The only concert I've ever walked out of was a Depeche Mode show. This was during the Music For The Masses tour at the Boston-area Great Woods shed (now called the Tweeter Center...cripes, are there any major venues left that don't have a corporate name?!!). After a very cool opening of Pimpf->Behind The Wheel, the rest of the show struck me a being pretty flat. It seemed like they were playing tapes of tunes while standing around striking poses. I was really hating the show....I took at look at my friend Greg thinking "gees...another hour of this crap?" and he says "Any time you're ready". Heh....so off we went...back home to watch a Celtics game over a couple of beers.
I did make it through about half of the show...long enough to have a few things lodge in my musical subconcious. They were the darker tunes. The aforementioned opening songs as well as "Stripped" and the title track from Black Celebration. So I somehow ended up buying two CD's after attending a show that I didn't even like all that much. Kinda weird for me. So, somewhat like a train wreck, I found myself not being able to look away from Depeche Mode.
Many, many years later...Martin Gore comes out with Conterfeit2. Another train wreck that I can't look away from? Not really. It's 'better' than that. It's my soft spot for odd song covers, as Counterfeit2 is full of Martin Gore-icised covers. From his Depeche Mode-does-Led Zeppelin-does-David Essex "In My Time Of Dying", Nick Cave's "Loverman" and Kurt Weil's "Lost In The Stars" (oh man, could Freddie Murcury have done that or what?!!).
Anyway, the sound is what you would expect: plenty of synth washes, blurby computer sounds and revereb-drenched twangy guitar. Not exactly party music, but not half bad either.
(First posted on Mark Is Cranky)
Article comments
1 - Daniel J.B.
You Prob. should'ent have been there, but I hope your wrong about the vocal overdubes because they happen to be my favorite singers,they do have there sequensers going and computer programs but if you know anything about talent in electronic music or music at all as a whole, thats the way it goes talent is there, at least Martin and Dave have good voices and Alan does very well backing them.I have been to at least 7 of there shows and 3 and 4 of them were the best I have ever been to as far as all in compared,rock,pop,r&b,and all that other good crap.They are in my book the most inovative original band with the best vocals Ive ever herd,mind you that I play the syth and guitar and sing rather well.But as far as company at the shows,.I had people that are in to the classics like led Zepplen,Santana,The Doors and that have been to plenty of show's come out screaming that was the best F--king show I have ever been to.That was in 94 for the devotional show in LA and ervine.I also saw them in Miami that year and they were just as good.They are my all time live and studio fav. band.
2 - Eric Olsen
I have seen them a few times and loved it, but I was into the music. I saw them in a little club on their very first US tour and that was cool for beingthe first and the oddity of all these damn keyboards. When I saw them about ten years ago it was much more varied, with some real instruments like guitars and some percussion, very eleaborate lights and the like.
But I can see thinking they were a bit stilted and artificial compared to a rock band - it's all in what you're looking for.
3 - Celeste Arrowman
Yeah, I agree with the person above. Beer drinking college boys shouldn't be at Depeche Mode Concerts. As for vocal overdubbing, there is a lot in the recordings but they can deliver the goods live too.
4 - Djeizon Barros
Never attended to a DM concert. Heard some "Playing The Angel" bootlegs and it sounds like playback all the time. They're very good in studio, but as far as live synth based concerts are concerned, I prefer to stick with Jean-Michel Jarre ones.
5 - Steve
Yes, #4, I do like Depeche Mode's music (but I find their songs are a little dark most of the time for my taste), however, I'm with you, re. Jarre, though I've only seen either of them in concert on TV lol.
6 - CoupleTrip
It sounds like you're just not a depeche kind of guy Mr. S.
I did not attend the MFTM tour but, it sounds a bit more bare than thier other tours.
#4-They use backing tapes because there is no good reason to have 6 or 7 people on stage.
It sounded like playback because they are very good.