A former co-worker wrote this:

Depeche Mode Plays Emotional, Energetic Set in First L.A. Show Since Andrew Fletcher’s Death: Concert Review https://t.co/tK2SLfNUNt

— Variety (@Variety) March 29, 2023

okaydo said:

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Never seen them. But this is my favorite Depeche Mode song. I don't think it's on any of their albums. It's from the movie Modern Girls.




The Cure was the first concert I ever went to: 1992 at the Rose Bowl. And in May they are playing nearby me at another iconic bowl: Hollywood Bowl for 3 nights. But I can't go, damnit.

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But Not Tonight was a B side cut off the single Stripped, and was added as the last track to Black Celebration. Yes, it's a very happy song, which cuts against the melancholy and dark themes that DM employ.

I don't like the Hollywood Bowl for concerts unless I am in at least in the box sections (which I was for Pet Shop Boys/NO last year which was fantastic). Naturally for a big outdoor venue that is open, the sound disperses and the acoustics aren't the best, esp. further back. You can see The Cure at Shoreline Amphitheatre or in SD as well.

75bear said:

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Guys, we've gone way off course and buried the lede.

KAB - did you make it to the Depeche Mode show last night, and how was it??

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Thanks for asking. I thought I had posted earlier, but I don't see it. Yes, I did go, and it was amazing. I recently moved back to the Bay Area and wanted to keep a low profile until I settled in, so I did get a single ticket. It worked out great. I found floor seats and sat/stood near really cool DM fans. I met a guy who worked at a tech company in SJ, moved to the Denver area, and came back to see the show with his kids. I had so many convos before the show about growing up in the 80s, KROQ, Live 105 and the whole New Wave scene. However, one poor lady I was standing next to could not see above the crowd and left half way. I felt bad for her. @dimitrig I really appreciated your comments as your thoughts help me to have the freedom to attend upcoming shows on my own (Echo and the Bunnymen, The Human League, Noel Gallagher, Tears for Fears, Sting etc.) so as not to be obligated to dragging others along (although I'll bring my teenage son to TFF since he knows Mad World like many other teenagers lol). I vowed during COVID (while I was in Hawaii) I would see as many shows as possible before they stopped doing them. I'm going to be taking a carpe diem approach.

SAP as a venue is intimate compared to Chase or Crypto which made it great. I loved the mix of classics with new arrangements (e.g. Everything Counts), the post-Alan Wilder era songs and the morose tunes of Memento Mori. I had never seen DM live (I was in LA as a senior in HS in 88 and I kick myself for missing them at their legendary Rose Bowl performance) so I was ecstatic to take this one off the bucket list. The tribute to Fletch during World In My Eyes was touching and subtle at the same time -- subtle, in the sense that there weren't a lot of words said about him, just his Anton Corbijn created imagery. Do they bring the energy like they did in their prime? Of course not. Are they are synth legends that perform at a high level? Yes, and they are completely worth seeing live. Dave still delivered as the front man, although at times he was slightly pitchy. I can excuse him, though, as he has to carry lead vocals for a 2 hour show at 61 on a 9 month US and Europe tour. Martin's voice is still spot on though, which I really admire. He hasn't dropped off at all. I loved the show so much that I will definitely see them on their return to the US, probably at Chase. Carpe diem. Let me know if you want to join me at future shows. Here are a couple of videos I took:

Depeche Mode review who knew synth-pop could be this colossal and life-affirming?


https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/jun/18/depeche-mode-review-twickenham-stadium-london?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

DM top 10


Everything counts
Enjoy the silence
New life
Never let me down again
Dreaming of me
Photographic
Just can't get enough
Shout
A question of time
Behind the wheel