David McElroy asked me to collaborate with his concert review project once again. You can read my review of the February 13th 2024 Berlin show on his blog Almost Predictable Almost. Yes, I will make you read it on his site. 😀
Ok, I’ll start by admiting. I’ve been AWOL from this site for almost the entire year. And what a year it’s been! We got a new Depeche Mode album (and a helluva a fine album). We also got treated to another great tour, which is still on-going (and of course I have plans to catch up with it in 2024). I obviously saw the band a couple of times (yes, I met Martin and he was the sweetest guy in the world). So why was I so absent from this blog so much? Well, dizzy Mr Busy, too much rush to talk to Billy. All the silly frilly things have to first get done. In a minute sometime soon, maybe next time, make it June, until later doesn’t always come. One of the best side effects of a DM tour is meeting with friends from all over the world. Me and the other Spirits also amanged to arrange a mini-reunion (during a DM show, of course) of our own. We didn’t get physical singles from “Memento Mori” (apart from the odd German 7″s and the newly announced white label series). To be honest, with the 12″ Singles box sets being released at the current pace, we’re going to reach MM in 2024 anyway. Since we’re talking about re-releases, “Strange” and “Strange Too” finally got their long-awaited DVD/blu-ray release. I don’t know about you, but I’m very excited for what 2024 will bring.
And yes, the title of this post and the accompanying image would have made more sense if I had pressed “publish” before January 1st, 2024. But you get the spirit. Raise your glasses and let’s have a black celebration!
I was so very honored to have been invited to attend the press conference yesterday here in Berlin. What’s there to say? It’s impossible to look at the stage and not miss that extra chair with Fletch. The event would have probably lasted longer if he were around with his witty answers. It’s incredible that they managed to work on the album in such secrecy far better than before. The ideas were already going back and forth between Martin and Dave since the pandemic got us all locked down in 2020. All of the songs and even the grim title had been chosen before Andrew’s passing. Everything suddenly got a new meaning now.
Football jokes aside, after so many press conferences, we know that the band already says upfront what they are going to talk about and what they’re not. The journalists were really rather shy when they had the chance to ask them directly. Even I nearly raised my hand to end the awkward silence. I just didn’t have a question to make that I know that they could answer (and not about geography). In fact, Barbara Cherone, the interviewer, sort of exhausted the questions about the album and the tour that could be made.
The tour kicks off in North America this time with what seems like a warm-up, then heads to Europe for a stadium summer leg. I’m sure more dates will be added.
So many years and Marek Lieberberg still calls Dave GaRRÂN (it’s more like “gone” or “gawn”).