An Evening With a Legend
Martin Gore shows there is more to him than you know.

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>> Martin Gore surveys his masses. >>

>> Los Angeles, CA May, 2003 >> It was a just brief walk from the right side of the Mayan Theatre’s expansive black stage to front and center; just a few steps amidst an ocean of screams.  For Martin Gore, he’s done this many times before. But tonight, it was an evening without the usual tapestries that go along with world tours, platinum albums and a twenty-plus year music career.  Tonight it was Gore, alone, front and center, graced by a mysterious allure that has never escaped him but in this performance proved to be his asset.

Billed as an “Evening with Martin Gore,” fans were treated to an intimate venue where even those in the balcony were able hang on the breath of Gore’s every word.  And with every song, with every word, the voices in the air rang like a church choir, with special enthusiasm for some tracks that it seemed to be like a popular hymn.

Adorned in a vintage denim jacket rimmed by faux fur which, warmly draped over a silk black tee-shirt and matching pants, conveyed a sense of masculinity that clearly contrasted moments in Depeche Mode’s history when an androgynous Martin donned skirts and sheer tops.

While his wardrobe conveyed confidence, Gore seemed to take little risk in his set list and sporadically introduced a few songs from his other life to the obvious elation of his fans. A typical Mode performance wedges Gore between his keyboard and lead singer, Dave Gahan, so complaints were the exception. 

>> Gore lets the passion out. >>

The third song of the evening came from Depeche Mode’s 1998 album, The Singles 86>98, “Only When I lose Myself,” and soon thereafter came, “In Your Room,” from the album Songs of Faith and Devotion.  Both are not normal Gore routines and he delivered them with such eloquence and forcefulness, it was easy to fall under his spell.  Only his sheepish “Thank you,” would give you any sense of his humility and those two words seemed to mean everything and nothing at the same time.

Somewhere between it all came several tracks from his second solo release, Counterfeit2, with several classic tunes reworked by Gore including Iggy Pop’s “Tiny Girls” and Brian Eno’s “By this River.”   Certainly, this was Gore’s purpose for the tour, although his fans arguably would embrace virtually anything Gore might dish out.

Whether his venture as a solo artist will bring a similar level of success that he is accustomed to or will it be his way to fill the ample time between albums, only time will tell.  In fact, it’s unlikely that it even matters.  For the moment, Gore can embrace the adulation he usually must share with other members of his regular gig.

Gore closed with “Home,” as if that meant something. For this evening, it did.