DEPECHE MODE: experienced live

Let’s have a “Black Celebration”!

The tour for “Memento Mori” took Depeche Mode around the globe for more than a year. Dave Gahan and Martin Gore ended this journey with concerts 110, 111 and 112 at the Lanxess Arena in Cologne from April 3 to 8, 2024. We were there on the first evening and look back.

It is rather rare for there to be serious unrest before Depeche Mode concerts. On this Wednesday, however, an unexploded bomb from the Second World War had something against a relaxed day. During construction work, such a bomb was found on the Kennedy bank on the Rhine about one kilometer from the Lanxess Arena as the crow flies. Fans were already beginning to worry whether the concert could go ahead as planned. However, the city of Cologne is experienced in defusing bombs and set the evacuation radius to 500 meters around the site, which meant that the arena was not affected. The defusing from 15:30 was successful, so that the famous Black Swarm could continue on its journey to Cologne with peace of mind.

“Good evening, Cologne!”
The atmosphere in the arena was already shimmering. The Cologne audience got into the mood and erupted in deafening cheers when the lights went out in the hall at 8:50 p.m. with a minimal delay. To the instrumental outro of “Speak to Me”, Christian Eigner (drums) and Peter Gordeno (keyboards) entered the stage first, closely followed by Martin Gore. Eigner shook the arena with his bass drum before Dave Gahan was the last to do the honors. With his arms spread wide, he strutted to the center of the stage and was celebrated by the audience before the evening really got going with “My Cosmos Is Mine”. “Good evening, Cologne!”, Gahan greeted the audience afterwards.

Show us your little shoes!
The beginning was allowed to be a little more leisurely, after “My Cosmos Is Mine” another piece from “Memento Mori” was presented with “Wagging Tongue”. The stage was minimalistically but effectively staged with several spotlights. But then the arena was bathed in red light and the first bars of “Walking in My Shoes” rang out. And, just like last summer, the song banged out with a force that the audience felt all over their bodies. Gahan performed dance interludes reminiscent of Elvis Presley and encouraged the arena to sing along. At the end, he coquettishly presented his characteristic stage boots to match the title – on this evening in white to match his jacket.

Not a trace of fatigue
In terms of rhythm and tempo, we were allowed to continue at a leisurely pace. “It’s No Good” was a reunion with the beach donkeys from last year on the video installation, and “Policy of Truth” was a sure guarantee for loud sing-alongs. It was atmospheric as usual for “In Your Room”. Like its siblings from the album “Songs of Faith and Devotion”, the song still packs a powerful live punch even after all this time. Even further back in the history of Depeche Mode and forward with the tempo was “Everything Counts”. Gahan claimed the catwalk into the audience for himself and effortlessly directed the masses from there. He then light-footedly made his way back to the center of the stage, so that you had to remind yourself: The man is 62 years old! Where does he get the energy from? There was no sign of fatigue in concert number 110 of the tour. After “Before We Drown”, which was effectively accompanied by images of rough seas, Gahan was allowed to take a short break.

Mr. Martin L. Gore
Traditionally, now was the time for Gore. With Gordeno on keyboards, he performed a piano version of “Strangelove”. The audience offered loud support, so Gore then ventured over the catwalk to get even more support: “Pain! Will you return it? I say it again. Pain!”. Afterwards, “Home” provided goosebumps. Not only because the arena also offered the best vocal support here. The audience continued to sing after the end of the piece, even after Gahan had returned to the stage. The mood had definitely jumped to Depeche Mode. Gahan and Gore were more relaxed than ever and conducted the audience to the end together.

Relaxed mood
As on the summer tour, “Ghosts Again” was celebrated extensively by everyone involved, and then Depeche Mode went one better. “I Feel You” and “A Pain That I’m Used to” were not stingy with volume or force, nor with visual stimuli. The light show emphasized the power of these songs, but at the latest during the last song Gahan stood in contrast to the message. He danced back and forth across the catwalk, playfully pushing aside Peter Gordeno, who had found his way from the keys to the bass. Grinning, he was celebrated by the audience and couldn’t resist giving Gordeno a slap on the backside. For “Behind the Wheel”, Gore and Gahan met their younger selves on the video screens, who can be seen in the music video for the song. The song is dedicated to Andrew Fletcher, which Gahan told rather casually in contrast to the summer tour, when a picture of the deceased band member was shown at the end.

“… to celebrate the fact.”
There was something in the air that evening. Perhaps it was the fact that Depeche Mode knew they were in the final spurt of the tour. Or is it the fact that Cologne simply had a great audience? Martin and Dave never tired of grinning blissfully at each other, high-fiving or giving each other a fist bump as they passed. During the last three songs of the official set, the arena was still upside down, as it felt like the whole evening. Classics like “Black Celebration” – a song that had found its way back into the set for the “Memento Mori” tour after many years – and “Stripped” were celebrated frenetically and encouraged Gahan to dance a few more times. When the first bars of “Enjoy the Silence” rang out, there was no holding back. The song was a live guarantee that was celebrated to excess. At the end, Gore ventured back onto the catwalk with his guitar. A stage that Gahan gladly granted him, while he continued to direct the masses from the center of the stage.

See you next time?
Of course, Cologne did not let Depeche Mode go without encores. After a short breather, Gore and Gahan marched back into the middle of the audience and intoned “Waiting for the Night”. They were accompanied by a choir of 20,000 voices, with cell phone flashlights providing the perfect backdrop. The atmosphere was once again exuberant during “Just Can’t Get Enough”, before the moment came during “Never Let Me Down Again” that every fan has been waiting for at every concert since 1988 at the Rose Bowl, Pasadena. Gahan stretched his arms in the air, wiggled his fingers and marched to the center of the stage: the arena was transformed into the legendary wheat field, the entire audience swayed their arms to the beat. Pure goose bumps. The crowning finale was “Personal Jesus”. Here Depeche Mode went all out once again. They skillfully dragged out the intro before the song exploded into the lyrics “Reach out and touch faith!”. The lights flashed, Gahan claimed the entire stage for himself – and Cologne celebrated an extraordinary evening.

An evening on which Depeche Mode showed themselves to be more relaxed and relaxed than ever before. The chemistry between Gahan and Gore was right, everyone involved was visibly having fun and let their audience know it. At the end, Gahan said goodbye with the usual “We’ll see you next time!” before the band left the stage to frenetic cheers. Two evenings later, at the end of the tour, he didn’t say this and instead thanked the crew and the audience in a small, moving speech. We are still in favor of a reunion. Because Depeche Mode proved in the final spurt of the tour that there is no sign of fatigue …

Text: Katrin Hemmerling
Photos: Dietmar Grabs

Setlist:
“Speak to Me” (instrumental outro) – “My Cosmos Is Mine” – “Wagging Tongue” – “Walking in My Shoes” – “It’s No Good” – “Policy of Truth” – “In Your Room (Zephyr Mix)” – “Everything Counts” – “Precious” – “Before We Drown” – “Strangelove” – “Home” – “Ghosts Again” – “I Feel You” – “A Pain That I’m Used to (Jacques Lu Cont Remix)” – “Behind the Wheel” – “Black Celebration” – “Stripped” — “Waiting for the Night” “Enjoy the Silence” “Just Can’t Get Enough” – “Never Let Me Down Again” – “Personal Jesus”

Take a look at the gallery here: