happily, I’d have another opportunity a couple of nights later to see Nitzer Ebb’s full set with their only theater show of the North American leg, at Radio City Music Hall. (But we can revisit that show at some other Violator anniversary milestone.) (APA: 45th anniversary anyone? Nooooooooooo)

Ironically, Violator and the World Violation Tour marked both the height and the end of the era for synth-pop in America as the Madchester genre became the flavor of the year on alternative radio, which had long been the home for all things-Depeche. Just over a year after the Giants Stadium show, grunge rock started to make the technical and songwriting brilliance of Violator seem increasingly out-of-place on the radio format DM helped build. (And as we know, the grunge era heavily influenced at least Dave’s outlook on the band starting with Songs of Faith And Devotion.) The show at Giants Stadium, however, will always stand out as a pinnacle event in my decades of fandom.

Custom commemorative hoodie sweatshirt created by New York show presenter John Scher - picture courtesy of Depeche Mode Classic Photos & Videos Facebook Group

LIVE REVIEW: DEPECHE MODE, BARCLAY'S CENTER, BROOKLYN 6 JUNE 2018

It seems a very long time ago that I met up with Sean Salo in Stockholm after the first concert on this seemingly never ending tour. Sean has been kind enough to review a gig for the project before (Uncasville - I see I was talking about it being a long time since this all started even then. I need new lines) and I was delighted he volunteered to review the Brooklyn show and here is his unsurprisingly excellent review. Thanks very much for this and the pictures Sean. See you some other time...

The Global Spirit Tour has been the longest tour for Depeche Mode since Devotional, more than 25 years ago. I can only imagine how it’s taken its toll on the band, as it has with their aging fans. The idea of multiple shows over a few nights is exhilarating…and exhausting. It’s no wonder that the band shifted the touring pattern to no back-to-back shows. So, with nothing to base this on but speculation and inferences, I’ve resigned myself to the fact that this may be the last tour for Depeche Mode. This is why Dave’s proclamation at the end of the show, “See you some other time,” instead of the well-worn, “See you next time,” felt like a bit of a dagger to the heart. 

The Barclay's Center

Having attended the week’s previous show in Philadelphia, I knew what to expect at Brooklyn, but a hometown show – for both me and for Dave – adds to the experience, of course. My friends Carrie, Steve, Jason, Kristin, and I had gone all in on the Ticketmaster Verified Fan pre-sale, and decided on the tickets within the first few rows, having secured sixth row seats. (Referring to them as seats is a misnomer, as I spent scant time in them – sitting for a few moments between opening act, EMA, and the opening riffs of The Beatles’ Revolution.) Regardless, the floor real estate we’d rented for our feet was in the sixth row.

 

Sean and the gang

Backtracking a bit, my friend Jason had flown to New York to experience his second show of the Spirit Tour in my fair city. We, along with another friend, Sarah, met up earlier in the day to experience the “David Bowie Is” exhibit that’s nearing its conclusion at the Brooklyn Museum. With DM having retired “Heroes” from the setlist, it was a great way to keep the spirit (pun intended) of Bowie present for me as a part of the DM experience. For those of you who’ve seen the exhibit in any of its stops around the world over the last several years, you know how special it is. And while DM aren’t cited within the exhibit, it wouldn’t have taken much to realize a solid line from Bowie to Gore and Gahan in an influence diagram. I can think of no better way to have mentally and emotionally prepped for the remainder of the day. Following a late Bowie-themed menu lunch at the museum, I headed over to the venue to prep for the pre-show reception that was part of the VIP ticket package. 

Sean is a VIP

While those of us in North America may gripe about the prices of the VIP packages, the ease of doing so and the sanity of entering the venue early, the pre-show dinner reception, the hassle-free merch shopping, the unique merch items included, and, of course, the location in front of the stage make it very comfortable for those who have the means and the willingness to spend the cash. Whether it’s a smart purchase or not remains to be answered by the individual spending it. I am happy I went with the VIP package this time around, but my wallet is happy that the Global Spirit Tour is nearing its conclusion.

Following the show, throngs of attendees descended upon the Kings Beer Hall for a packed DM New York Fanclub afterparty. The German-styled beer hall had the tables largely cleared to make way for the swarms of black-clad revelers. I was able to meet up with other fellow DM Facebook Takeoverees face-to-face, as well…an added benefit. 

There isn’t much to say about the setlist that hasn’t already been said. However, as much as it pains me to admit this, having seen the shows in Philly and NYC, the energy builds really well with the current set. And I was happily surrounded at both shows with big fans who were on their feet for the duration and belting out all the lyrics along with me. As I mentioned at the top of the review, Dave’s exclamation of “see you some other time” stood out. This is a subtle, but seemingly meaningful, shift from the standard, “See you next time.” We can all speculate what the twist means, and I have my strong suspicions about what it portends. But I have enjoyed the ride these last 32 years of seeing DM live. Then again, the band has outlived rumours and speculation about their longevity for decades. So whether ‘some other time’ is later this year, the year 2021, beyond, or never again, I can imagine no better way to have leveraged my retirement security and my kids’ college educations than with the dozens of live shows I’ve seen with the band.

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Thank you Sean.

A BOY AND HIS BAND AT THE BOWL: DEPECHE MODE, HOLLYWOOD BOWL, LOS ANGELES, 12, 14, 16 AND 18 OCTOBER 2017

As I mentioned in Kristin's review of night 1 at the Hollywood Bowl, there was going to be a special review of all four nights in addition to the individual reviews and here it is. Jamie Highland, who previously reviewed Madison Square Garden for the blog, went to all four nights at the Bowl and this is his report. It's a rollercoaster of a read, perfectly encapsulating the highs and lows of following this band around the place and showing the lengths people will go to and the things they'll put themselves through all in the name of seeing Depeche Mode live. Pain and suffering in various tempos indeed. It's a cracking read - thanks very much Jamie. All pictures are Jamie's other than the one under this which I've taken from...you'll never guess...Depeche Mode Classic Photos & Videos Facebook Group.

A Boy And His Band At The Bowl

Remember wristbands? '86 '87 '88 '90 '93? Getting the right numbered wristband. Wow. You were in. I remember distinctly my buddy Corey getting #2 at the Warehouse in Anaheim on State College & Lincoln in '89. We were allowed to buy 8 seats. We got 16th Row Center fucking Dodgers Stadium. I wore my Black Celebration T-Shirt which I had written the words to Stripped on the back in black marker two tours previous (yes I still have it) At that show my friend Rick kept laughing. After the show I asked him why he was laughing during Stripped and he said the girls behind you were reading your shirt, they were singing to your shirt! Wow. That's pretty cool to remember those things. That same tour dM put on a "fan appreciation show" at the then Universal Ampitheatre. You had to call in to win tickets. 18 of us were calling in that day, including my mom. The rule was, if you won, you take Jamie. If Jamie wins, we put our names in a hat. My buddy Rick got in. We went. Mart played Little 15 & Here Is The House that night. That's pretty cool to remember those things. Although I was already going to the special show and Dodgers Staduim Night 1 as well as all 3 nights in San Diego I had an extra ticket for Dodgers Night 2. I wanted to take a lot of people. Especially Corey because you know. Sexy, gay, sex, fun. But I took my mom. My mom was AWESOME. She screamed when appropriate, she sang every fucking word. She was in a word, brilliant. That's pretty cool to remember those things.

I miss my mom. I miss her a lot. And don't worry Corey and I hooked more than a few times. We are friends to this day oh and... he's the one that told me to take my mom. Night 2, awesome dude. He is also the guy that almost got crushed to death at the Warehouse signing. Those that know me know the story.

The sad thing about this story above is that my other best friend during High School is Amie. I have no idea how but she was left out of the 8 tickets Night 1. She has never let me forget it. She also has never stopped being my best High School buddy. We have been friends for 31 years, through life, death, ends and beginnings she has been a rock.

So what has this to do with dM at the Hollywood Bowl 2017? Let's forward to 2001

In '01 I was online. Before the DMMB existed, we were on the WB board. dM was playing in Las Vegas. 2.500 capacity. Everyone was coming to Vegas. My friends and I ran a club every Wednesday behind Club Angles. dM were playing on a Wednesday. It was the perfect storm. The very last person to sign up for the party was Windscreenfly. He was so late I never even saw him sign up. A day before the show all the people that were a day early for the show met at the Hard Rock side bar and we hung out. Later that night I harassed Fletch, at the center bar, coaching him on how to play video poker correctly. He was terrible and he wasn't a fan of my coaching. After he looked me directly in the eye, I said, I just wanted to know if you want to watch your guy's performance of I Feel Loved on The Tonight Show, they are playing it at the side bar in half an hour, I hear the band is pretty good. He laughed and said, you know what. NO! But thank you. I laughed and I held out my hand. He shook it and laughed, I said Ill get out of your face, he laughed again and shook his head vehemently, YES.

Jamie and Sean

The next day started so fast. Meeting new people, arriving almost hourly. My buddy Amie arrived without her suitcase (She attended the show in almost her bathing suit. Yes I have pics somewhere). So as the day goes on I meet many people including Omid Taxallai, he and his sister A2sa turn out to be friends for life. As the show is about to begin some guy comes up to me and says Hey Bong10. (My board name still, even though I rarely post anymore). He says Hi my name is Sean, Windscreenfly, I signed up for the party but probably late. I said, hey man. I'm glad you're here. I've been hanging out welcoming and trying to find everyone so we are standing in the back. Wanna hang with us? He said yes. The most vivid things I remember that night were during WIMS I looked back and reached out my hand to Sean and he took it. And then an hour later he was at me and my friends club standing against a wall looking like he had bee hit by a truck.

I had planned to follow dM on Tour for the next 10 days but ended up calling into work for an additional 7 days and spending an additional $1,700, Only $400 was on me $300 was for front row tickets for Anaheim Night 1 for me and Andrea Sutterfield. (to trade up our ok seats) I handed out money to everyone that needed it. It was FUCKING AWESOME. The group of us were having so much fun we kept posting our exploits on the DMWB. Sean was having so much fun reading our exploits and I kept harassing him so much he ended up flying back out to CA from NY to hang with us on the final night of the tour. We all met up next door to the Pond in Anaheim for drinks. I gave away my previously bought tickets to Berlin, Leipzig, Warsaw and Prague to a great group of German fans that were visiting. As we all walked across the street (needed to scalp a ticket still) Sean handed me a ticket, 16th row center. No, I'm not making that up, same seats as Dodgers Night 1, 11 years earlier. I said how did you get this? He said you did so much for everyone in Vegas, just take the ticket. THAT was he start of a dM friendship becoming a friendship becoming a best friendship. September 11th 2001 happened 3 weeks later. I went to visit him in February 2002 where we met and hung out with Dave while he did a 3 hour interview with radio stations around the country at CBS studios, promoting One Night In Paris. Lets forward through 2002-2017

One person I didn't mention during the Tour of Pain is Barbara Seals Morden. The reason I didn't mention her is because I wanted to save her story for this portion.

When the dM dates were announced Barb immediately told me. Not asked. TOLD me I was staying at her house during the HB stand. When Night 3 and Night 4 were added she never said, Oh that date as well. Nor did I ask. It was known. In May I was in LA to meet up with Sean and we both had dinner with Barb and I asked if it would be okay if Kristin Vogel-Campbell could stay at her ho.... fuck yes she can. I love her. And if you vouch for her too, yes. I never got the words out. Who does this? Barbara does.

Jamie, Barbara Seals Morden and Attosa Tavallai at the afterparty on night 2

So now we are almost there. The Hollywood Bowl Stand.

Things to know.

1. Me & Kristin are staying at Barb's: ie: Barb HQ

2. Me, Barb, Sean, Omid, A2sa, Mrio are Tour of Pain survivors 2001

3. We have all been in touch but some if us haven't seen each other in years

4. I didn't want to write this because of doubt, but did because of friend support

& I promised David

5. If you want a play by play on each song see some other the amazing reviews. Stacy Lynch & Sara Lauder come to mind. 

Night 1 : It's nosebleed night. And although our altitude was high, so was our attitude. dM was going to hear us and hear us they did. The set list was the standard Only Night/1st Night Set we've all come to know. What was nice was one of the six of us, my friend Amie who has been going to dM shows with me for 30 years was a Spirit Tour virgin. Many of the songs, A Question of Lust, Stripped, In Your Room, are her favorites so it was nice to once again share those moments with her. And boy can she scream. In the row ahead of us off to the right were two dudes who were obviously bothered by our enthusiasm from the start. Constantly looking back over their shoulders and speaking furiously into each others ears. By A Pain That I'm Used To they'd had enough and vacated their seats. See ya later twats. Look, if you have seats in Section 'way in the fucking back' and I'm standing near you it's not going to be a quiet night. Me and my friends are going to be dancing, singing, and screaming "FUCK! YEAH!" in between songs.

On ticket sale day San Fran's finest educator Kristin,said fuck it, I'm buying a block of tickets, Way up. Just in case we don't get anything better. Brilliant.

Michele Valenzuela Pruyn, bought the extra ticket we had (two weeks before the show) after someone that we loved let us down in the most monumental way. Btw you may have seen Michele on her takeover. Don't believe it. She's shady as hell LMAO. Love you lady ;)

I leaned over and asked the ladies in front of us if they were bothered by our boisterousness and to a person they said no and also said they were rather enjoying it. I was glad to hear this because from then on I was a little extra crazy. Before each song I would start giving hints to everyone around us about what song was coming up. I would ask people, does 2 + 2 = 4? They would laugh and say no and I would yell WRONG! During EC's brilliant new intro I would ask everyone for a hand shake. I was shaking everyone's hand. Even the people I was with thought I'd lost the plot, this behavior culminated in me physically holding one of the girl's arms out during Personal Jesus. I mean, come now. That's dM 101. No pun intended.

After the show we headed over to The Pig N' Whistle for Club Ultra. The first of 4 after parties put on by Strangelove: The Depeche Mode Experience's own Freddie Morales. The after party was amazing. Meeting up with some friends I hadn't seen in over a decade and partying even more with my fellow concert goers. One of those people is A2sa. A2sa is my soulmate on soul many levels. If I was straight and she was a straight guy we would be a heterosexual male couple. Yes. I know. The love is real. We hugged for a non stop 4 minutes. When one person let go the other re-hugged. That hug will will never be forgotten. Even. Unfortunately I was stalked for the next 3 hours by one of Dave's groupies so that kinda put a damper on the night, but true love wins out.

The Spirit truck

Day 1: The day off in between Night's 1 and 2 was a much needed rest. I had been going non stop after the San Diego show, training up to San Francisco, meeting up and staying with my buddy Kristen Vogel-Campbell. Seeing the show in Oakland, training in back down to LA the next day, arriving that evening and then staying up until the wee hours of the morning catching up with my dear friend Barbara Seals Morden. That day was the first day I'd be waking up and going to sleep in the same bed and not having to wake up at o-dark thirty, in 6 days.

This is the point I should mention the Night 2 void. As in, almost no one I knew had tickets. It was kinda strange. When tickets went on sale the usual thing happened. Multiple calls and text messages as well as an uncountable number of Fb IM's started up. It was fast and furious. "I got seats for us for this show," "This person has an extra seat for this night," "no one has any good seats for this night." When ticket sale day was over I had seats to all of the shows I was attending except Night 2. Nothing really worked out so I just decided to get them closer to the date. Being from LA, I've always got into any show I wanted to attend. I wasn't worried. Well, this time that didn't work out so well because after my trip to NY and two shows there and an unexpected personal situation came up I wasn't in any position to see Night 2. When this situation came up Kristin told me she was buying my ticket to Night 2. I said no. After a few days of back and forth I relented. So THANK YOU again Kristin. Thank you so much.

Night 2: It's solo night. Kristin procured a pretty great seat for me on Mart's side. However due to it being a last minute sort of thing, I was going to have to make friends. And make friends I did. When I got there, after Warpaint had ended my entire row was full so scooted into my seat, 4th from the isle. I said hey to everybody and gave my usual speech. I dance and sing, there will be no sitting. After a few minutes of introductions I was 100% that Nelida and her sister to my left and Jamie and her brother and his boyfriend to my right were going to be on point. It didn't take long before I was proven right. When the lights went down and all the way through Going Backwards my new friends and I were ON. When Mart started his solo Strangelove version I thought Nelida was going to pass out and Jamie nearly strangled me in a full neck bear hug. It was amazing.

Day 2: The next day was Sunday brunch. Barb made amazing French Toast with rum syrup reduction and egg and cheese, um, thingy? Me Barb, Kristin, A2sa, Kelly Williams and A2sa's buddy ate and then we ate some more. Stories from The Tour of Pain were told. 16 years of memories. We were laughing so hard at points I had to sit on the softer sofa because my back couldn't take laughing that hard while sitting on the harder dinning room chairs.

Kristin and Jamie pointing out the album SOFAD fans secretly love the most

Night 3: I was hanging once again with my High School buddy Amie again. Also attending would be Amie's 12 year old daughter Brody and Brody's best friend Brianna. dM virgins both. Was really looking forward to this night. But first, I had agreed to finally accompany Kristin on her daily outing to The Spirit Truck. When I woke up that day my back was hurting more than usual and this was the day I should have stayed home and rested but... hindsight. So we went to the Spirit Truck. Besides being crazy hot it was a lot of fun. When you got there they handed you a lottery ticket and then every 15 minutes they would draw a number and you'd win a shirt or signed poster, hat etc. While there I could feel my back really start to hurt but hey, how often do you get to do this? Answer: NOW.

So after about 4 hours out we returned home and decided to Uber to the Metro station and take the train into Hollywood & Highland Station one stop away because there was a World Premiere going on at Grauman's Chinese Theatre that night so driving into a park & ride or Ubering straight there was out of the question. Now this is a sound idea normally, however, my back is about 50% at this point and now we have to walk up the hill to the Bowl. Now, I am not an open complainer. In fact, I think I'm pretty good about concealing my pain. This day, with the amount of times Kristin was aking if I was okay, should be a testament to how hard it was to hide. But, we got there. Kristin and I split because she was down in the pool that night and I was up were I was the night before. I met up with Amie and the girls who were sharing pizza. I found the beer stand and got straight to my seat to relieve the pain.

This would be the only night I would see Warpaint's entire set and they were really good. Pain aside, I rather enjoyed them and my time chatting with Amie and the girls, who were all super excited. To watch their faces as the lights went down and the music start up was pretty amazing. Smiles all around. When the second song started and the first few notes of It's No Good played out I texted my husband and Sean, "Here we go..." Little did I know I would be the one going in about an hour or so. As each song played, just the act of standing became almost impossible. But it's dM. I'm standing. When Mart comes out and starts singing Insight, I have tears in my eyes and sing every fucking word and that would be the last song I stand for the entire song. By Wrong I'm sitting and by Stripped I'm sitting bent over the bench in front of me head down. Amie is now sitting with her hand on my head knowing that the pain is real for me. To be sitting during Stripped?! Anyway, half way through Enjoy The Silence I apologize to Amie and tell her I can't stay. She tells me to get out of there and I do. So very slowly. Now the way the Bowl is designed and the speed to which I'm walking, I still hear Shake The Disease and Black Celebration while I'm making my way out. Hearing two of my top ten songs play as I'm leaving a dM show will be with me forever. The pain was intense. The tears were flowing. The offers for help numerous. I've never told this to anyone but I was given two bottles of water, a free T-shirt and an offer to drive me down the rest of the hill. These were just people working the hill. Not even dM fans.

From Night 3 - Amie, Brianna and Brody

Day 3: With chemical help I sleep until 3pm the this day. I wake up and spend that evening talking to Barb, who once again has made me dinner. We sit and chat for a couple hours and then I'm back in bed by 9:30. I sleep until 9. Totally missed Kristin who was out really living it up with the Spirit Truck and fellow devotees. She truly is amazing.

Night 4: Bittersweet night. This is the night I was dreading and most looking forward to. I know, sounds crazy. But today is the day my best friend arrives from New York and also the last night of what has become, basically, our House Band in Hollywood. For an entire week now dm has been playing the same club. No doubt a rather large club but still. Sean gets in about 11:30am and our fellow Tour Of Pain buddy Mario is picking him up, both arriving at Barb HQ around 1:30. Kristin arrives at the same time from her day out and we all head over to get pizza and beer. We come back to the house and just sit and talk. Sit and talk. Here Is The House comes to mind when thinking about these couple of hours. Sitting and talking with friends is always great, but in the context of dM... I don't know. It's just one of those things, ya know? We were doing other things, figuring out who was going with who, which modes of transport we were all going to use to get there but mostly we were just sitting around talking and laughing and hanging out. Shows aside, or equal to, these are the greatest moments.

So after hanging out for a few hours we get ready and we're off. Sean & Mario drop Kristin & I off at the Bowl and they go to park. Kristin goes to her VIP Dinner and I sit down to chill. Back is great after almost 2 days rest but extra rest can't hurt. And then, almost immediately, there she is, "You need a beer? You look like you need a beer. Let me get you a beer." Michele Valenzuela Pruyn, standing there with her, 'Come on already - let's go' look. "You glorious bitch, yes please." So we walk the whole 15 feet to the beer stand. We chat it up about things that will remain between her & I. She's a fucking gem btw. If you haven't met her, highly recommend. I go to sit back down and didn't realize I sat next to Leah Ward and hubby Rob. Very, very lovely people. We start chatting and then realize we all know each other, dM degrees of separation. To my left another handsome dude is sitting and I find out that it's Mads Kruse. I feel like I sat in the middle of a dM Fb post. What an amazing human being this guy is. About an hour later I ran into Mads or he ran into me. He was calling my name and he handed me 2 of Mart's guitar picks. He said give one to Sean and one is yours. Mads, I gave that pick to Amie to give to her daughter Brody. She cried when she found out how she got it. Well done my friend. You just made a new 12 year old dM fan a fan for life.

Soon after Michele leaves Amie shows up and to make a very long preshow story short, we get to our box. Barb has been texting, "what do you want to drink", but I haven't been responding because Barb's already done enough for me this tour. Amie, Sean & myself are now sitting in our box. We are HYPED. I'm finally feeling AMAZING. My best friends on the planet are standing next to me. My other best friend is on her way. When this box was acquired, these were not the 4 people that were supposed to be there. But as fate would have it... it was just one of those moments the universe said, "Jamie, tonight." That's all it said. Actully it never said anything. The universe doesn't have a mouth. Nor vocal chords, silly. And then there she is. Barb.

A2sa, Jamie, Kristin

It is TRULY hard to explain my emotions in this moment. But now I have to because I told David I would blog about this. So let me put it this way. If your birthday was on the 4th of July and the 4th of July was moved to December 25th and Christmas was now also New Year's Eve, well that would be stupid. They all have specific dates. Why are you even trying to imagine that? Dumbasses.

So now that I'm standing in a literal box with my 3 best friends on the planet about to see my favorite band in the world, what am I supposed to do? Oh that's right. Cry. But I can't. I just can't. I'm watching Sean hug Amie and Barb hug Sean and they are all hugging me. I want to cry but I can't. And then I remember my mom. My mom died almost two years ago and when I was growing up in that incredibly hard house my mom would always say, after things quited down after dad-rage, "it's okay to be happy."

So that's what I did. I got happy. Super happy, happy overdrive, fuck you happy. I didn't look back. I laughed and sang and danced. We found out where Mario was sitting and we abducted him and brought him to our box. Now we have 5 deliriously happy people in our box. And NO ONE is telling us we can't. NO ONE is telling us we can't laugh. NO ONE is telling us we can't hug. NO ONE is telling us anything. WE ARE HAVING FUN. WE ARE BEING HAPPY. FUCK EVERYBODY ELSE. IT'S JUST US.

If you want to know what happened during the show, consult YouTube. All I can tell you is when EVERY SINGLE song came on there was a vibrant reaction. Amazing. Good. Bad. To all of you that are going to hate this review, I'm going to say only this. I've been a fan of this band since I was 10 years old. Obviously not as crazy as I am now 35 years later but I think I still wanted to be a fan. The first album I couldn't wait to come out was CTA. I was 11. I didn't understand wholly why I was so excited but my cousin who was 13 was telling me why I should be excited. When I was 12 I couldn't wait for SGR to come out. Finally on my own. Why? Because I started to finally get it. Also, I started feeling different. And then waiting for BC to come out was a lifetime. Because now, I was living for myself, finally. dM was no longer a band I liked because they sounded cool. They were now a band I loved because I needed them.

This band was talking to me. Screaming to me. It's okay to be different. It wouldn't be until MFTM before I would realize why I felt different. Not because of the record, just because of life. It's just interesting to me how I time things in my life by dM records.

We ended that night at the Night 4 after party. We danced like friends. We danced like Fools.

The Night 4 afterpart crowd: Sean, Kristin, Andrea, Sara, Mario (above Sara and Andrea), Kelly, Barbar, Jamie and Attosa

Day 5: I was up early. Never really went to bed to be honest. Just sat up thinking this could be it. That was maybe my last dM show ever. This could be the last time I'm in Barb HQ. Last time I see Mario. Last time I see Kristin. Last time I see Sean. I know that sounds fatalist but seriously, you just don't know. Especially with our distant friends.

Sean woke first, so he & I walked to a local eatery. Talked about life. We've been such good friends for so long so much doesn't even need to be said. It's one of the reasons I love him entirely. He doesn't fucking talk so much. When we see something and look at each other, fuck, you don't even have to look at each other.We just smile or laugh. You all have these relationships. That certain person where no words need to be spoken. You all know what I mean. I'm just happy mine is Sean.

So we head back to Barb HQ and everyone is getting up. (Full disclosure: I had to text Kristin just now to remember exit order. I fell a few years back and hit my head, It was the day dM played RAH. I had blood on my brain for a couple weeks, was in ICU for a few days. Sometimes I can't remember the simplest things. Please don't use that to your advantage, I have friends that will out your lies. haha). Kristin says she is staying at Barb HQ to shower, finish packing and relax before Lyfting it to Burbank.

I'm in the bedroom silently packing my things as is Sean. Barb is silently moving in and out of our room and hers. It's an unspoken upstairs tornado of getting ready to go be sad again. One by one we slowly gather downstairs, trading in coffee cups for water glasses. My heart is in the pit of my stomach while my soul is trying to turn back time. My brain however catches Mario standing at the front door. I do remember wanting to tell him to sit back down on the couch, to talk, one last conversation. But he says it. Like thunder silencing the roar of a million cars on the 101. It's time to go. You wanna know how hard it is to hold back these tears? It's impossible. Iv'e had more than enough practice. I've been practicing this since 2001. It doesn't get easier. It gets fucking worse. I hug Mario. My fucking friend. I try not to let go. We finish, I look down. He says something really positive because that's what Mario does. He's the nicest fucking guy. Door opens, he walks out. Next up is Sean. Hug. See ya later buddy. For sure.

Kristin says we will all see each other. As a defense mechanism I think, I recall the first time I said goodbye to Sean after I had come to visit him in February 2002. I couldn't even speak then because I was so upset to leave him and NYC. I'm pretty sure I do this in times of despair to make what Im going through less hurtful. But believe you fucking me, saying goodbye to this mother fucker is next to impossible. I have tears in my eyes typing this. This is my best fucking friend. He used to be my best dM friend, but the dM prefix fell away years ago.

Mario & Sean are gone.

Barb now says, let's go babe. We both hug Kristin. Wow. That was really hard. Kristin and I went from knowing each other online for years to actually meeting and hanging out for 11 days straight. She is TRULY an amazing human being. If you ever get a chance to hang out with Kristin, DO IT, I've met so many people on line who are AMAZING and then when you meet them and they are just the worst. Kristin Vogel-Campbell is not one of these people. Meet her. Cherish her. In your time of need she will take care of you. So, please. You do the same for her.

So now it's just me and Barb. That one mile drive to the Universal City Metro Stop. It wasn't long enough but it was way too long. I know you all know what I mean. When you are about to leave that person you want to hang out with more yet you want to get it over with because you have to leave each other so you can start mourning. I'm sitting in the car tearing up. No words are being said. We get there and I get out. And Barb meets me at the hatch and pulls my bag out. We HUG... Barb says "Thank you for making me remember what it is to be a dM fan." We HUG. AGAIN. HARD. She lets go and walks around to get in her car and I burst into tears. I wave. She waves. She drives away.

As I walked down the levels of the Metro Station openly crying I think, "No, Barb. Thank you for making me remember what it is to be a dM fan"

I took the Metro to Union Station. Caught the train to San Diego and thought about many things. The band. My best friends. My friends. People who I thought were my friends, but aren't. My mom. But most importantly I thought about what I was going back to. My awesome husband Michael & my two pups, Boga & Nuka.

And now, even though I'm at home with the love of my life. No joke. Michael is my fucking dream. I'm still in the worst depression. It is so real, this post depression. Every tour it takes longer to get out of it. Especially now when so many of my dM friends are friends. I have tricks I do to keep my mind off what I've just experienced. I know how to lessen the pain but nothing really helps. I hate it.

I will cry for weeks.

I will be lost for months.

I will be destroyed for years.

I will be sad forever.

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Thanks Jamie.

LIVE REVIEW: DEPECHE MODE, MOHEGAN SUN ARENA, UNCASVILLE, 1 SEPTEMBER 2017

Today's review comes courtesy of blog contributor, Home moderator, much traveled Devotee and all round good chap Sean Salo. It seems a long time since I met up with Sean in Stockholm for gig number one on the tour and now he's back on home turf, seeing the band at various venues around America. This venue is one of those odd casino based venues that British fans like me can't get our heads round. For example, if Depeche played any of the casinos here in Glasgow, their career would definitely have taken a distinctly odd turn. It's different in America of course, and so, when it came to reporting on the Uncasville (no - I'd never heard of it before this tour either) show, there was only one man for the job. As you'd expect, this is a great read - thanks Sean for that and for all the cool pictures. 

Depeche Mode fans have created community around the experience of seeing the band live. Oftentimes, seeing old friends who share a passion for the band is as much a part of the experience of DM live as seeing the band play. This factor tends to be heightened when the band plays at destination cities or venues, that attract groups of hardcore fans outside of the immediate locals. Las Vegas, Berlin, London, Los Angeles, and…Uncasville?

Casinos shows have become a reality of the band’s North American itineraries, but this was the first time the band played at the Mohegan Sun Casino, let alone in the state of Connecticut. The venue’s equidistant location between New York and Boston makes it a draw from both metropolitan areas. This was also the closest show to the latter since the Tour of the Universe, so it provided the only chance for New Englanders to see the band on their own turf.

Arriving at the casino, digital signs alerted patrons of that night’s show at the arena. The gleaming, mirrored glass tower stands like a monolith piercing the rural surroundings. The casino itself doesn’t feel like cosmopolitan Vegas, but is largely filled with retirees. The Black Swarm stands in stark contrast to the blue-haired clientele. 

I’d purchased the “Hospitality Package” tickets, which – in addition to front of floor tickets – included a pre-show reception, early access to merch stands, a messenger-style bag, and a venue-specific tour lanyard. The reception was held in the casino’s Cabaret Theatre, where a rotation of DM singles was being played for the few dozens of us in the large room. I’ll admit that my friend Craig and I had eaten before the reception, but we each received a couple of drink tickets, and we partook. Having gone to the first show of the band’s official tour itinerary in Stockholm, and having done the VIP experience there, I’ll say that this one left a lot to be desired in comparison. The mood was far less of a party atmosphere and more of a cold reception with little-to-no interaction between fans and the VIP staff. 

"But I need to drink more than...well...one drink"

From the reception, we went into the venue. I was thrilled with the tickets we had, which were on the stage right side of the venue, just 4 rows from Martin. For this tour, this will have been the closest I’ll experience the show, and I’m glad we chose the premium seats. Though I brought in a point-and-shoot camera, I was close enough that my iPhone 7+ photos were sufficiently good for the experience. I generally inform those around me at shows that I plan to be on my feet the whole time and loud, but that was not an anomaly in this section. Those of us who paid to be this close were there to worship and testify at the church of Gore, Gahan and Fletcher.

Much has already been written about the show, whose setlists have varied minimally, so I won’t be breaking new ground here. But the show opener of Going Backwards sets the tone for the first part of the generally mid-tempo set. Dave appears along the full stage riser in front of giant screens, almost being enveloped by the pixels, merging man with technology, in some ways in contrast to the seemingly organic primary and bold color blobs of the background and the rocky, guitar-forward mix of the live version of the song. The colorful backdrop leads to much starker Anton Corbijn video backdrop for So Much Love, a track that picks up the energy level quite a bit for those who haven’t studied the album like we devotees have. The band clearly take themselves with a grain of salt, as seen in the black-and-white film, showing them standing generally still in front of a chain link fence, but with lots of the attitude Corbijn’s art direction for the band has used to help define the last 30 years of their brand. With resolution so high on these stage-dominating screens, the band on the stage gets to take a bit of a breather from theatrics while the band on screen is larger than life. I will say that in some ways, the screens might be used a bit too much overall, almost like a crutch in this tour. But with videos as stunning as these, including the aforementioned So Much Love, Cover Me, In Your Room and Walking in My Shoes, they might be forgiven.

For a transient casino audience, Connecticut surprised me with enthusiasm. It’s tough to say whether I would’ve felt this way had my seats been in the upper deck, but from my vantage point, the crowd was eating it up once the revised intro to World in My Eyes gives way to the bass-heavy crowd-pleaser.

In the era of having everything spoiled by social media and message boards, it’s great to see fans genuinely excited when they realize they’re hearing fan faves like A Question of Lust and Everything Counts, but the "Heroes" cover is the one that I hadn’t expected to still surprise fans live, as it’s been documented so proficiently. While some feel the version lacks teeth, I think the audiences have responded to it with great respect and fervor at each show I’ve experienced.

There are songs that many of us can live without hearing again in a live setting. Stripped will never be one of those, and I’ll fight you to the death if you imply it is. I am not a fan of the snowy static background used as the band plays the BC-era game changer that set a new sonic tone for the band, but there cannot be a poor version of Stripped. The laws of nature, physics, math and the universe prohibit it. Just pure bliss.

The main set’s closer of NLMDA had floor the 10,000-capacity arena vibrating, and had many fans breaking the DM commandment of “Thou shalt not wheat wave until the Lord, thy Gahan, instructs you”, but that’s not an issue specific to any one audience. The Swarm is eager.

The intoxication of seeing the band (and my general intoxication) made my choice to have booked a room at the hotel a very wise one. And this worked out well, with various clans of us gathering to reminisce about the show the show, gush over our favorite moments, moan over others, and reconnect as we do about once every four years.

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Thanks Sean.

A GUEST BLACK CELEBRATION #5: SEAN SALO

Sean Salo is a New York based Depeche Mode fan who is also an administrator on the wonderful Home website (http://www.depeche-mode.com/) which you really all should be familiar with by now. He's been a Depeche fan for years and has been to see them many times in many cool venues, the names of which I can't tell you as they would just make you cry with jealousy. Giants Stadium on World Violation anyone? Also, Sean has had the good fortune to meet the band through one of his previous jobs, so he knows his Depeche stuff. I was thrilled when he agreed to write a piece for this project and I know you're going to love it. The original brief was to write something about the U.S view of Black Celebration, but Sean has gone further and spoken to contacts at the U.S. label Sire and members of Book Of Love, meaning this is an blog you have to read. There are also some exclusive pictures thrown in for good measure.  I'd hoped that this month would see us get some real insight into the Black Celebration era - Sean has provided just that and, even though I've thanked him loads already, I'd just like to say thanks again. Enjoy this - I know you will.

Life in the So-Called Space Age…

By the time Black Celebration was released in 1986, the decade hadn’t exactly lived up to the promise of the modern space age with harmonious humankind working toward common goals of technological progress and prosperity.  Coincidentally to the album’s rear cover tagline about the space age, the damaged crew compartment and bodies of all seven astronauts of the Space Shuttle Challenger were found in the Atlantic Ocean just days earlier. 

This disillusionment ran parallel to factors that pushed Depeche Mode from niche act to alternative superstars in the U.S.:  Equal parts threat of nuclear annihilation, sex delivering a death sentence, Reaganomics, hypocritical religious televangelism, and corporate greed and excess. The new wave and post-punk movements were generally ignored by media outside of all but the major metropolitan areas, and was driven in large amounts by small college radio stations and niche music magazines and alternative newsweeklies.

The band’s earlier singles collection was renamed Catching Up With Depeche Mode for the North American audience, who were generally catching up on the band who’d had a minor crossover hit with People Are People a couple years earlier.  (Oddly, that single and others were not included on Catching Up With…, but rather on a separate, earlier Sire-only comp titled People Are People that included the eponymous track and was meant to capitalize on the success of that single in the U.S., as well as singles Get The Balance Right, Everything Counts, Leave In Silence, and B-sdides like Now This Is Fun.  Are you following yet?) 

For most in the US, Depeche Mode were relatively unknown.  Except for their breakthrough hit People Are People which topped out at #13, MTV had ignored them, and mainstream American radio was the home of Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Whitney Houston, Bon Jovi, and Cyndi Lauper.  Synths were much more the exception to the guitar rule in the States, with only a few mostly British pop crossover hits from the likes of Human League and Eurythmics.  Meanwhile, the press and mainstream rock audiences were being won over by a new format of radio called “classic rock”, which chose to ignore the fact that any music created past the year 1979 was worth listening to, further cementing America’s love affair with the guitar.

But by 1986, things had started to evolve.  New wave and post-punk formats appeared on commercial radio stations with typically weak signals.  Stations like KROQ in Los Angeles and WLIR in New York receive much of the glory for evangelizing a generation of coastal American fans to Depeche Mode.  But by 1986, others in San Francisco, Boston, San Diego, Washington, DC, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, and in Toronto were giving love to DM.  For all this increased exposure, one would think that stars of this burgeoning genre would have scored TV appearances in the States.  One would be wrong.  There was not a one.  As a result, Depeche Mode’s persona was largely an enigma to American audiences.

Richard Blade, DJ at KROQ, debuted ‘But Not Tonight’ as an import to his Southern California radio audience saying that he much preferred it to the gloomier Stripped.  Sire, the band’s US record label, had come to the same conclusion, as has been documented, granting the A-side status to But Not Tonight, adding it on as the final track on the North American release of Black Celebration.  As linked the other day in the world tour entry, WLIR interviewed Martin Gore at the start of their New York stint, which is a great snapshot of where the band was in 1986.  As a further testament to their newly gained success in a market they’d all but written off, A Question of Lust placed at #2 on KROQ’s Top 106.7 of 1986, and A Question of Time was “Screamer of the Year”, the best song of 1986 as voted by WLIR’s listeners.

Sandy Alouete, Head of Music & Talent at MTV, worked at Sire Records at the time, including on Depeche Mode’s releases.  She’d been working for Sire for a year, at that time providing executive support to label head, Seymour Stein, when Mute sent a carton of Black Celebration t-shirts, and she realized that she “had the coolest job in the universe.”  She continued to work at Sire and Reprise Records through 2000, working on all their albums through The Singles 86>98.  What struck her about 1986 was that Seymour was such a champion of the band and the album, dictating memos to her to send to Warners execs for the same promotion love that other artists on the roster were getting.

Alouete researched to double check her memory that they played not one but three shows at Radio City Music Hall.  It was unexpected for a niche band to play one show at the famed hall in 1986.  To headline three nights (and later sell out a fourth show in the market at Jones Beach) was “a big freakin’ deal at that point!”  She was also struck with how starkly different the “sparkly, new wavy pop” of tour opener, Book of Love, was from the darker and heavier music from Black Celebration. 

Radio City Music Hall marquee, 1986

Asked if she recalled the swap of Stripped for But Not Tonight as lead single, Alouete said that ultimately, Seymour responded to pop hooks, whether it was working on Madonna or The Replacements, Morrissey or Depeche.  “In the long run, I hope that the band will get its full due as the influence they are” to virtually every artist in the alternative and electronic genres.  “In 2016, you can’t find artists who don’t say Depeche Mode were an influence.”

“Sire was way ahead of the curve with DM”, Alouete recalled.  “It was rich with amazing tracks.  And their live shows brought together a diverse audience – straight, gay, goth, pop, suburban, urban – in a way that no other band could have at any time before…Their Radio City show was electric.”

Susan Ottaviano is the lead singer of Book of Love, a synth pop band who formed after meeting at art school in Philadelphia.  On the strength of the demo for their initial single, ‘Boy’, Stein had signed the band to Sire in 1984. With just one single under their belts, Book of Love was asked by Depeche to open for them on the North American leg of the Some Great Reward Tour.  Following the success of Boy, which achieved near-anthem status in new wave and gay clubs in the States, they recorded a follow-up single, I Touch Roses, which was remixed by Mute label head, Daniel Miller.  Book of Love’s eponymous album was released in early 1986, and they were asked to accompany Depeche Mode on the Black Celebration Tour in both Europe and North America.  

Susan Ottaviano onstage at Radio City Music Hall with roses

Having been one of only a few acts to open for Depeche on multiple tours, I asked Ottaviano to share some memories of touring with the band, and if she noticed a difference in the States of the band’s acceptance. 

Susan: “I didn't really think there was a big change from one tour to the next.  I thought that the band was growing, developing and finally coming of age, and more people were becoming aware of Depeche Mode.  Black Celebration was such a great album and piece within itself.  Book of Love definitely became fans on that tour!  I don't know how many shows we had on that tour.  (75?)  But we saw most of them, especially in Europe.  

Susan Ottaviano's brother and sister with Alan Wilder, 1986

“It was clear from the get go in Europe that their following was already huge!  We played with them in some of the largest venues of our career. Palais Omnisport in Paris was over 20,000 people.  For us, we were struggling to keep up.  We had just one album’s worth of material, and one tour under our belt.  So, I don't need to tell you that it was exciting as well as very challenging!  Some of these large venues had [general admission], and fans had been waiting in line for two days to get in.  They weren't that keen on seeing an opening band when they wanted DM.  But we won them over!  Dave taught me how to show them who was boss!  I'll never forget that, he was a big help to me!

“Another point to note is that 30 years ago there were very few women on the road touring. There was us and 30 men.  That wasn't exactly easy.  We had to win their crew over, as well.  (Which we did.  Ha!)  When we finally got back to the U.S., the crowds were still big, and audiences knew our material better, as well.  It was clear to us that something special was happening, especially by the time we got to the West Coast.”

The Some Great Reward Tour during Spring of 1985 saw all of 15 dates in North America, largely in theaters, including a couple of colleges – something the band hadn’t done since its earliest days in the U.K.  Just over a year later, they nearly doubled their gigs here to 28 amphitheaters and arenas.  Notably, the beginning of the tour saw the band play large theaters, including Philadelphia, Boston and the Radio City stint.  From there, they went on to play the amphitheater circuit. Counterintuitively, at precisely the same time that their music took a darker turn, they had transitioned from a club and small theater act to one that packed 7k-15k capacity suburban, outdoor sheds.

Rear of North American Tour t-shirt

Some of the reason for this suburban acceptance was that Depeche Mode provided a perfect outlet for parental/societal rebellion for cliques of kids from the ‘burbs who would have grumbled under their breaths in the cafeteria about the jocks and the metalheads.  (Or am I speaking primarily for myself?)  

At 15 years old, I had yet to see any live concerts.  I wasn’t even aware of how to go about that whole process, nor did I have the funds to do so.  As a result, I missed out on the three Radio City Music Hall shows.  But when the show at Jones Beach Amphitheater show was added, I jumped at the chance.  Leaving the ticket buying duties to my cousin, we wound up with prime tickets in the second to last row in the venue.  So on June 13^th, as we entered the parking lot, I was struck by the fact that not only was the theater near the beach, but the stage was elevated above the water, and seemed to be floating on the Bay.  (It’s a favorite place to see shows to this day.)

Ticket to Jones Beach Show, 15 June 1986

We arrived in time to see Book of Love open.  I couldn’t care less that our seats were at the top of the bowl.  The energy was palpable.  Near the longest day of the year, the sun was still bright in the sky for their set.  Toward their set crescendo, members of the audience threw flowers on stage as the band played I Touch Roses.  “How in the world did people know to bring flowers?”, my young mind wondered. 

Still not quite dusk, there were no venue lights yet to be lowered to kick off the main show.  Simply the brooding synth bass line of Christmas Island that began shaking my seat – which I sat in again only briefly.  By this point, I wasn’t yet the collector or even the fan that I am now, so I wasn’t intimately familiar with this moody b-side to the A Question of Lust single.  The intro track almost served as a palate cleanser for the more upbeat, major chord tunes from Book of Love.  The band took the stage.  Emboldened by the larger audiences, their shows started taking on more of a spectacle, with the lighting shows and staging reflecting their increased popularity both here and at home.  Additionally, their image both reflected and informed what was happening within the landscape of the post-punk subculture.  I mentioned sitting briefly again, but that was a lie; It was actually twice.  I did so once right after they left the stage following People Are People so I could join the rest of the audience pounding our feet feet rhythmically on the hollow grandstand structure beneath the seats to coax the band back on stage.  They obliged with Boys Say Go!  Then once more again, this time sounding like thunder, prodding them out for the final encore of Just Can’t Get Enough and More Than a Party.

What I saw that night changed me, as it did thousands of others on that tour.  I arrived at the show a fan of the band whose People Are People’ 7” single I’d purchased on a trip with my summer camp to Montreal in 1984.  I left knowing Depeche Mode had cemented their place at the top of the pantheon of my favorite bands.  Somehow, thirty years after that show, this remains the case.  Depeche Mode are no longer just a hobby – music I enjoy collecting or listening to.  I’ve developed deep friendships with other fans of the band worldwide – some of whom I’ve never met in person, yet consider close friends.  Given the early irrelevance of the band in the States, I’m sure they could never have imagined it would still be a lucrative market for them decades later, nor that there would be a worldwide community of bloggers, message board users, and tour followers dedicated to their fandom of Depeche Mode.

Life in the so-called internet age…

There is nothing I can add to that, other than to say thanks again Sean and that I hoped you enjoyed reading that.  What a wonderful read.