Depeche Mode still has the power in live set
In real time, in the ‘80s, music fans could usually identify Depeche Mode enthusiasts by their mode of dress. If you saw someone wearing Jetsons clothes with Robert Smith’s hair and eye makeup, he or she was probably into Depeche Mode.
What a difference 30 years makes — sartorially, anyway. The Mohegan Sun Arena wasn’t at capacity on Friday night as Depeche Mode hit town on their “Global Spirit” tour, but it was close, and the joyous crowd members have grown up. Standing and singing along lustily with hits,
Over the course of a two-plus hours, 22-song set featuring six tunes from “Spirit,” it was clear Depeche Mode hasn’t altered their sound and has no intention of doing so — and the fans like it that way.
deep cuts and plenty of material of the band’s competitive new “Spirit” album, the Mode People of 2017 looked variously like corporate execs, Aunt Bea, bowling team members, soccer parents — hell, even your surprisingly hip pastor. Oh, and there was also — proof of the band’s enduring appeal — plenty of younger enthusiasts who might have stopped by en route to their fifth college reunion mixer.
By contrast, over the course of a two-plus hours, 22-song set featuring six tunes from “Spirit,” it was clear Depeche Mode hasn’t altered their sound and has no intention of doing so — and the fans like it that way. One of the original bands enjoying the vast opportunities of then-new synthesizers, Depeche Mode utilized the stylistic guidance of Kraftwerk, Gary Numan and Ultravox, Euro-disco and flipped-switch garbage disposals — and have since crafted gloomy, utterly distinctive automatonic pop songs that sound concoted for “Metropolis: The Musical.” The twist? At their icy heart, these songs also contain subtle components of wit, melody, emotion and even tenderness.
As the Beatles’ “Revolution” roared over the speakers, frontman Dave Gahan, guitarist/keyboardist/vocalist/ songwriter Martin Gore and keyboardist Andy Fletcher hit the stage, joined by tour musicians Christian Eigner (drums) and Peter Gordeno (keyboards). The production, with pulsing, evocative Vari-light cones and brightly colored abstract backdrops alternating with videos specific to certain tunes, was effective and complementary.
One fear — to me, anyway (having never seen the band perform) — was that the droning style and reliance on keyboards would preclude much actually happening onstage. But Gahan, who looks a bit like a young John Waters, is an amazing and constantly active performer. He’s not doing anything new, but he’s got that Jagger half-skip/butt-wriggle, the effortlessly regal Mercury-isms, and a swaying/twirling maneuver that looks like someone hypnotized a yoga instructor. As the set gained momentum, “In Your Room,” “A Pain That I’m Used To,” “Where’s the Revolution” and “Cover Me” were all magnificent. Gahan was in particularly powerful voice early on and, if he seemed to tire a bit, he maestro’d the eager crowd to do plenty of singing on an incredible homestretch run of “Everything Counts,” “Stripped,” “Enjoy the Silence” and “Never Let Me Down Again.”
Another charming live aspect is how wonderfully different, but totally empathetic, Gahan’s and Gore’s vocals are. Gore, who stepped up front for the gorgeous “A Question of Lust” and “Home,” has a delicate, slightly quavering sound that works dynamically when the two harmonize.
Perhaps most surprisingly and importantly, though, was what Eigner brought to the table. On record, by design, Depeche Mode’s rhythms are supposed to sound soulless, computer-generated and robotic, which is part of the appeal, unless you happen to be me. In concert, though, with Eigner and his crushing, John Bonham-style energy, Depeche Mode suddenly became a vibrant, powerhouse live rock band without sacrificing any of the magic of their original sound. Who knew?