VOXOnline brings you Depeche Mode

by Richard Horrmann

Just two years ago, the scene would have been have been unthinkable: a cleanshaven, well-groomed, healthy-looking Dave Gahan bouncing around a stage with microphone stand in hand, playing to a pulsating, sold-out arena crowd on the first of four sold out nights in the California Southland.

But on Friday night, the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California was the site of one of the most inspirational homecomings pop music could imagine. Gahan, figure head of the brooding British band Depeche Mode, was back.

It was a tumultuous journey for the 36-year-old singer. His attempted suicide in 1995 and heroin overdose one year later are stigmas that will remain with him much like the stain of impeachment will forever cloud President Clinton's record. Less pronounced will be Gahan’s strength to mount a comeback and his band mates’ endurance despite their own personal woes.

But if they can keep up the momentum they started Friday night, a new, vibrant chapter in the history of Depeche Mode is about to be written.

Coming on the heels of the release of their second compilation CD, "Depeche Mode-The Singles 86-98," the two-hour show was essentially a live version of the album. Nineteen songs, including two encores, covered the hits of the last 13 years - most of which, like the people performing them, have refused to grow old.

Long after the hype surrounding their release, songs like "Personal Jesus," "Enjoy the Silence" and "World in My Eyes," - all from 1990’s "Violator" - today can be absorbed and heralded for their artistic value, both melodically and lyrical. The freshness of their sound is a testament to their creators.

Roaring Fans

Wrapped in a black vest, shirt and pants, Gahan strutted on-stage to the deafening roar of fans who hadn’t seen the bank perform live in four years. With singer/songwriter Martin Gore on guitar to his right and Andrew Fletcher on keyboard to his left, Gahan immediately plunged into a rollicking version of "A Question of Time," one of the earliest songs in the series. His voice strong, Gahan motioned for the volume on his mike to be bumped up a bit.

With his lithe body, Gahan, twisted and twirled, exuding sexuality through his fluid but punctuated gyrations. The minimalist staging put the burden of visual excitement squarely on the shoulders of Gahan, who took the charge and ran with it, figuratively and literally.

Never at a loss of energy, he flirted with one of the two backup singers, mimicking her moves, and lured fans to join in the singing by putting his hand to his ear and reeling his mike stand over the crowd.

A large ‘D’ and ‘M’ outlined in lights sat on either side of the stage, separated by a three-sided video screen that carried occasional imagery that ranged from video clips to a ho-hum montage of the members dressed as various music icons, including Fletcher as Elvis Presley.

Performing solo "A Question of Lust," "Home," and "Somebody," (the latter is the only song they performed that isn’t on "The Singles"), Gore sounded better than ever before. The calm command of his voice, combined with an element of maturity, make his vocals some of the most soothing and enjoyable sounds ever to be heard in concert. Also the band’s lyricist, his talent seems limitless and his contribution to Depeche Mode and music as a whole cannot be overstated.

The band’s newest single, "Only When I Lose Myself," is a worthy contribution to their repertoire that, despite its subtle melody, sounded better live.

Likewise, the throbbing rhythm of the classic, "Behind the Wheel" is hard to beat inside a cavernous auditorium.

80’s icon

Once the toast of radio airwaves in the mid-80’s with such danceable tunes as "Just Can’t Get Enough" and "Strangelove" (the song they chose to close the show with), Depeche Mode was right up there with U2, Michael Jackson and Madonna in terms of ability to sell-out major Los Angeles venues such as the Forum and Dodger Stadium. The "101" performance at the Rose Bowl still remains a milestone for the band, an event that was as much a coronation as it was a concert.

But as the synth-pop scene waned an 90’s grunge emerged, Depeche Mode had to take a new approach to its sound. The themes remained the same - religion and sex, the most prominent - but a harder-edged tone influenced by heavy guitars and drums became the backbone of "Songs of Faith and Devotion," the follow-up album to their highly successful "Violator."

The lukewarm response to "Songs," began a downward spiral for the band that included a grueling concert tour and culminated in not only Gahan’s attempted suicide, but the physical and emotional breakdown of Gore and Fletcher, and the departure of keyboardist/drummer Alan Wilder.

Gone was the fairly clean-cut image the band personified. Gahan now had long hair, a scraggly beard and more tattoos than he could count. The drug overdose seemed to be the final nail in the coffin. But if anything, the bottom-of-the barrel experience seems to have refocused the band and made it stronger than ever.

The release of "The Singles" wipes clean the slate for the band to enter a new era. Yes, Depeche Mode has come full circle.

Richard Horrmann is the Features and Entertainment Editor for the Press-Telegram newspaper in Long Beach, CA. This story originally appeared on Dec. 21, 1998, in the Press-Telegram, and appears here with permission. Copyright 1999 Press-Telegram Publications, Inc.