"All I ever wanted, all I ever needed..."

As part of my day to day life, people often approach me & ask; "Flash, How would I be able to tell where I was if I were to somehow stumble unwittingly into a large Depeche Mode concert?"
It's troubling isn't it? I dare say a few of you lovely reader types have had the same worries flying about your own brains, eh?
Well, fear no more, for I have prepared this simple questionnaire which should easily establish if you are with Mode.

• Are there an inordinate amount of people wearing black clothing?
• Is there a higher concentration of German's than anywhere else in the world, bar the Fatherland?
• Are the under-30's a very small minority?
• Is the merchandise priced so highly that only The Royal Family, Richard Branson & Roman Abramovich can afford it?
• Are there far too many balding old men trying to look cool but only achieving a third rate Gary Numan "look"?
• Do you find yourself thinking "Eyeliner on men? Maybe in the 80's!"
• Have you overheard a conversation between too posh middle-aged women including how one of them "hardly ever orgasms" & how the other "quite likes a bit of anal now & again" (!) ?

If you answered mostly yes to the above then, yes, it looks very much like you ready to spend an evening with Ver Mode. I recommend you stick around, it'll be fun.
(Don't ask me what's going on with the italics, blogger is messing me about!)

I really am not keen on going to gigs on my own. Other than the actual performance, it pretty much sucks donkey balls. One has to drive all the way there (& back) alone, wander around aimlessly while awaiting the band &, worse of all, there is nobody to share it all with at the end.
Anyway, after earwigging on the sexual activities of some 40-somethings The Bravery came on.
They were alright in a I-know-this-music kind of way. I felt the singer was a bit crap; his voice sounded poor & he kept fading off mic all the time. It would also appear that his stage presence heavily relies upon the old stumbling shambolically around the stage as if bladdered routine.
All in all, they were ok, just.

Finally, after over 2 bloody hours standing about on my own in the newly revamped (ie. no smoking anymore, wankers!) Wembley Arena, the house lights went down...

Depeche Mode simply walked onto the stage, in the past there has often been a much more theatrical opening, & tore straight into "A pain that I'm used to" followed swiftly by "John the Revalator" just as it is on the album. Both were excellent. Next came a two pronged attack of old favourites to warm the place up further in the shape of a rousing "A question of time" & "Policy of truth".
Being in a very favourable position down the front, I was at very close quarters with Martin who was wearing a...oh I'll show a picture; it'll be easier.

I also had a very good view of Dave who was prowling the stage like the consummate performer that he truly is. Fletch (bless him)was on the other side of the stage but all Fletch does is wave occasionally whilst looking both happy & uncomfortable at the same time, so I didn't feel like I was missing out.
Next up was a delicious "Precious", then one of my personal faves; "Walking in my shoes".
After that it was current single "Suffer well", which sounded bloody ace. Dave had a great big grin across his face during most of the song which was really wonderful & kind of emotional to see. He must still be thrilled to bits to be singing out one of his own songs to his adoring minions, after all, it has been over 25 years of singing Martin's (& Vince Clarke's) tunes. I was genuinely pleased for him & proud of him.
And Mart played a real bass guitar!!!


It was then time for Martin to take centre stage for his bit. He sang "Macro" & his voice sounded great. That said, "Macro" isn't one of their better songs. I read on the website that this is one of only 2 songs that is subject to change on the setlist. I also read that sometimes they play "Leave in silence" at this point. I would have really enjoyed that. Still, it's a very minor gripe. I didn't recognise the next song straight away, the intro not sounding familiar at all. It turned out to be "Home", which I love to bits, nice!
Then Dave returned & play 2 more songs from "Playing the angel"; the slightly dull "I want it all" & the impressively rocking "The sinner in me".
Then it was time to crank it up a gear with the monster known as "I feel you". For most of the show Martin was playing the guitar, this facilitated something I'd never seen before in all my years of Mode watching; Dave & Martin physically interacting on the stage. It was funny & not for the first or last time it made me brandish a warm smile.
We were then treated to a rare outing of "Behind the wheel" before they ploughed into the final 3 songs. The Violator trinity of "World in my eyes", "Personal Jesus" & "Enjoy the silence".
They were all truly exceptional &, as always, "Personal Jesus" with it's audience participation was a joy to witness. Thousands of hands all pushed out to the stage to accompany the "Reach out & touch faith" bits.

Martin & his piano tinkling chum came out on their own for the encore which started with a smashing rendition of "Shake the disease". Dave & Fletch rejoined then for a romp through "Just can't get enough", a song older than some of the people reading this! Another old favourite came to wish us farewell; "Everything counts" is always great live, primarily because of it's singalongability.
And that was that.

Except it wasn't. Once more they came out to entertain us. This time with "Never let me down again", which again is something of a DM live staple. DOJ, Mark, anyone? How the hell do I get across the splendour of the arm-waving thing is when they play this?
They finished with a whisper.
"Goodnight lovers" saw Martin & Dave stood together, side by side at the end of a short catwalk into the crowd. Towards the end of the song they actually put friendly arms around each other as they sang. It was a lovely thing to see & made up for the anti climax of not going out on a big tune & the fact that Dave's voice was bollocksed.

If I never see them live again, then this performance was more than good enough to live in the memory as "what Depeche Mode used to be like".

So I rushed out into the fresh air, hurriedly sparked up a fag &, with soul full of wonder, drove back up the M1.