The first time Dutch photographer Anton Corbijn saw Depeche Mode, he was unimpressed. It was 1981, and he happened to snap a few frames of their opening set for British avant-garde performer Fad Gadget. “I thought they were all wimpy,” says Corbijn. But five years later, he agreed to direct their video for “A Question of Time,” and he was stunned by their musical evolution. It was the start of a 40year partnership during which Corbijn became their go-to photographer, music-video director, album-cover illustrator, and stage-set designer. Simply put, when the world sees Depeche Mode, it’s seeing them through Corbijn’s eyes. His new book, Depeche Mode by Anton Corbijn, chronicles their entire history and proves why many fans call him the band’s “fourth member.” “I don’t see that in my paycheck,” he says. “But other than that, it’s very nice when people say that.”
PINUP
Dave Gahan in
1987, when Corbijn filmed each member of the band in bed. “It’s easy to get Dave to take his shirt off,” Corbijn says. “They look pensive, but a lot of people look pensive when they meet me. I don’t take many laughing pictures.”
FOUR WAYS
The band in
London around 1992’s Songs of Faith and Devotion, their last LP before they parted ways with keyboardist Alan Wilder (right). “In a group shot, there’s power in the way that people look, especially the one that looks away,” Corbijn says.
STAYING COOL
“This was after Dave’s drug addiction,” Corbijn says of this 2000 shot. “There was a positive vibe, and this picture symbolizes that.” And why is Martin Gore wearing a heavy coat? “That’s just Martin being Martin. American photographers think everything has to be explained. European photographers leave it open so people can have their own interpretations of things.”
KING FOR A DAY
Gahan on the set of 1990’s “Enjoy the Silence” video. “It was a cheap video that cost less than £20,000,” says Corbijn. “But the impact was enormous. MTV put it into heavy rotation. This was a golden era.”
FLYING HIGH
Gore autographs a
T-shirt on a flight to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, where director D.A. Pennebaker shot their 1989 concert movie, 101. Corbijn had permission to shoot whatever he wanted while the band traveled. “I’m not a studio guy,” he says. “I’m about getting moments.”
FAITH AND DEVOTION
Far left: The band in 1987. Near left: Gahan circa 1992, when he was battling addiction. “I didn’t realize things had gone as far as they had until years later,” Corbijn says.
BIRD OF A FEATHER
Martin Gore’s stage outfit for the 2005 Playing the Angel tour involved this feathered hat and epaulets on his shoulders. “I snapped this photo right before he went onstage,” Corbijn explains. “Martin always has really interesting stage clothes. He’s sort of an anti-rock star.”
Depeche Mode
Taschen $150