Depeche Mode (l to r): Andrew Fletcher, David Gahan, and Martin Gore.
You may have gathered from my posts that I’m not one to go out to concerts very often. I enjoy live music, don’t get me wrong, but life sometimes gets in the way (along with geography), making it difficult to get to the city to see someone I’d truly be interested in paying to see perform.
In my youth (oh oh, Jim’s on the ‘old man kick again’) I lived for concerts and live shows. One of my fondest concert experiences was my first venture to Toronto for a show without adult supervision: Depeche Mode at the Canadian National Exhibition Grandstand in Toronto on June 22, 1990. It was the World Violation Tour in support of Violator (what else?), and the show was opened by Nitzer Ebb and The Jesus & Marychain. In terms of excitement level, I was more pumped the previous year when Public Image Ltd. and The Sugarcubes opened for New Order in the same venue, but I was in love with Nitzer Ebb’s album Showtime, and though that The Jesus & Marychain’s Automatic was the coolest sounding record I’d ever heard, so I went along with a cackle of girl friends who wanted to offer up their virginity to David Gahan.
Surprise of surprises, the Depeche Mode set blew me away. It should have, since as the headliners, they pulled out all the stops and had the flashiest show, but what truly impressed me was their showmanship and passion. For a band stuck behind a set of synths, they were exceptionally dynamic; from Gahan’s posing and posturing, to Gore’s acoustic set mid show, this was most definitely a band effort, and they were in their prime. Violator was (and still is) a fantastic album in whole, which is probably why they played it in its entirety each night, along with a smattering of their best back catalogue material. I gained a new appreciation for the album that night, and the band in general.
That hasn’t changed over the years, even if my enthusiasm for their subsequent albums hasn’t been all that consistent. This year’s Sounds of the Universe album didn’t really impress me all that much when i first heard it, which is why I almost skipped ahead to the next random track when my iPod shuffled itself over to “In Sympathy” the other day. As the song’s old school beats started, I was reminded of that concert back in 1990. I let nostalgia get the best of me, and I’m so glad I did. “In Sympathy” is classic Depeche Mode without sounding dated or antiquated. I would love to hear them play this along side great tracks like “Enjoy The Silence” and “World In My Eyes”, watching the throbbing masses swaying and dancing in unison, arms outstretched, trying to grab laser beams out of the sky.
Depeche Mode will take to the stage of the Molson Amphitheatre in Toronto tonight, and I wonder how many of those going to tonight’s show were also in the stands back in 1990. I wonder how many of them will be experiencing their first concert, and if it will be anything like the experience I had? I wonder if they’ll play anything off Violator? I wonder why I didn’t think of going to the show myself?
If you’re going, or did go and are reading this after the fact, drop us a comment and tell us about what a Depeche Mode concert means to you. We may “Enjoy The Silence” but we want to hear your shout outs on this one. Happy weekend concertgoers and homebodies alike. See you in 72 hours.
MP3: Depeche Mode “In Sympathy”
Mysapce: Depeche Mode
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So excited for tonight!!
Haha, was looking around for tacks, to get pumped and found your blog, nice post!
Haha, unfortunately i was not there in 1990 
Enjoy the silence!
i was there in 1990! it was an amazing night and also my first concert without parental figures. every time i see depeche mode i am reminded why they are the BEST live act ever. they connect to the audience and the energy exchanged is rarely seen between any other artist and concert goer. it’s a truly unique relationship. i thank them for this! eternally grateful to depeche mode! thank you for this wonderful article- i enjoyed reading it immensely. i know you don’t go to many shows, but do chekc out my band august 21st at mod club, it;s free and we are obvoiously inspired by depeche mode.
Comment by jenny 07.27.09 @ 10:26 amI was supposed to go to that concert in back in 1990… still bitter about not going… but I did go on Friday and it was a great show. That is my second time seeing them and the crowd is sooo very diverse, it’s great. (I saw a Mom and daughter with matching Purple hair)
The crowd didn’t really seem that into PB&J but the atmosphere changed as soon as DM took the stage. It was a great live show.
OMG Tara! Were you supposed to go with us?? I don’t remember exactly who was there, but I’m sure Adrienne A., Rina D., Lisa G., and Heidi K. were there–probably even Karen G.–but I don’t remember who else. I do remember almost getting on the bus without my ticket though…
Comment by Jim 07.27.09 @ 4:16 pmLeave a comment
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