I will probably be the first and only writer not to make an “Enjoy the Silence” joke here, but Depeche Mode has Some Great Reward for their fans in the form of new music and live gigs.
The band, made up of singer Dave Gahan and keyboardists Martin Gore and Andrew Fletcher, announced the tour on Tuesday via a press conference streamed on their Facebook page. The Global Spirit Tour, as it has been dubbed, starts on May 5 inc Stockholm and will visit 32 cities, wrapping up its international leg on July 23 in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. As for the accompanying studio album, Spirit, lead singer Dave Gahan said of its progress, “It’s all coming together really well. We’re really pleased with what we’re doing.” Spirit, their 14th studio album is set for release in 2017.
Of course, Depeche Mode isn’t forgetting about their stateside fans. Dave chatted with Matt Everett of BBC 6 Music about the tour and told him, “I think we’ve set the bar pretty high this time. We’ve decided to announce these shows in Europe – we’re going to shortly announce some North American shows and possible some down in South America too.”
When asked by Matt if the band would consider giving fans a “sneak peek” of the tour, perhaps in some “working mans’ clubs”, Dave teased, “We haven’t ruled that out. We’re kicking off in Sweden but you never know – we might end up doing something in that time or before the whole tour, even. There’s a possibility we’ll do something where we maybe play some new songs and a few old ones in some smaller places just to feel it out a bit.”
Collegiate Corey watched every bloody episode of 120 Minutes on MTV and lived for alternative music (and I still do), so imagine my excitement when I heard this news. I saw DM back in 2013, on their last tour behind their Delta Machine album, and I can’t wait to give them my money again. Please tell me I’m not the only one excited about this…who else will be dusting off their finest 90s-era goth gear and going to see them live?
Photo credit: Getty Images, WENN.com
When I was about seven or eight, I did a dance to Just Can’t Get Enough at my junior school’s talent show and came third. My mother had spent ages trying to teach me a back flip to put in it. The winner, Eddie Somethingorother, sang a music hall song. Music hall! Gah! I was cheated. I had a back flip!
This is the extent of my involvement with Depeche Mode.
Aw, so sweet. A back flip and Depeche Mode? I agree you were cheated! 🙂
Still burns to this day!
(Not really, but I do remember how it burned at the time.)
Sixer, you are my Personal Jesus.
😀
The mental visual of our Sixer doing backflips has cheered me up no end on this chilly murky morning. Thanks for that! Might I ask were you wearing leg warmers at the time, with a blonde stripe in your hair, a la Kajagoogoo?
I recall a blue leotard!
The height of cool at the time I am sure! I’m sorry Sixer, but your stories are just endlessly entertaining, and I totally admire the way you tell them.
@ Bluhare and Antipodean:
I’m highly offended by you shameless ass kissing Sixer.
I have funny stories from where I was a kid, too, you know? (although the sad ones were f*cking terrible).
And YES, I was at a pageant/contest once. I was five or six and and the thing was organized by the kindergarten I attended (no, the pageant was a small, humble thing; it was nothing like these freak shows you guys have in US — it was just being in a runway and answering some questions).
The prize was a doll (donated by a local store’s owner).
I was first runner-up and let me tell you, I WASN’T happy. My dress was more beautiful, I answered the questions better than that freckled, hazel-eyed bitch!
Spent the rest of evening asking the adults around me: “But I was the prettiest, right? RIGHT????? She only won because of her hazel eyes, RIGHT???”
Them: “Yes, Eve, she only won because of her eyes.”
a) BTW, people there thought her eyes were green — and had she her eyes opened so widely while the answering the questions that I thought were going to opout of their sockets (clearly, somebdy instructed her to do that);
b) Today I’m positive her eyes were hazel. It doesn’t matter anyway. She was cute (there’s no need to open her eyes like she had just seeing glowing poo), with cute freckles and a beautiful straight black hair (in pigtails).
c) The gree eyes thing…it was particularly painful issue to me because my father had the brightest, lightest, most beautiful green eyes you can possibly imagine (and, under different lights and environments and…his mood, he only needed a stare to shut a person’s mouth, we KNEW when he was pissed off because it became brighter and greener);
d) I was dressed in a burgundy and white Bavarian styled dress — explanation: my mother was a seamstress (also great at embroidery) and she used to buy a German magazine called “Burda”;
e) Made everything about me…I know, no need to tell me. I apologize for that (but, in my defense, I needed to contextualize the story).
*(…) she had her eyes so wide open that I thought they’re going to POP OUT of their sockets (…).
Albeit being a rant, I didn’t quite elaborate on the “green eyes” issue. Here it goes: I’m my father’s spitting image — well, except for his green eyes and the fact that there there was not a single day during my childhood I wasn’t reminded of that when I was out with my mother and somebody stumbled upon us and started chatting (very common behaviour in small towns).
Well, at one point, said somebody would grab my chin and say: “Oh, you’re so cute…you’re the spitting image of your father…such a shame you don’t have green eyes like him”. Great thing to tell a 3-year-old (and on, until I left the city at the age of 11), non?
I felt I was ugly (clearly, they meant I’d be more beautiful had I had my father’s eyes); unlucky (was his spitting image except for his most impressive trait) AND I felt like it was my fault: you failed at taking out after your father.
P.S.: My father died in 1991. I’ve been living in the capital since 1985 — haven’t been to my birth place for more than 10 years…but you can bet your ass that if I go back there, TODAY, someone who knew him will DEFINITELY say:
“You look just like your father. Such a shame you don’t have green eyes like his”.
Eve, you were cheated. I know this.
Eve, *you* are now my Personal Jesus. 😀
Finally some good news.
Dear Eve, I have been out and about for a few hours, so didn’t see your post till just now. You are most assuredly, also, a great writer, and I always enjoy seeing your avatar, and comments. I am sure you were/are much more beautiful that the other girl in the pageant, and you were obviously robbed! Your father’s eyes sound like they were stunners, but yours are just as nice I am certain.
It’s funny how these childhood occasions can stick in our sub-conscious, and surface at the most unexpected time. I guess they help to make us what we are, and getting used to disappointment is always a valuable life lesson, though very tough when you are just a bubba. Did you ever get a doll to make up for the one you didn’t win? I hope you did, you deserve all the dolls, in my book. Have a great weekend, and take care of your good/bad self!
Eve, you have just made me long for beautiful knees. Seriously.
Her knees weren’t bony, you know? Just perfectly shaped. And those long legs…there’s a picture with her wearing the crown, the cape and the scepter when she won.
*quick correction: “(…) I’m paranoid about that”.
**kinda regret posting these comments…now people know more about me. Will ask Corey to remove them as soon as you’ve read them.
BTW, we don’t talk to each other anymore. We had a fall out a couple of years ago when she came to visit my middle sister.
I have read, so safe to delete, Corey. And I really do want beautiful knees. Mine are knobbly.
@ Sixer:
Did some googling…it was Miss São Paulo who won (Miss Brasil) that year.
Yes! And my 15 year old musician son wants to see them, too. Some Great Reward is my favorite — actually throws me back further than the 90s, when I was in college in the mid 80s. Funny how music can take you so far back in just a couple notes.
First cassette I ever bought with my own money was ‘People are People’, so they’ll always hold a place in my heart!
I can picture my smoking hot, incredibly emotionally abusive (I was young and dumb) high school boyfriend driving with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth while ‘Personal Jesus’ plays on the radio.
He also wore a thumb ring.
I said I was dumb.
Sounds fun! I can’t wait.
Corey you’re not alone! It’s been years since I saw them in concert (maybe late 90s) but as a fan of alternative/wave music (my car radio #1 preset is First Wave) THIS is music to my ears
I saw Duran Duran earlier this year and I felt like a teenager again (yeah I’m that old lol)
Yaaaaaassssssss!!!!! Not alone! Favorite band ever! When this was announced the other day I had so many people hitting me up to let me know! For Delta Machine they were in the Bay Area around my 33rd birthday so we rented a party bus and about 50 of us went to Shoreline from San Francisco. There was some sort of issue at the parking lot and it was backed up all the way to the freeway. We were stuck on the freeway off ramp for close to an hour and were in danger of missing the show. Our entire group got off the bus and walked 1.5 miles in heels to Shoreline Amphitheater and arrived just in time for the first song. God, I love them so much and am so grateful they keep putting out consistently good music and tour their asses off every 4-5 years. Also, the producer who worked on this album works with Simian Mobile Disco, who I really enjoy, so I’m extra excited to see what they cooked up!
That is such a cool story.
I thought the Delta Machine Tour was amazing. I loved Delta Machine’s Angel in all of it’s crunchy electronica glory. I loved A Pain That I’m Used To using the Jacques Lu Cont’s remix. I loved the Halo Goldfrapp remix version and backdrop. Actually, I loved all of the backdrops, done by Anton Corbijn, Some didn’t like them so much.
Dave’s vocals were the best I had heard in years from him.
I saw Duran Duran this summer! They were great.
Duran Duran was/is awesome, too.
There’s an album people didn’t seem to care back in the day: “Big Thing” — yesterday I was listening to two of its songs: “Too Late, Marlene” and “Do you believe in shame?” (cried when I listened to the latter).
I adore and worship Depeche Mode and saw them in the UK on their Delta Machine tour, having loved them for years (Violator was the first record i bought, aged 11!).
So I will certainly be booking to see them in London, and perhaps Kiev as well (we planned to go to Kiev during their last tour, but the show was cancelled due to the uprising).
I’d love to come to America to see them – US fans love depeche mode so much. I love the footage of when they placed the Rose Bowl in the 80s – would have loved to have gone to that.
I’m THERE. As soon as they teased a big announcement I knew it was for a new album and tour. It follows their 4 year cycle. This will be the 7th time I’m seeing them, wherever they come in Florida. I can’t wait and you can insert the just can’t get enough joke here. 🙂
Definitely not alone. I LOVE Depeche Mode. (Although when I saw the picture here I did a double-take ’cause I thought maybe Dave had died or something!)
I’ve been to two of their concerts; they are great!
I lioved their last tour for Delta Machine. Fantastic. Dave sounded amazing, fit as ever. I loved the 2009 Touring the Universe. the one where he collapsed backstage and was diagnosed with cancer and came back after a month and did the tour and showed such heart getting through that tour.
But my happiest time was their Touring the Angel tour in around 2005.06. Love that tour.
I was praying Alan Wilder would be back and in on this new album. A fan can only wish.
I am and will always be emotionally invested in this band.
OMG..I love Depeche Mode. I will be giving them my money. I saw them last at Madison Square Garden. I can’t remember the tour.
Love love love them! Down to this day so many of their songs are still in heavy rotation during my daily commute. Personal Jesus & even the later Dream On were definitely on my sexually frustrated angsty goth teenage list lol
On another note I watched 120 Minutes too- but now all I remember about it was sketching while listening to Matt Penfield’s voice in the background…
I have Violator in my car now. I love Depeche Mode. It’s a classic. None of those songs seem dated to me.
This announcement brought joy to my heart. I’ve seen them in concert three times, and also saw Dave Gahan years ago when he was promoting his solo album. I am anxiously awaiting their North America dates, and prepared to travel to see a show if I have to! Depeche Mode was the soundtrack to my high school years.
I’m excited! DM was my first concert in ’93. I was 17, Songs of Faith and Devotion Tour. Saw them again in the early aughts w/ my (now) husband. They are great live. Anyone watch 101? Where people who had won a contest travel across the country to Pasadena in an RV for the concert at the Rose Bowl? It was Road Rules years before MTV came up with it.
If you change “Princess Di” to “Princess Kate” New Dress could’ve been written yesterday.
Yes! While in high school, my friends and I watched Depeche Mode 101. Such a great documentary. Dave Gahan loved to wear flowing white shirts on that tour. 🙂
While I do not know all of Depeche Mode songs, the few that I do…man, there is something about Dave’s voice. Hmm…mmm..mmm.
Agreed about Dave’s voice… LOVE “World in My Eyes”… It gives me feelings.
120 Minutes fan here! I went to their show about 3 years ago and it was great.
Bring it on.
Oh my God! I can’t wait for this to happen, I’m hoping this is at least close to me…3-4 hour drive or something!
I’m clearly the oldster here – saw DM in 1983 and 1985. Loved them!
YOU ARE NOT ALONE!! I think I just piddled!
Huge since since the 90’s. Would love to see them.
“Violator” & “Devotional” were amazing AMAZING tours!!!
This is so amazing! I love DM but I’ve never seen them live!
I love how natural they look, no pretentiousness, some people are born awesome I guess.
Cannot wait for this to happen – saw them for the first time at the O2 in London a few years ago and they were outstanding. Gahan still has it, even after all his health problems. I will be getting tickets.
You’re not alone. This longtime Depeche Mode fanatic is very excited too! Been listening to them since I was 11 years old way back in 1985 and saw them in concert for the first time during the Violator tour in 1990, and seen every tour after that.
Shut up and take my money!
Every era they do their big announcement in Europe I’m ready,always watching like the fan I am. I knew it was coming and just plain forgot about it this week, when they would be streaming their announcement.
My dream is to go to Europe again this next tour, because they are revered in so many countries over there, doing stadium shows. I want to see them in what many say is the motherland of Depeche Mode, Germany, because the fans adore them over there. It’s amazing how they are so massive, yet can still get away with being considered a cult band, like they like to refer to themselves.
Martin Gore has lost his midas songwriting touch he used to have, but he still pulls out some great songs every album. I’ve been pleased with Dave’s contributions since he began writing some songs for each album.
The relations between Gore and Alan started thawing several albums back. Dave and Alan stay in touch. I was praying this was the time Alan, who got divorced and needed the money, would come back for one album and one tour. I know he loves his electronic projects and likes to work alone. But I thought replenishing his coffers and DM wanting one last massive hit of an album, and the buzz from Alan being involved, would make it this time, with all of them in their mid 50s now.
Oh, well. I love them anyway. Compared to others, I’ve always listened to a lot of their music post-Alan Wilder, from Ultra on.
One of the best electronica/synth songs (Post Wilder) ever made is It’s No Good. They didn’t know after Dave’s heavy addiction and near death experience if they could ever come back, especially with Alan leaving them after Songs of Faith and Devotion, and Dave losing his voice. Martin was a raging alcoholic. Their first song on 1997’s Ultra took them six months to complete the vocal because Dave was in the throes of heroin addiction. By the time he went and got clean, they came back and finished the album, and it reflects the fragile state the band was in, but reflects it in a good way, kind of melancholic. I’ve always liked Ultra a lot. The first clips of Dave performing some promo shows for the album were hard to watch. He didn’t know what to do with himself not high or drinking, kind of quiet. But he got his groove back as he adjusted to sobriety.
But the music showed they were a band that could still make timeless music, not become dated.
It’s No Good – live. Just love the synth on this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFe6oqtjD_8
It’s No Good is the song that got me into them in high school. That is one helluva song and the video is probably one of their best too.
I love Depeche Mode. For some reason, I thought they said their last tour was their final one, so I’m excited for this! Duran Duran will always be my #1 (yes, still to this day – I also saw them several times on this summer’s Paper Gods tour and they were so good) but Depeche Mode is right up there too.
I am a huge fan of Depeche Mode. My mother passed away when I was 16 which resulted in me having to move from the San Fernando Valley to my aunt and uncle’s home in Compton, CA. I stood out like a sore thumb because my new classmates were immersed in R&B and rap while I was heavily into techno/New Wave music. My classmates didn’t know what to make of me and pretty much ostracized me. They made fun of my goth/New Romantic clothing and my taste in music. What got me through this period of loneliness was DM and The Smiths. They spoke to my angst and I didn’t feel so alone. I attended one of their concerts during the Violator Tour and it was one of the absolute best concerts I ever attended.
An excellent live band first saw play London in 1990 on the Violator tour with my sweetheart from school we were just 16!! Since then Seen them 4 or 5 times never actually seen them do a bad gig..I was at the London Crystal Palace gig with the Sisters of Mercy supporting them. And at Hyde Park when Goldfrapp and Thomas Dolby were the support. Alas missed them when Fad Gadget supported them because my brother was getting married that same fricking Weekend in Cyprus : ( But did manage to do the Delta Machines date at the 02 that lighting was Awesome but was stuck way up in the God’s. So going to get my ticket earlier this time around.If you have never seen Depeche go and see them you won’t be disappointed.So Roll on June the 3rd.
As a heterosexual, red blooded, Hispanic male, I feel neither shame nor embarrassment in admitting that “I f-ing love Depeche Mode”. I first saw them live around 90′ or 91′ @ Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre (holy $hit I’m old), and maybe 2 – 3 other times as well. IMO some of the best live shows I’ve ever been to with the exception of the US festival & Cal Jam 2 (I lost my wallet & my virginity). Aaaaah the good old days. Have a great weekend Y’all, I’m off to the attic to dust off some of my old 45’s, and dig out my suede Birkenstocks. #timeflies
My people!