Smash Hits 1987
Lots of eerie music accompanies the arrival of Depeche Mode on stage:
it's all very gothic. But Dave Gahan hasn't got his vampire suit on - in
fact he's bedecked in very casual Togs, just a leather jacket and a pair of
jeans which are outrageously tight.
No messing about - the band go straight into their current single
'Behind The Wheel'. The most noticeable thing is the clouds of dry
ice which billow out continously from behind the stage, making you
wonder if someone's burnt the band's dinner... Dave doesn't seem to mind,
he's prancing about all over the place, sticking out those buttocks,
swinging around with the mike stand, and yelling 'hey!' at every
Opportunity.
A lot of the band's newer material is, well, a bit gloomy to say the
least, but you wouldn't think it watching these boys all having a killer
whale of a time. In fact the red head on synth (one of them) hardly touches
the thing at all, spending most of his time giving us all a twirl.
Eventually Martin Gore takes centre stage, producing the only real instrument
of the night. He's wearing a very bizarre outfit, which seems to consist of
strips of PVC leather and lots of dangly silvery bits (perhaps my contact
lenses weren't working properly).
Suddenly the spotlight comes on again, for Old Gahan is back strutting
his stuff - and a few of the old hits come out - 'Shake The Disease',
'Everything Counts' ... then the boy leaps up on to the raised platform
and goes into a FRENZY!
The biggest roar of the show accompanies the return of Mr G... only he
hands over the vocal role to the other Mr G and 'Question Of Love'. This
induces an amazingly hippyish outbreak of people raising lighted matcches!
Is this really 1988? But not for long... back comes Dave, straight into
'Master And Servant', and at last he hurls his jacket into the audience,
causing a minor scuffle in which 50 policemen are fatally wounded (only
joking...)
What looks like dry ice continues to pour out, the fire brigade are called,
only to discover that Mrs Billings has left the burgers on the grill. Oh
well, it all happens at Wembley doesn't it?
"It was good, but I saw them in Cologne in Germany, and they were better
then. The atmosphere isn't that great." MICHAEL from Croydon.
"Yes, it was very good. Sorry, we're from Japan. We can't speak much
English." MANI and ERAN.
"Yeah, it was brilliant. It was better than last year!" SHARON and ANITA from Cambridgeshire.
"We go and see them every time they're on tour. We're coming tomorrow, and
Dave Gahan's the sexiest beast in the world." A mob from Croydon.
"Yeah, it was brilliant. The music really got to you." Another mob from Croydon.
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