1998 - Depeche Mode

11.10.1998 Festhalle Frankfurt
DEPECHE MODE
Support: PURITY

Sold out gig – perfect spirit even hours before the most successful Synthesizer – Band of our time hits the stage.

Since their charts debut back in 1981 Depeche Mode are part of pop culture.

The “singles 1986 – 1998” tour is the first tour in five years. Over the last few years Dave Gahans drug addiction and suicide attempts made the headlines and it was good to see a recovered Dave Gahan on stage – full of energy and eager to live.

Support act Purity, consisting of three absolutely gorgeous woman, played roughly 30 minutes and that was good because the majority of their songs sounded pretty alike. Their monotone music reminded me a lot of FRONT 242 and older works of THE ART OF NOISE but besides their model looks the girls hadn’t got much to offer.

Later on: Depeche Mode. Including three extra tracks the length of their concert reached more than two hours and was pure joy. In massive letters D and M were placed next to massive screens on which one could watch past video clips of the band from Basildon, Essex in England.

Dave Gahan, Martin Gore and Andy Fletcher brought another keyboarder, a REAL drummer and two backing vocalists along for support.

Depeche played hit to hit from “Condemnation”, “Walking in my shoes”, “Personal Jesus” to “Stripped” and the ever popular Vince Clarke penned “Just cant get enough”. A real happening and 14 000 people cheered and screamed all night to pay tribute to this phenomenal band.

The boys looked relaxed and Martin Gore sang three songs throughout the evening and it is astonishing that his vocal range is equally as good as Dave’s.

Depeche Mode 2006 / Portugal
Depeche Mode 2006 / Birmingham
Depeche Mode 2006 / Manchester
Depeche Mode 2006 / Dublin
Also see :
Erasure 2005

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