LIVE REVIEW: DEPECHE MODE, AK-CHIN PAVILION, PHOENIX, 27 SEPTEMBER 2017

Today's review is provided by Sara Lauder from Sierra Madre, California who is a fellow Depeche Mode Facebook takeoveree - check out day 181 for Sara's posts. Her review of the Phoenix gig on 27 September is a cracking read which I know you'll all love. Like me, I imagine you'll be instantly jealous when you read the phrase "6th row tickets" and the word "Rosebowl" in the same sentence! Also, Sara solves the mystery of why this venue is called the AK-Chin Pavilion which was something that was puzzling me. Thanks very much to Sara for the review and for the wonderful photographs.

Disclaimer: I am writing this “review” as follow up to my diary “review” almost 30 years ago at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena when I was 15 years old. 

In an attempt to have no spoilers of this tour by looking at no fb posts or photos, or when live feed pops up automatically it’s plugging ears and eyes tightly shut “lalalalalalalala, I can’t hear it.” Having never written a review of a concert....and after a couple glasses of wine....here goes.....I’m gonna be off the cuff, totally non-formal and just write as if it was my diary entry and hope you enjoy it. 

Reverse and then Fast forward: June 18th, 1988 at the Rose Bowl, Pasadena ----> September 27th, 2017 at Ak Chin Pavilion, Phoenix, AZ.

Side note: Ak Chin you ask? The venue is sponsored by the Ak Chin Indian Community of the Maricopa (Ak-Chin) Indian Reservation located 37 miles south of Phoenix.

1988- my brother stood in line at Music + early in the morning to buy tickets to the Rose Bowl concert and they had some sort of drawing for the order of tickets sold. He was lucky number one and we ended up with 6th row tickets.

2017- Innovative marketing approaches for tickets sales was impressive to me as my degree is in advertising and I appreciated the creativity. Yet, that bit me in the ass as I bought a couple CDs and shamelessly posted to Facebook in an effort for people to sign up and bump me up further in the virtual line. I really didn’t like competing against my friends and eventually gave up but was still 60ish in “line”. Ticket buying took on a whole new level of adrenaline and nervousness. On the morning of presales, Ticketmaster failed and my presale code didn’t work so we opted for Phoenix in a desperate attempt for good seats. And that we had! 12th row or so. 

June 18, 1988:

“The Depeche Mode Concert!! The concert was so rad! I can't explain it! The Wire was OK, Thomas Dolby was weird, OMD was awesome and Depeche Mode was SO cool! 

The lead signer Dave Gahan threw his shirt over by us and Chris almost got it! It was fun though! But Shelley couldn't go! Between the groups there was a BIG trash & food fight! It was funny! Oh well, better go! 

September 30th 2017:

I saw Depeche Mode in Phoenix!!! So rad. 

The DM concert momentum and excitement escalated from Europe but I could not click but rather scroll furiously in attempt to avoid as I wanted as many surprises as possible. Spoilers were even more challenging to avoid when DM reached NYC, Madison Square Garden. They slowly traveled West as friends posted and I avoided successfullyish, “Well if you ever plan to motor west, just take my way it's the highway that's the best”. It almost felt like that -- Route 66ish.

As typical, the day before...this sums it up on my Fakebook (<----not a typo) post: “Every three years or so I feel unusually, physically different-- loss of appetite, nervous, drop things, chew my inner cheeks, give up on nice fingernails, fumble words, and just a unique feeling like nothing else. The common factor- this all occurs the day before (and day of) my first Depeche Mode concert of the tour. And although, I never use acronyms, I guess I do when I'm seeing Depeche Mode in Phoenix TOMORROW!!!!! OMG!!!!!!!!! And so far, only a few set list spoilers. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” 

Finally! My turn! Correction. OUR turn, my first road trip with my boyfriend (Martin - not Gore) and his/our friend, Steve. We started out at 6 fucking 30 AM from the Pasadena area with a pit stop and a bit of dusty off-roading in a 4-door sedan to buy a date palm in Indio. 

I had trepidation about the Phoenix crowd as a few friends who follow them on tour for 15+ concerts opted out of that location. I asked why and they said the crowd was blah on the last tour. I have scaled back on my multiple shows this tour (and overseas experiences in London) and have a new experience of seeing my first concert of the tour with Martin and Steve for their first DM concert. Even more perfect, Becca came into our row 12 (row G) with her full beer attending solo. So I was the meat in the sandwich of DM concert newbies with feelings of excitement of their first experience yet nervousness that the set list will measure up for fairweather DM enthusiasts. Steve has a tragic story in the 80s of a botched attempt taking a limo (with a bit of debauchery) to a Depeche Mode concert yet arriving late only to see the last 10 minutes of the final encore. Finally seeing DM live in Phoenix from the opening song to the final encore was “some great reward” for him. 

The height of adrenaline for me at Depeche Mode concerts is the build up of Martin Gore’s electronica selections for pre-concert music between the opening act and the moment we all covet. Most might not notice the intensity building with a misty stage and beats building up in loudness and energy. It’s an amazing f’ing build up, get the F back from the toilets, get your drinks, and be ready and as the music intensifies it gets you (well me at least) from sitting to gyrating, heart pumping and hugging your neighbors, jumping in anticipation knowing at any minute you will see their silhouettes entering the stage. 

So the graphics started.....the Revolution cartoon boots walking and they opened with a new song, Going Backwards, which fit for the coming days. A nice selection of songs to begin with for us Devotees, but my newbies and others around me didn’t seem recognize anything until the 9th song, A Question of Lust sorta maybe. I heard chatters from a group of women behind me, “when are they gonna play (I don’t recall) but thought it eluded to “something we know.” But Martin (reminder- not Gore) was getting into the rhythm of A Pain That I’m Used To and said it was an instantaneously catchy song. And Becca to my left (her first DM concert) was howling like a wolf throughout the show, “Owww, owwwww, owww, ow, ooooowwwww”! I love the different cheer styles scattered in the crowd around me. Also loved what I always hope for, <5’5” people in front of me. And on this day, I got just that and had a perfect view of the stage all night. 

And finally...Home. Beautiful song. Beautiful lyrics. Beautiful voice. Beautifully performed. But I noticed the absence of the Home chant and quietly sang it myself anyway knowing I couldn’t pull off a crowd participation on my own. “Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh--OOOOh (high note)! Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh--OOOOh (low note)!” Repeat until Dave Gahan cuts the loud crowd off. My concern about the setlist was confirmed for those seeking the DM 80s band who are known for People Are People and Just Can’t Get Enough and were hoping for a 2 hour set of all the well-known hits...and I get it. I looked behind me to a sea of blue seats. The enthusiastic women sitting behind me had disappeared before the encores. Not only them, but half of the 13th row behind me had left, all before the most popular Depeche Mode songs concluded the show. WTF? 

Those well-known hits came in the encores and it was surely a crowd pleaser. Despite the early exit of those behind us, this Phoenix crowd actually never let me down with the arm waving, sing-a-longs, iphone “lighters”, encore break cheering and most standing around us. My Martin noted that from all the concerts he has been to (Devo to X to Englebert Humperdink) this is the most audience participation he has ever experienced. 

This “review” wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Missy (a beloved and generous Devotee) who unexpectedly, tragically left us earlier this year. At the last tour she gifted her handcrafted DM necklaces to anyone who wanted one with a package of donation cards (which we collaborated on) for another Devotee, Carl who passed away while tornado researching. During World in My Eyes I clutched the two Missy necklaces I was wearing and a chill/goose bumps ran up from toes to head. We miss her and there’s definitely a void but her friends and I concur that she is here in Spirit at every show on the tour in the front row...and why not....maybe even sitting on their laps backstage. MissingMissy. 

My highlights: the screen projection with 3/4 screen walking plank, odd animal graphics, avant-garde videos, nice venue, great seats, amazing energy from Dave Gahan, surprisingly better crowd than expected, reuniting with a DM friend (Hi Kimberly), my first and one of two Depeche Mode shows this tour, extended trip to Phoenix and my newbie sandwich to the left and especially the right. Next up.....Hollyweird Bowl!

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Thanks very much Sara

http://saralauder.com/

LIVE REVIEW: DEPECHE MODE, CYNTHIA WOODS MITCHELL PAVILION PRESENTED BY HUNTSMAN, HOUSTON, 24 SEPTEMBER 2017

I genuinely have no idea how this venue came to have such a bizarre title. Anyway, moving on, today's review is provided by Wendy Grew from Kansas City, Missouri. Rather wonderfully, Wendy stepped in to review Houston when a Depeche fanbase wide plea went out from me and many others to get a reviewer lined up for Houston. Happily Wendy saw this and has written a great review for us with a twist - rather than tell you all about the gig, Wendy has given us access to her videos of it, meaning you can see Dave and co in action to judge the gig for yourselves. A cool idea - thanks very much Wendy. Fletch's dancing during I Feel You in the video below is surely a tour highlight. The videos are of course all Wendy's so don't nab them. Thanks as ever to Depeche Mode Classic Photos & Videos Facebook Group too.

Picture courtesy of Depeche Mode Classic Photos & Videos Facebook Group

“Good Evening Houston” This is Wendy, your guide to the Houston Depeche Mode show last Sunday at the Cynthia Mitchell Pavilion. 

I've been a DM fan since the 80’s. Violator was my first DM tour (my Dad took me) and I have been to multiple shows every tour since. During the Devotional tour, thanks to the bass player from Stabbing Westward, I got my first of a handful of future backstage passes. That night, also in this same venue, Martin Gore beat me in foosball after the show. I think I may have the honour of being the only person to mention Depeche Mode in their Doctoral dissertation for their Doctorate in music. Frankly it was a goal to get them included one way or another. I drove 13 hours one way for this show from Kansas City. Totally worth it! That is the short summation of my DM cred, the long one could take pages; now for the stuff you came for. 

What can I say that hasn’t already been said before? We all know the setlist including  Dave adding the chorus of Grand Master Flash's  The Message to the end of Barrel Of A Gun. I got sang to during Corrupt. (Not posting that video because I don’t have credit. But you can see it on my FB page). Yadda, Yadda… 

What you Devotees want is video, and I have it! I had the privilege of having a front row seat on Fletch’s side of the stage. So I took advantage of my great spot to bring you some highlights. 

(I blame my vertical filming on my excitement, forgive me.)

In Your Room:

World In My Eyes:



Cover Me:


A Question Of Lust:


Where's The Revolution:



Never Let Me Down Again:


"Heroes"

Had a couple moments with throughout the show with Fletch. This is one where he points at me and waves during I Feel You. Around :41 second mark.

Somebody (part 1)

Somebody (part 2)


Stripped:



Martin dancing at the end of Home:

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Thanks very much Wendy.

LIVE REVIEW: DEPECHE MODE, ASCEND AMPHITHEATRE, NASHVILLE, 18 SEPTEMBER 2017

Depeche Mode's return to Nashville could only be documented by one person - Linda Dorland. Linda is a long term Depeche fan and is well known on the Home forum as a huge fan and someone who is quite obsessed with Mr Gahan. This Depeche show was to be her first ever DM live experience, so I was thrilled when she volunteered to review the gig for the blog. As you'll see, she had a few personal struggles which threatened her attendance at the show, but happily, and much to everyone's delight, she got to go along and see her heroes. This is a great read for a number of reasons, not least the hugely personal perspective it is written from, and I know that it's going to be one of the stand out reviews of this whole project. All pictures are Linda's so please don't steal them, and if you find a video of Dave speaking to Linda at the gig (read on for that), let me know.Enjoy.

For details of ALL reviews on the Global Spirit Tour Project go to http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/depeche-mode-global-spirit-tour-project.html

PAIN AND SUFFERING IN THE SOUTHERN HEAT - DEPECHE MODE ROCKS NASHVILLE TIL IT HURT AND WE MAY NEVER BE THE SAME

Let me start by saying I had never seen Depeche Mode live. Yes a DM virgin, this was my first show, here in my home city of Nashville. They had been here in the 90's to not a great turnout at a now demolished horrible venue way out of town too. I had bought seats for the Delta Tour in Atlanta but I don't travel well and wound up having to sell them and not go. I was devastated. I created a page on my Depechemodelover.com website titled Bring Depeche Mode to Nashville hoping that would help, maybe someone would see it (note that page now changed). Miracles happen, here they come finally back to Nashville in our new city owned outdoor venue right on the river in the heart of downtown Nashville surrounded by music bars, huge hotels, in the most vibrant part of Nashville. We disappointed them years ago I am sure. So will Nashville rise to the occasion? More importantly this is a small 6800 venue, we have seen the great shows they have done in New York and in Europe. Will they disappoint us?

When I bought my ticket through that stressful and expensive US fan presale, I lucked out with second row center, and rented the hotel closest to the venue to make it a real experience. But since then I got injured, back and hip in pain a lot, and then I developed an eye issue requiring surgery, meaning I could no longer drive and not see as well either. Well there goes the concert I thought but I did not give up -  I mean this is fucking Depeche Mode! So I rented two nights at hotel, got friends to transport me, extra medication for the pain etc and off I went. Because of my condition I could not go alone, and got a ticket from the venue on row 3 right behind me so I could take a strong male friend to help out. This should work, right? And with the presale lineup, ticket costs,  hotels, etc it only cost me nearly two thousand dollars to go. What? Yeah and I was laid off from work during this time too. But it is Depeche Fucking Mode FFS. Had to go. My favorite band, right here in my hands. Will Nashville live up to this? Will Depeche Mode deliver?

Nashville has changed drastically since the 90's, we still have our country music for sure but rock n roll has emerged strong, they keep calling us the "it" city with tons of people moving here every day, lots from New York and California, with emphasis on music and video. Our lazy downtown on the river has turned into something that resembles Las Vegas but without the gambling - a downtown party zone. The Ascend Amphitheater is positioned next to the river with magnificent views of the Nashville skyline all around. It is actually a city park except when concerts are there, and a nice intimate size for a rich concert experience, but I am pretty sure Depeche Mode is the biggest act they have had in their 2 year history. One of the managers actually said they were shocked to get the booking. Yeah, so were all of us too ! Down the street is the Bridgestone which holds over twenty thousand fans for concerts. But this small size made for a fabulous experience.

No I am not going to talk about any of the songs. So many reviews already, blogs, tweets, we know the setlist by heart and every piece of praise and every complaint about every single song. So I knew what I was going to hear and in which order too (although Martin surprised us with A Question Of Lust, thank you Martin !). And I have seen every single video of this tour so far. After seeing all those huge concerts in Europe and then New York, how can this small event in Nashville even compare? 

Oh hell they rocked Nashville till it hurt. I mean they KILLED us. And the crowd! Tons of out of town lifetime fans there as well as locals, a great mix. Due to the heat I sat out the opening act in the VIP lounge with air conditioning, then headed out in time for the boys to take the stage. I had made a sign that said "My First Depeche Mode Concert", not very big as the venue only allows signs the size of printer paper. So here I come hobbling on my cane with my friend carrying the fold up walker for me to use to support myself in case people are standing. WHAT? Did I think I was ever going to sit? More on that later. So first I was recognized by Depmode, who was the sender that evening for the relay on Home. Surely you all know about HOME and those cool concert relays. He even took a selfie with me and posted it (horrible photo of me). but what fun that was. Met several other forum folks too, Depeched sat next to me and one named Lillykiss from the past. As I was arranging my "cage" around my seat, just for fun I held up that sign I had made , turned towards the crowd and panned it across, and to my surprise I got this huge round of applause and cheers. Wow what fun was that ! More on that sign later too. Here come the boys.. How is Nashville going to react? 

Did I think I would ever sit? Hell no. The entire crowd was standing the second the drum beats started, even before Revolution started. And chanting, screaming, cheering, clapping. We sounded like the huge venues they had played and this kept up the entire concert. Some people dancing in the aisles (til security made they go back to seats), and sing, OMG it seemed everone knew the words to all the songs even "Heroes" and everyone sang. Loud. It was unbelievable, and I think the crowd really surprised the band, especially Dave. We carried on one of the fan refrains so long he finally asked if we had been watching the internet? Guess he thought Nashville would not know about the fan sing a longs. We sang till he had to cut us off. And the Martin songs, quite often sadly a bathroom break for some people, I did not see any one leave, we stood and sang with him and cheered and held up our hands for him. It was amazing and Marty looked really happy. 

Now about Dave. As you guys know me well, I am a big Dave addict. My personal Jesus would be putting it mildly. And I have seen every video of every concert. And here there is no catwalk, not a huge stage, so.....WOW. In person he is more than amazing. Much slimmer than I thought, he pranced across that stage in constant motion like a proud peacock, working that mic stand like crazy, talking to the audience, pointing at people and of course giving a lot of attention to the ladies up front (one of which was me). Let's get back to my sign. After the first 2 or 3 songs (wish I could remember, but I had to wait until there were lights on the fans) I held up the sign for the band to see. Dave saw it instantly, pointed at me with a big grin on his face and said something I could not hear. Home member depeched thinks she heard what Dave said when I held up that sign, something like "no longer a virgin" or she's a virgin. Yes I desperately want to find that video or photo. Pretty sure it was at the beginning of So Much Love.

Hoping someday I can find a photo of video of that moment. Crappy little sign I had made overnight on printer paper with a marker the hotel loaned me. Who would have thought? And what a special moment, the long time fan next to me ( a screamer by the way) turned to me and said "You got a shout out ! But with everyone screaming non stop for two hours, who could hear? Oh year, we gotta talk about sound.

The Ascend is noted for great sound in any seat and I think they live up to it. Quite often center front seats get blasted with so much that it is distorted. Not this time, sound was loud but fabulous, The only issue was on those few songs when Christian gets crazy on the drums and a few where there is very loud bass, the stage is on a concrete base connected to the concrete floor under our front seats so I mean I have never felt anything like that before. Not only the loudness of those moments,which I expected, but it vibrated in our chests I thought my ribs would shatter ! Kind of like an out-of-body experience. The sound was good the entire concert.

Notice I have had little to say about Fletch or Christian and Peter. The stage is so high for those up front I could just not see them that good (and using basically one eye as well), Fletch seemed to be into it though, and I could catch a glimpse of Peter and Christian in some songs. They all seemed to be enjoying this concert.

I had bought my first cell phone (seriously, never wanted one before with everyone in US with land lines), but I bought an iPhone 7Plus which is supposed to take fabulous videos, and I had intended on capturing the whole concert on video. Oops add another eight hundred dollars to the concert cost. Holy fuck these videos better be worth it. And then we realized as I am only 5 feet tall, and with the injury I could not hold the iPhone high enough so my friend had to hold it and do some of the recording. This phone comes with two built in cameras, so you can actually take a photo while also recording video, but alas he did not know how to properly use that feature, so we lost five songs, he started the video then went for a photo and the video stopped after about 5 seconds. Rats. But the ones we got are wonderful, at the bottom I have put the link to my Youtube page where they are loaded. And we also got some good photos on both phones which will get loaded later, but some are already on my facebook page.

Well guess I better talk about some of the songs anyway. After hearing months of complaints about various things in the setlist, the projections, etc. I was surprised. That split projection screen was actually pretty cool, although since I was sitting center it was lined up correctly. And the videos, funny but I did not find them distracting, maybe because I had seen them so many times on videos already. As to the setlist, there was not a weak song at all. Even songs that get bashed by old time fans were hits here in Nashville. I Feel You and A Pain That I'm Used To were just as popular as the others. Martin's songs got a better than average response as far as dancing and singing along I thought. The cover of David Bowie's "Heroes" was a crowd pleaser a well, again a lot of singing along but with some reverence. Enjoy The Silence and Never Let Me Down Again, 2 of my all time favorites, seemed to also be 2 of the hottest for the crowd, but then this crowd loved every single song they performed. Which is why it is nearly impossible for me to review the songs, every song was just so good. 

I have to stop for a moment and say something about Depeche Mode fans. Never in my life have so many people I have never met in person reached out to me via this site, the HOME forum, on youtube, instagram, The Depeche Mode Classic Photos and Videos website, and then in person at the concert with so much support and love. I went to this concert really too injured, too medicated and too sick to even be sitting in my yard much less staying at a hotel alone and tackling a loud concert in humid heat, I actually almost fainted in the waiting line to get in; and were it not for all this support and love I might have never made it. There is no way I can say how much I love each and every one of you, all the fabulous Depeche Mode fans around the world included, I have So Much Love for you. In my dreams I would create a moment where all of us could meet at least for a moment and dance the night away together.

Back to the concert. Lots of emotions, my first ever time to see them in person, Had this been a year ago, I would have been the one dancing, knocking over chairs, prancing down the aisles, I would have gone nuts. Visions of panties being thrown on stage. So there is a tremendous sadness that life stepped in and dealt me some roadblocks to my ultimate happiness. Sure I am sad for what I could not do, what I could not feel, that I could not sing loud enough, or stand on my chair, or jump and dance and all the things everyone else was doing. But maybe that was my reward, by having to be more still, more "in the moment" within myself during the concert. I really "lived" the concert, it was like the music was not just on the stage, it was within me as well. And watching the band especially my dear Dave, I could "feel" his energy, his joy in performing. Although singing along, I could hear him singing not just with my ears but the words and the vocals seemed to also be in my heart, I felt truly some type of spiritual experience during some of the songs. Enjoy the Silence and Never Let Me Down Again usually make me cry even here at home, or at least jump and sing and laugh. But there I could not experience them that way, and instead it was like I actually became part of the songs, I could look at those silly hot pink painted farm animals with Dave in front of them and suddenly they weren't silly at all, I actually "got it". Enjoy the Silence. Enjoy the Moment. Live each moment for what it is, even if it is looking at a hot pink bunny rabbit. 

I heard notes in the songs I never noticed before. I wanted to cry but was too dehydrated from the heat, no tears would flow. But in my heart I cried with sadness and happiness. I finally saw the band I love. The only band I ever want to listen to. All I ever wanted, All I ever needed is here in my arms. I got to see them, hear them, feel them, experience their joy in performing, and was surrounded by a large group of like-minded fans who danced for me since I could not. I want to be back there with them right now. Again and again. And now I understand why fans of this band travel thousands of miles during a tour to see them over. I get it. I would do it too if I could. And now I know when I go back and watch the videos from past tours I will see things I never saw before and hear things new to my ears. No longer will I "listen to" or "watch" Depeche Mode, now I will feel them, the music will go inside me, the videos will be more than pictures. As I watch each video I will re-live this one magical almost impossible night in Nashville Tennessee that has changed me in so many ways.

When I agreed to do this review, everyone asked me to review it as an experience, since there aren't many DM fans that have never been to a concert. So here's my experience. Nothing was going to keep away. The concert was a winner for everyone. The band won, they got a crowd better than I am sure they expected in a beautiful venue. The crowd sure won, a fabulous concert that will go down in history as one of Nashville's best concerts with a lot of people moaning for years "I should have gone". . I won over obstacles, nothing that life threw at me was going to keep me away from my Depeche Mode. I went there a Depeche Mode virgin. Only now two days later can I feel what I could not feel that evening. This is a great band. Not a good band, a great band. Growing up in the South I have lived with heavy Southern rock music , even worked a recording studio for a year or so, and record stores for years. But I have never seen a band like this one. Yes I loved the original Depeche Mode and stuck with them through all their trials and changes, always a fan, but still feeling they were lacking something, they had not reached their true identity, They for me had not peaked. They still had miles to travel. Well folks they are there. I have never seen a band so unique, so different, with so much more talent than most realize, the genius writing of Martin Gore, words to songs we all could live by; the almost impossible performance of Dave on stage with his now mature but beautiful voice, the ever- energizing and comforting presence of Fletch, there to guide us and let us know all is right. 

That night in Nashviille, Music City USA, I heard music as it should be, loud, strong, vibrant, energetic, just a magnificent concert. Depeche Mode came to Nashville to perform what I bet they thought was going to be a relaxing break before Texas. And they indeed seemed to be having a great time performing. But the fans had a different idea and when you mix the energy of fans with a talented band you get a performance of a lifetime. Some very seasoned music friends of mine said it was the best concert they had ever attended. Ever. Depeche Mode came to Nashville to perform a concert and instead they rocked Nashville so hard it hurt and we will never be the same. I know for sure I won't. 

Review respectfully submitted by Linda Dorland (DepecheModeLover), Nashville native. Inspiration for this review credited to Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, and Andy Fletcher. May their songs continue forever.

Linda's YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/user/DepecheModeLover101/

Linda's Facebook album can be found here - CLICK

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What a great review. Thank you so much Linda.

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.

LIVE REVIEW: DEPECHE MODE, MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, NEW YORK, 11 SEPTEMBER 2017

Madison Square Garden part 2's reviewer is Jamie Highland from California who made the pilgrimage to New York to catch both nights of Depeche Mode's shows there and to have quite a party. Why not eh? That's what I'd have done. Jamie's written a superb take on the gig for us which you're all sure to enjoy. Watch out for his next report from night 1 of the Hollywood Bowl shows next month - thanks Jamie! All pics are from my usual source - Depeche Mode Classic Photos& Videos Group on Facebook. Thanks to them too.

Picture courtesy of Depeche Mode Classic Photos & Videos Facebook Group

So, where to begin... Truth be told I only kinda fly 3,000 miles to see dM in New York. The main reason I fly out is to see my buddy Sean Salo, whom I met on the Exciter Tour and have been good friends ever since. Don't get me wrong dM is my favorite band but I've seen them a million times, I don't get to see my buddy that much. With that said, let's start. 

So night one was the standard set list so for Night 2 we were expecting a different Mart song and that was it. I don't know if the band are too old to remember more than 20 songs per tour now or they're just f**ing lazy. You decide. 

At the pre show meet up there were some pretty solid rumors floating around that Dave had been rehearsing a new song. Not Spirit new, tour new. This got our hopes up, but then we quickly got stressed because what if the new song is Policy of Truth? Sean nearly passed out at the thought. After we got him a paper bag to breathe into he was fine. Sean Salo HATES Policy of Truth (APA - it's true. He does. Madness). It's a running joke with pretty much everyone that knows him. I'm not a fan either but my Policy of Truth is World In My Eyes (APA: More madness!). I know this is an unpopular opinion, I'm not sorry, I HATE that song. More on that later.

Picture courtesy of Depeche Mode Classic Photos & Videos Facebook Group

So we get to the Garden, hopeful. We make our way to our seats and we are about 10 rows back directly in front of Martin which of course is good because we are going to try to do something later, so in front of Mart is a good position. 

So the lights go down and Revolution starts. The crowd is pretty loud. Much better than Night 1. Band comes out and they launch into Going Backwards and it's pretty solid. I think this song has gotten better live over time but it just doesn't match the album version. But it's a great way to start. 

I'm now exited to hear So Much Love because the accompanying video is hilarious. Like, I could not get over how funny the visual was for that song Night 1. Anton at his best. They start playing and I'm like, this isn't So Much Love. This. This. No..... please god NO!!!!!!! I look at Sean. You can see the disbelief on his face. Mother F***ing Policy Of Truth...

There is only one thing to do in this situation. I say to Sean, "Beer". We leave... while we're getting beer we are commiserating about why they need to pull this song out for every damn tour. Somehow they work it in. Do they secretly hate us? Jesus, come on already. 

Dave says no - Picture courtesy of Depeche Mode Classic Photos & Videos Facebook Group

So we head back for Barrel Of A Gun and look, this song isn't great live, never has been. It just goes nowhere. Please retire it. Next up is APTIUT and it's pretty good. It's the first time in the show they get out of 2nd gear so it's welcome. Now onto Corrupt and it sounds great. I'd rather hear Lie To Me, but yeah, not gonna happen. It's tight and right and it sounds really good. 

Next is IYR, they're back to the album version. This so does nothing to help the tempo of the show but the video is creepy & beautiful & amazing. You really kinda lose the song because the video just sucks you in. Anton really has some hits this year. This one is up there. 

And then... ugh... I'm trying to keep this review as positive as humanly possible, and it gets super positive, trust me! But WIME... the first time I heard this song was when Richard Blade was given the okay to play it about 3 weeks before Violator was released. I was working at Disneyland at the time and he kept saying, I'm playing the new lead dM track at 6pm! So a couple minutes to 6 I ran down stairs to the tunnel under Coke Terrace in Tomorrow Land. We had a radio there and as I stood in that cramped, dark corner it began to play and I was like okay. And then a minute later I was like does this song go anywhere? Answer: It does not.  

I know, if you're reading this, you probably like WIME. Most people do and I say you are all crazy, because that song S.U.C.K.S. 

So after that cochlear water boarding it's Cover Me... Dave's absolute gem of a song and my fav track off the new album... the simplicity and that last half. F**k me is brilliant. Again, the visual is just... wait for it... out of this world. 

Picture courtesy of Depeche Mode Classic Photos & Videos Facebook Group

Mart's turn. Night 1 was AQOL and it was my fav song of the night. The entire Garden sang it. Was awesome. 

When Judas started playing it took me a second. It was nice to hear again. A little to plunky (is that a word?) on the piano and it had a weird, I don't know, vibe, to it? But over all it was good. And we live for set list changes!

Next up was Home. I think we can all agree the full band version is the way to go. We hear Home a lot but you know what? It's a great song, and it's super fun to sign along too. From my first breeeeaaaaaaaaathhhh! Amirite? So this is when Sean & I try to get the Garden to do something they only do in Europe. Sing the Oh Oh Oh Ohhhhhh... Oh Oh Oh Ohhhhhh... We tried it the first night and failed miserably. But tonight we started earlier and really belted it out and wouldn't you know we had a decent contingent of Euro's in the rows ahead of us, recipe for magic. So we are Oh Oh Oh Ohing Non-Stop and super loud and then our friends up front joined in and then it happened. I started to hear it behind me and then from the other side of the cat walk. Before you know it, the entire arena is Oh Oh Oh Ohing. This is happening, IN AMERICA! Dave walks out and is smiling at Mart, whom is also smiling and Dave extends the microphone where? That's right, TO OUR section. We started that! Thanks for the recognition! Mission mother f****ing accomplished. 

So we are so excited we talk through about half of Poison Heart and let's face it, does it matter? I mean I feel like there are a couple of great things in that song, but they don't work together. It's kind of a mess. AnywayzzZ.....

Where's The Revolution!?! 

Well I'm not sure. It's a good song but it does not have the umph live I think they were going for. Personal Jesus it is not, but I enjoyed the song. I like it fine. 

Picture courtesy of Depeche Mode Classic Photos & Videos Facebook Group

WRONG! I never in a million years would have thought, "gee, I can't wait for Wrong!" But for whatever reason it works. It works well. It sounds dirty and sexy and tight. It's where the set list really starts. And then...

Whaa Whaa Whaa

Whaa Whaa Whaa

Chills... This song works in all of its incarnations, for one reason. Everything Counts is a masterpiece. Everything about this song works. It's genius and this version is crazy good. Goes over like a storm... Now that was 2 great songs in a row and I know what's coming up... my favorite song of all time. Stripped. Let me here that ignition boys.

But no! What blasphemy is this!?!? You know it's truly amazing how many thoughts can go through your brain in 3 or 4 seconds. First I was like, I'm going to punch someone in the face right now and then I thought, but jail sucks and I don't get to NY that often. And then I heard it, and Sean and I looked at each other and you could see the anger and sadness transform into... F**K YES! Black Celebration! 

There are only a few songs that can replace Stripped and I'm ok with. BC is one. And the fact that they haven't played it this tour and it was back to its original beat. OH MY GOD. Was AWESOME. I was so happy I started tearing up. WTF is that about!? I've never cried at a concert. Ever. I'd argue I sill haven't cried, just teared up. I have no idea why it hit me so hard. Maybe it's just because BC is my fav ever record and basically anything from it just stabs me in the heart. In the best way. The show could have ended there. Would have been satisfied. 

Photo by Glyn Tookey and Michael Lyons - courtesy of Depeche Mode Classic Photos & Videos Facebook Group

So after that ETS & NLMDA go off like any other show. They are obviously both great songs and their fun to sing. Nothing crazy happens, you now the drill. End set. 

So out walks Mart. Hmm, there's no Somebody Flag up of the screen. That's great news! And boom... Pain. Strangelove shows up again, and it honestly sounded its best tonight. Again, one of their most fun songs to sing live. Was pretty great. 

That set up Walking In My Shoes well... strong version. Crowd loves it, powerful visual. Powerful. Again, Anton, well done. 

Next up was "HEROES" and before they start Dave announces that this for all the heroes on 9/11. It was unexpected and kinda blew us all away. The fact that it was 9/11 and we knew we were going to the show all day was bittersweet. I can tell you that there were a lot of wet eyes during that song. Was amazing.

Picture courtesy of Depeche Mode Classic Photos & Videos Facebook Group

And then they play I Feel You. I'm not going to waste time typing my feelings about this song. Let's just say this song pisses me the f**k off. 

And lastly PJ, classic. That guitar, the reach outs. PJ never bothers me. It's a great song, the energy is just great and it's a fine finisher. 

Well there it is, sorry it was late but I was trying to squeeze the last bit of enjoyment out of NYC. I'm writing this review from Newark Airport waiting to go back to SoCal.

Sorry I wasn't funnier but the hangover is REAL. Will see you all again, in Hollywood, Night 1.

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Thanks Jamie!

LIVE REVIEW: DEPECHE MODE, VERIZON CENTRE, WASHINGTON D.C, 7 SEPTEMBER 2017

Sangeeta Rao returns to reviewing duties, following her Detroit review from the 27 August gig. Being the Depeche superfan she is, one gig was never going to be enough for Sangeeta, so hot on the heels of Detroit, she took in a hometown gig in Washington D.C. and that was always going to be a good thing. Read this and delve into Sangeeta's world - it's DM all the way! Thanks to Sangeeta for the photos too. They're all hers so do not nick them. Enjoy!

Washington, DC – September 7, 2017

I was especially excited about the Washington, DC show for three reasons: 1) This was the FIRST time in since the Some Great Reward Tour that they were playing in the actual District of Columbia. Every single tour since then, they played a venue out of the District, in either Maryland or Virginia, otherwise known as the DMV (District, Maryland, Virginia) area. Those venues are a challenge to travel to if you live in Maryland and have to travel to Virginia and vice versa, and during rush hour! I wanted to make sure, so I researched every single tour, and DM opened the North American Some Great Reward Tour on March 14, 1985. It was also their FIRST DC show!! 2) This was the show that I had spent $$$ ($350 for 6th row to be exact) for amazing seats. 3) Most importantly, many of my friends wanted to join me (some new to DM) and experience what the fuss was all about. One of my friends said “If you’re going to a DM show, you have to go with Sangeeta”. LOL, sounds about right!

About one week prior, practically every friend came out of the woodwork and said that they wanted to see DM with me. I received a barrage of texts, facebook messages/tags “Are you going to the show on Thursday?” I usually responded with “Is the sky blue?” Seriously, what a dumb question. I had discussed it with several friends, and about 10 friends confirmed. I got a few more to go, so the final number was 16. If I had known in advance that many friends expressed such interest, I would have booked a suite for the venue! But it was too late because I had 6th row seats with my friend Blanca, and we were NOT about to give those up. This was also special for Blanca because it would be her first time up close to the band. I think my biggest achievement of getting tickets was for my sister, Harita and Scott, her husband. It was HER who gave me an Enjoy the Silence cassette single in 1990, and I was HOOKED. So since 1993, I’ve been seeing DM at every tour, but she never joined me. 

I sell wine and spirits to restaurants, hotels, and bars for a living. I happened to stop by at one of my accounts to hand deliver an invitation to our upcoming portfolio tasting. While I’m having a drink at the bar, I see Andrew Fletcher. I came by and said hello, and we had a few pleasantries. He didn’t seem that interested in talking , so I let him be. Honestly, I would have been happier to see Mart or Peter, and this was my 5th time meeting Fletch, so no biggie. I did meet his son, which is a whole other story. It’s safe to say that whatever story you’ve heard about him is most likely what I experienced. 

On the evening of the concert, all of us headed to a new rooftop bar for a pre-show happy hour, and I was SO happy to see all of my friends come out for the show. We arrive at the Verizon Centre, now called Capitol One Arena, and our 6th row seats aren’t really 6th row because there was a large walkway gap between the 5th and 6th, so it was approximately the 10th row. I was not too pleased that I paid that much, but whatever…no time to be angry because my favorite band was about to hit the stage. I was about to see everything I had seen in my previous shows but up close. We were on stage left right by Martin. The venue capacity is approximately 20k but with floor seats, I’m guessing it was 21k. Looked like a sold out crowd, and I was so happy that this was happening in the city that’s been my home for the past 12 years. The band arrives on stage, and like in any city, the crowd goes wild. As we all know, two songs in, Dave shouts “Good Evening [insert city here]!”. This time he said “Washington, DC” and in previous tours, it was always “Washington”. Depeche Mode was finally back in the District of Columbia and not some suburb an hour away.

A few songs into the show, my friend Carrie who had traveled from New York, was seated in the first tier section in the last row. She made it to the front row of the tier, and it was parallel with the stage. I came to check it out, and it was much better than our “6th row” seats. We moved over, and it was far more amazing! I had so much more room that I could head bang to I Feel You, my favourite live song.

It was the same setlist as usual, but I could tell that the band, especially Dave and Mart were happy to be in a big arena in DC, very different from previous DC shows. When they left for the encore, the entire venue turned on their flash light on their phones, and Martin said “Wow”. I guess it wasn’t done in other cities. 

After the show was over, we scored the setlist from one of the roadies. Being that I’ve been to SO MANY DM shows, and this was Blanca’s first time this close to the band, I gifted her the setlist. I’ve met every single band member several times, and I’ve been front row on more than one occasion. This was a moment for my friend, and I let her enjoy it. Also, I’m so happy that my sister FINALLY came to the show…after all these years! I was a happy devotee not only for being so close but because so many of my friends joined, as well as my sister. I was waiting for the night, and it was a night to remember.

Sangeeta (right)

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Thanks Sangeeta! 

LIVE REVIEW: DEPECHE MODE, AIR CANADA CENTRE, TORONTO, 3 SEPTEMBER 2017

During a Depeche tour, it's easy to see the Black Swarm as a gang of Depeche Mode obsessives with room in their lives for Depeche Mode and no-one else. There are other bands out there though, and fans of those bands are fans of DM too. One such fan (that clumsy intro had to get somewhere eventually) is Ryan J who runs the Nine Inch Nails live archive which you can find here - click - and who you must also follow on Twitter @ninlive . His site is an absolute treasure trove on Nine Inch Nails material and is a must visit. If you like Matthew Wolfe's DM Live Wiki , you'll love this too. Anyway, back to Depeche and Toronto specifically. Ryan is having a mini DM tour of his own and I was delighted that he agreed to review this gig. Enjoy his wonderful review and live snippet. Thanks as ever to Depeche Mode Classic Photos & Videos Facebook group for putting up with my thieving. 

Picture courtesy of Depeche Mode Classic Photos & Videos Facebook Group

I’ve been fortunate enough to take a nice vacation around the Great Lakes region to see Depeche Mode for this tour. Up to this point, I have seen them in Clarkston, Chicago and now Toronto. Following this date, I will see them at Madison Square Garden for their two nights at the iconic venue (I already saw night 1, it was awesome). I have been a fan of the Mode since I was born, thanks to my dad, and was able to see the show with him in Chicago with my brother. But now lets get to the Toronto show. I arrived in the afternoon for the small 4 hour jaunt up to Toronto from Detroit and was ready for the show. The setlists had been the same the previous two nights of the tour I had seen and I had still not looked at any of the previous setlists from Europe, just so if there were any wrinkles, I would be surprised.

Picture courtesy of Depeche Mode Classic Photos & Videos Facebook Group

I had seats on the side of the stage, and for me, I would be taping the show (for all who don’t know me, I run the Nine Inch Nails live archive and have been recording concerts as a hobby since I was 12 years old) so I did not need to see the visuals as I had seen them the two previous nights. Not to mention, this would really help with capturing the best sound. So I was in the lower bowl all the way on the last row, but my vantage was still good for the whole stage.

I love that Martin picks some techno to warm up the venue after Warpaint (who have been awesome on this tour btw, great group!) and the ACC was PACKED. I know it was a sold out show, but I’ve been told that Toronto brings it in terms of Mode fans. They did not disappoint. Toronto was loud all night. Up there with Chicago a few nights prior. I spoke with the fans around me, and you can tell that people in Toronto were passionate about the band. I have family in Toronto, so any time I go up there you can see at record stores and around town that there is a big following of Depeche. Probably the biggest in Canada, no doubt.

Picture courtesy of Depeche Mode Classic Photos & Videos Facebook Group

The lights went down at 8:45 and the show started with Going Backwards into So Much Love per usual. Now I have to say, just like Delta Machine, the new tracks translated well live for the ones they used. They fit right in with the old tracks that they have been using on the tour and they didn’t feel out of place. Spirit is definitely one of my favorite albums post-Wilder, for sure, especially because the songs translate so well to the live show. Just so I’m not rattling off the whole set of what they played (you can see it below), it has been the same setlist that has been played on the whole tour. I can see why they would do this, especially for time constraints and the lighting/timing for the show. Barrel Of A Gun is always a favorite of mine, and I love the bridge at the end that Dave does. Not sure where that comes from, but it’s a nice switchup for the song. (APA - Dave's singing a bit from The Message by Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five).

The classic In Your Room album version is so nice to hear instead of the Zephyr Remix. I do like the ‘rock band’ feel of the band nowadays, but sometimes I really do miss the backing tracks and synth setups. This brings it back a little bit. Although, I am a “younger” Depeche fan, I still like when they go back to their roots/classic sound. Speaking of sound, ACC sounded GREAT! I just want to say that whomever is mixing Depeche this time around has it dialed in! The bass at these shows are incredible. I’ve always touted Kraftwerk as having the massive bass, but this show rivals it. Especially Christian’s kick-drum. Right before intermission where Martin comes out to do a few songs, I have to say that Cover Me is one of my favorite songs that they play out of this set. The visuals, the lyrics, all just are emotionally epic. I am looking forward to the remix album that is coming out and I am hoping that Recondite and Dixon’s remixes will be on some sort of release of this single (as I didn’t see it on the vinyl).

Picture courtesy of Depeche Mode Classic Photos & Videos Facebook Group

Then to start the second half of the set, Poison Heart has to be my second favorite track of the new ones they play live. I was really bummed when I heard they wouldn’t be playing it earlier this year. So when it was in the set, I was stoked. Real raw and bluesy. Dave’s songwriting has come a long way from his first album he put out and you have to give him credit. To my surprise, they have been playing Wrong for this tour, as SOTU is not rated highly by me at all and is the only album I don’t own of theirs. But it sounded so great in Toronto. The fat synth notes were so apparent in the mix that it vibrated your chest cavity. The chemistry between Martin and Dave up on stage could really be seen during this and you can see they are genuinely having a good time up on stage which is awesome to see, especially after all these years. Stripped also sounded amazing and I took my earplugs out for this one just to see how loud the arena actually was. As the first two shows I saw were amphitheaters, there was no place for the sound to go and the crowd was insane. So loud, especially as they started to play the ‘hits.’ It reminded me of some of the older tapes I have heard from Toronto at CNE and Skydome during the Devotional Tour. I can only imagine what it was like to be there during those shows. What I love about the old tracks is that they don’t have these long bridges in the middle anymore. Depeche just comes out and plays the tracks and you get more songs.

Best part of the show was the encore. 30 minutes of encore tracks, you can beat that! Covering "Heroes" is such a cool track to play of Bowie’s and their version rocks. Peter Gordeno is such a talented musician, dude can literally play anything and I remember him just rocking out to this song on the bass. This was also the first show I saw the catwalk and during Personal Jesus Dave was running all over the stage. Felt like watching the recordings I have from 1990 all over again! lol. Depeche is up there in age, but they still bring it live. The band is tight, and the music is faultless. True perfection when you go see them live. This is why they are one of my all time favorite bands and even though the setlists are still the same, I would see the show multiple times on one tour. because it doesn’t matter how many times you see the same songs, the music speaks to you, and you remember the good/bad times that these songs helped you through. Not to mention, seeing them play for 2hrs and 15 minutes is the longest they’ve played in North America, ever.

Picture courtesy of Depeche Mode Classic Photos & Videos Facebook Group

As I write this, I’ll be heading to MSG for their final night. But Toronto was a spectacular show because of the fans and how well the set was executed. Not to mention the tape sounds pretty good. :) Each show has been unique, but sometimes the journey of getting to the show is what makes it so special and the train ride through Ontario is very pleasant if you ever make a trip from Toronto to Detroit. Anyways, enough ramblings from me. Thanks for the opportunity to write for this project and I hope to see the Mode back “on the road” in the near future.

Pre-Show/Intro
Going Backwards
So Much Love
Barrel of a Gun
A Pain That I’m Used To
Corrupt
In Your Room
World In My Eyes
Cover Me
A Question of Lust
Home
Poison Heart
Where’s The Revolution?
Wrong
Everything Counts
Stripped
Enjoy The Silence
Never Let Me Down Again
Somebody
Walking In My Shoes
Heroes (David Bowie)
I Feel You
Personal Jesus

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Thanks so much Ryan.