Somehow, I'm unfamiliar with this one! But then, I'm not one for live albums either. I feel too much like the guy outside the window -- you *should* have been here, but you weren't, so too bad for you.
I wasn't aware of Depeche Mode or alternative music in general (which is what we used to call it...) until the very late 80s. That was mostly through my then-girlfriend (and now wife). I still go back to those songs often.
But then, I think most of North America wasn't really tuned in to alternative music in general -- hence the name "alternative" I s'pose. Post-punk and New Wave was mostly the Police and the occasional Thomas Dolby or Simple Minds hit -- and *those* were usually because it popped up in a John Hughes film. Even the review you quote about the crowd reveals a lot. The gothic aesthetic was really coming about then. At the time, it was a big part of the music (even though we don't think about that side of it too much anymore -- I'd forgotten myself!)
What's my point? Who knows. Probably simply something like, wow, that would have been a cool concert to go to if I'd been aware of them, which I wasn't, which most people weren't, which probably made it so cool in retrospect, though probably felt a little disenfranchised at the time. Or something like that.
In any case, great post! You've convinced me to search it out on Spotify!
DM is definitely an arena band! Kevin, I think you know that I saw them last year for the first time (in spite of being a pretty big fan for like 4 decades). If any On Repeat readers are interested, here was my experience: https://goatfury.substack.com/p/depeche-mode
They made a fantastic transition to arena. Initially saw them at The Ritz in NYC in 82 - I skipped the prom! One of them (Vince?) would run over to a Teac reel to reel on a center stage riser and hit play, run back to keyboard, do don't, then stop and repeat a bunch. Was really more of an OFF THE HOOK dance party and they were somewhat secondary as they just stood behind their keyboards - except the running back/forth. Years later they had blossomed into arena commanding syth gods/showmen.
I’ve been a huge Depeche Mode fan forever! Since the early 80s (81 or 82 probably) and my mom had gotten me some kind of compilation cassette that was “New Wave” it had Dreaming of Me by Depeche Mode, Joan of Arc by OMD, Fock of Seagulls (I think it was Photograph), Haircut 101’s Love Plus One… I got to see Depeche Mode on tour with OMD (Music for the Masses tour in 88?). Which is I think is the same tour 101 came from - I saw them in Chicago. And neither played the song that introduced me to them lol. But, they were both phenomenal!!
I saw them again within the next two years (Violator tour) - I have a list somewhere of who they are with and the years I saw them 😂 and I probably still have my ticket stubs from both in the hidden compartment of my jewelry box that’s in a box in storage somewhere lol
I’m surprised I never purchased 101. I have everything else on vinyl. I’ll have to give it a listen this week!
Back in 2018 or 2019 (just showed up in my Facebook memories yesterday) a group of friends and I went to see a Depeche Mode cover band - they were decent! We ended up partying with them after the show at their motel bar 🤣🤣🤣
And this all shot me down a rabbit hole of finding where I had written about the knock off Depeche Mode experience lol 😂 omg. I checked my Substack first because I was thinking it may have been one of my first pieces here… didn’t see it - had to go through the whole password recovery for my abandoned Tumblr…wasn’t there either. I found it on Medium finally, which said “originally published” on my Substack… Apparently, I had different titles for each place 🙄
I might! I have been working on a piece about the Violent Femmes concert! I have been publishing to Substack and then just importing to Medium, but have been thinking that I need to check into more of the Medium publications and maybe do the reverse.
The Violator tour was fantastic! There's (at least) a couple of us here that were lucky enough to see them then. In Portland, Nitzer Ebb opened, and must've been having an off night--it was a pretty awful set, and I was pretty bummed about it.
Somehow, I'm unfamiliar with this one! But then, I'm not one for live albums either. I feel too much like the guy outside the window -- you *should* have been here, but you weren't, so too bad for you.
I wasn't aware of Depeche Mode or alternative music in general (which is what we used to call it...) until the very late 80s. That was mostly through my then-girlfriend (and now wife). I still go back to those songs often.
But then, I think most of North America wasn't really tuned in to alternative music in general -- hence the name "alternative" I s'pose. Post-punk and New Wave was mostly the Police and the occasional Thomas Dolby or Simple Minds hit -- and *those* were usually because it popped up in a John Hughes film. Even the review you quote about the crowd reveals a lot. The gothic aesthetic was really coming about then. At the time, it was a big part of the music (even though we don't think about that side of it too much anymore -- I'd forgotten myself!)
What's my point? Who knows. Probably simply something like, wow, that would have been a cool concert to go to if I'd been aware of them, which I wasn't, which most people weren't, which probably made it so cool in retrospect, though probably felt a little disenfranchised at the time. Or something like that.
In any case, great post! You've convinced me to search it out on Spotify!
Thank you, Graham! I'm glad you enjoyed it, and good points all around.
DM is definitely an arena band! Kevin, I think you know that I saw them last year for the first time (in spite of being a pretty big fan for like 4 decades). If any On Repeat readers are interested, here was my experience: https://goatfury.substack.com/p/depeche-mode
And, for 101: wow.
It's my favorite live record, hands down.
It's one of my faves too! In fact, in a lot of cases, I prefer the versions here to the studio ones.
Same, and that's super rare for me. I love demos and early recordings, but live stuff usually just sounds worse. Not so with 101.
They made a fantastic transition to arena. Initially saw them at The Ritz in NYC in 82 - I skipped the prom! One of them (Vince?) would run over to a Teac reel to reel on a center stage riser and hit play, run back to keyboard, do don't, then stop and repeat a bunch. Was really more of an OFF THE HOOK dance party and they were somewhat secondary as they just stood behind their keyboards - except the running back/forth. Years later they had blossomed into arena commanding syth gods/showmen.
I love this! By the time I saw them (on the Violator tour) that transformation was complete.
I’ve been a huge Depeche Mode fan forever! Since the early 80s (81 or 82 probably) and my mom had gotten me some kind of compilation cassette that was “New Wave” it had Dreaming of Me by Depeche Mode, Joan of Arc by OMD, Fock of Seagulls (I think it was Photograph), Haircut 101’s Love Plus One… I got to see Depeche Mode on tour with OMD (Music for the Masses tour in 88?). Which is I think is the same tour 101 came from - I saw them in Chicago. And neither played the song that introduced me to them lol. But, they were both phenomenal!!
I saw them again within the next two years (Violator tour) - I have a list somewhere of who they are with and the years I saw them 😂 and I probably still have my ticket stubs from both in the hidden compartment of my jewelry box that’s in a box in storage somewhere lol
I’m surprised I never purchased 101. I have everything else on vinyl. I’ll have to give it a listen this week!
Back in 2018 or 2019 (just showed up in my Facebook memories yesterday) a group of friends and I went to see a Depeche Mode cover band - they were decent! We ended up partying with them after the show at their motel bar 🤣🤣🤣
And this all shot me down a rabbit hole of finding where I had written about the knock off Depeche Mode experience lol 😂 omg. I checked my Substack first because I was thinking it may have been one of my first pieces here… didn’t see it - had to go through the whole password recovery for my abandoned Tumblr…wasn’t there either. I found it on Medium finally, which said “originally published” on my Substack… Apparently, I had different titles for each place 🙄
https://kristinwritesmuch.substack.com/p/derailing?r=1iil3
Lol. Thanks for the link!
Speaking of Medium, let me know if you are ever interested in being added as a writer for The Riff.
I might! I have been working on a piece about the Violent Femmes concert! I have been publishing to Substack and then just importing to Medium, but have been thinking that I need to check into more of the Medium publications and maybe do the reverse.
The Violator tour was fantastic! There's (at least) a couple of us here that were lucky enough to see them then. In Portland, Nitzer Ebb opened, and must've been having an off night--it was a pretty awful set, and I was pretty bummed about it.
Yes!! It was Nitzer Ebb in Chicago too! I was wondering if they were the opening band - I knew they were for one of the concerts I went to back then!