Oct 11: Short review from Freddy de
Weerd <weerdfre@iquip.nl>
review from Laurent Franken <LF@silidur.com>
review from FEANTSA@compuserve.com
Hi all,
Saw them live for the first time in 5 years yesterday (yeh, Brussels ruled yesterday) and
I had a great time. Maybe this was also due to the guy who stood beside me and that was
totally flipping. I believe he was english, but he could be french as well (a lot of
french in the house yesterday). Anyways, his "craziness" made me go mad as well.
I never had the chance to thank him, but in case he's on the list, THANX (i was the guy
that lifted you trough the first chorus of Stripped, so Dave could see ya', and smile at
you!!!).
I stood in the "snake pit" and danced my ass off. I tell ya' I've never been so
wet after a concert. To all of you who think dM is dead now they're using live drums, I
must reply that you are totally wrong. The energy coming from playing with live-drums was
so amazing. Besides that, I believe that Christian is now incorperated more into the
music, so the effect is even better. I especially liked the beginning of "Never let
me down again", with Christian couting in for Martin and Martin starting the
guitar-part without some tape-intro. I might be wrong, but I got the impression NLMDA was
live completely (also thanx to Peter!!).
Best parts, IMHO of course :
- - the very ecstatic version of IYR
- - NLMDA (see above)
- - ING (love the "quiet" version)
Not to impressed with:
- - JCGE (I still think they shouldn't have played it)
- - AQOL (Martin could do better, but that could also be credited to the bad acoustic of
the Vorst Nationaal)
- - Purity, I liked the second song though (the one with the break-beat)
- - Tim's performance, it was never really there as I hoped.
- - The tour-shirts, maybe I'll purchase one however in London or Hannover, but my first
impression wasn't to hopefull.
Impressive! This show was the best I have ever seen (I've been to all tours since 1986). Dave was controlled at the very beginning but "Never..." set the audience on fire. There were 9.000 people waving both hands from side to side. Martin, surprisingly, was at his best, performing Question of lust (great performance), Home (even greater performance and Somebody (my dream come true!) and really enjoyed himself. Outstanding! The version of somebody was really brilliant, although performed on a synth with a piano sound. The performance sounded more fluid than Alan's (his version was too 'mechanical', I think). These guys are real pros! Dave's voice is better than ever. The show (and Dave) was slightly humoristic, balancing very well the emotion of all these songs. However, Ultra's songs haven't had the same success as the old ones (even Barrel). Andy (really ridiculus), Martin and Dave leaved the show smiling, happy with the belgian welcoming.
I went to the concert in Brussels on 22 September
1998.
What can I say?
They came ... they rocked ... they conquered.
1. The set design shows the new humorous side of Depeche Mode (as launched by the video
for It's No Good). An enormous red curtain backdrop, as if for a cabaret show, with two
giant letters: D and M, surrounded by bright light bulbs, and a couple of video screens
inbetween. The screens are a mistake, in my opinion, as the speeded-up videos are quite
distracting. For example, during "Walking In My Shoes", we see funny clips of DM
members dressed up as their heroes from the history of popular music (Andy as Elvis
Presley, Mart as John Lennon, etc.), and this completely ruins the dark mood of this great
song.
2. The boys are all on top form. Dave has never looked better. The beard and long hair of
the SOFAD period have been dumped in the dustbin of history. He still does all of his
classic dance moves - spinning with the mike stand, sexy bum wiggling, etc. Most of the
girls at the gig were getting moist (and maybe a few of the guys also!).
3. It is pointless to argue with the choice of songs, as it would be impossible for DM to
fully satisfy every fan in a set of 19 songs. But it's a shame that they play only one
song from the Music for the Masses album. Never Let Me Down Again (song number 5) provokes
a frenzy of arm-waving from side to side (as in the film 101), with the lights turned on
the audience, and a techno interlude based on the Aggro Mix.
4. The highlights of the show in terms of audience response are Never Let Me Down Again,
Enjoy the Silence, Personal Jesus, and Just Can't Get Enough. My personal favorites from
the performance were the songs which give Dave and Andy the chance to demonstrate their
singing abilities, and which form the heart of the set : Only When I Lose Myself, A
Question of Lust, Home, Condemnation, In Your Room
5. The concert in Brussels was advertised to start at 8.00 pm. The support act (Industrial
Drum'n'Bass female trio "PURITY") played from 7.55 until 8.25, and Depeche Mode
played from 8.55 until around 10.45 pm.
6. The three band members are joined on stage by a drummer, another keyboard player, and
(for some songs) two black female backing singers.
7. The crowd surrounding the T-shirt stand after the end of the gig was massive. A wide
range of black T-shirts are available.
8. If you are going to see Depeche Mode on this tour: "Enjoy The Concert !"