Amazing gig last night in manchester, one of the best ive ever been to. Sold out completely and the last hour of the gig everyone on their feet all the way up to the back tiers. The best Hard rock - electro band there is.. such a cannon of great songs , and Dave Graham still running around like a teenager…

Saw them at Rafters Fagins nightclub in Manchester in 1981. £2.50 a ticket. Saw and met them at Brighton Dome in 1983. May I ask how much you paid for your ticket ? Glad you enjoyed it btw.

£75 quid. Though on the night where going for £150 plus

Was that standing? I looked at seats right at the back on ticketmaster and they were £143

Right at the back were £59

Front tier near stage were £143.50

My favourites are Barrel of a Gun and Get the Balance Right.

Been some yrs seen I saw DM , 1986 Manchester Apollo but good live band, though I’d never in a millionaire yrs call them “ hard rock “ ! Good to see them still selling out big venues .

How we could ever have gone from the Clash and Joy Division to the likes of this lot and Duran Duran in the space of a couple of years remains utterly baffling to me but each to their own of course.

claretbob wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 30, 2024 3:09 pm

How we could ever have gone from the Clash and Joy Division to the likes of this lot and Duran Duran in the space of a couple of years remains utterly baffling to me but each to their own of course.

Thanks for your input.

Has it been nagging at you for over 40 years?

claretbob wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 30, 2024 3:09 pm

How we could ever have gone from the Clash and Joy Division to the likes of this lot and Duran Duran in the space of a couple of years remains utterly baffling to me but each to their own of course.

I wasn't a fan of early Depeche Mode. I found them far too tweet for my tastes. All this changed by 1990 when they brought out their Violator album.

claretbob wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 30, 2024 3:09 pm

How we could ever have gone from the Clash and Joy Division to the likes of this lot and Duran Duran in the space of a couple of years remains utterly baffling to me but each to their own of course.

Bands like Blonde popularised the New York scene where gender blurring had gone hand in hand with punk; experimental music and pushing the fashion boundaries. It was picked up, much as the earlier Northern Soul origins came to the North West with the Mod scene, but this time starting in Brum clubs and spread out, hitting London clubs put it front and centre for the music business.

Maybe I shouldn’t have let a bad experience when I was dragged along by a mate to a DM gig 40 years ago cloud my judgement all these years! We were intensely tribal about music in those days as well as the football but I suppose those old musical spats seem a bit childish now. The football rivalry still defines my life.

elwaclaret wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 30, 2024 4:12 pm

Bands like Blonde popularised the New York scene where gender blurring had gone hand in hand with punk; experimental music and pushing the fashion boundaries.

Yes, Depeche Mode were part of the post-new-wave melting pot. They were heavily influenced by bands like the New York electro-punk outfit Suicide.

claretbob wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 30, 2024 3:09 pm

How we could ever have gone from the Clash and Joy Division to the likes of this lot and Duran Duran in the space of a couple of years remains utterly baffling to me but each to their own of course.

I think DM have offered far more than Duran Duran over the years. I wouldn't put them together in your example.

Gutted I missed this. Can't believe I've let this one pass me buy. Heard they were superb.

groove wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 30, 2024 4:20 pm

I think DM have offered far more than Duran Duran over the years. I wouldn't put them together in your example.

You only have to look at how many bands have covered Personal Jesus.

https://www.whosampled.com/Depeche-Mode ... s/covered/

groove wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 30, 2024 4:22 pm

Gutted I missed this. Can't believe I've let this one pass me buy. Heard they were superb.

They were.

As good as any time I've seen them previously. They are in their early 60's now.

claretbob wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 30, 2024 4:17 pm

Maybe I shouldn’t have let a bad experience when I was dragged along by a mate to a DM gig 40 years ago cloud my judgement all these years! We were intensely tribal about music in those days as well as the football but I suppose those old musical spats seem a bit childish now. The football rivalry still defines my life.

Aye, there was a big rivalry between New Order and Iron Maiden fans when I was at school. Heavys and trendys.

claretbob wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 30, 2024 3:09 pm

How we could ever have gone from the Clash and Joy Division to the likes of this lot and Duran Duran in the space of a couple of years remains utterly baffling to me but each to their own of course.

Enjoy the silence

Not a massive fan to be honest, but went last night. They were absolutely amazing- best gig I've been to in years.

I was there. They were fantastic. Both the band and the crowd really played their part. What a great gig.

Always liked the stuff I'd heard from them but only really ever known a handful of songs. Enjoy the Silence has been a favourite of mine for a long time. I'll be listening to them a lot more now.

I hope you were singing "Manuel Benson".

Brilliant live band. Sounds like it was a good gig last night. Caught them at Madison Square Garden last year as part of this tour which was a great experience. Seen them seven times now and their live show keeps getting better (with the exception of the Devotional Tour).

Top performance last night

Acting Claret wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 30, 2024 1:42 pm

Saw them at Rafters Fagins nightclub in Manchester in 1981. £2.50 a ticket. Saw and met them at Brighton Dome in 1983. May I ask how much you paid for your ticket ? Glad you enjoyed it btw.

I was at the Fagins concert too, supported by Fad Gadget and Blacemange. I had told my mother I was going to see them in that place we don't mention. Think it was November and she grounded me as I was only 14 at the time however was allowed to go to bomi night so my grounding lasted about 20 hours

St Austell Claret wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 30, 2024 7:57 pm

I was at the Fagins concert too, supported by Fad Gadget and Blacemange. I had told my mother I was going to see them in that place we don't mention. Think it was November and she grounded me as I was only 14 at the time however was allowed to go to bomi night so my grounding lasted about 20 hours

Yes, Blancmange definitely but the other support was a band called Bikini Atoll. Did you see Toyah the month after at the Apollo because Fad Gadget supported her there? I remember him shaving his pubes on stage.
If you are interested, that gig is uploaded somewhere on the web.

I was there second time I've seen them live and to be honest I didn't ever expect a thread about Depeche Mode on here.

Great band, but live is another level, Dave Gahan struts around with all the energy of a man in his twenties whilst Martin L Gore has wrote some excellent songs and has a very underrated voice both in their 60s now and sounding better than ever.

The chemistry between Dave and Martin seems to have been galvanised by the passing in 2022 of fellow founder member of Andrew Fletcher.

You just never know how many more of these opportunities there will be to see them before they gracefully retire.

Great gig!!!!

this is pretty fun and the author is even a Burnley fan!

Goalposts wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 30, 2024 1:11 pm

Amazing gig last night in manchester, one of the best ive ever been to. Sold out completely and the last hour of the gig everyone on their feet all the way up to the back tiers. The best Hard rock - electro band there is.. such a cannon of great songs , and Dave Graham still running around like a teenager…

Dave Gahan [not correcting you] is one of rock music's great singers. Never liked them when I was young, but cottoned on to his extraordinary voice on YouTube. Check out this live concert from 2015.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2JvMZAFzi4&t=3065s