Totally agree, it messes with your brain for the first couple of tracks... that's how clever it is. They're there, on stage... except of course they're not.
What concert have you last been to #3
- Thread starter Rasher
- Start date
Depeche Mode - London O2 Arena - 22/01/2024
I've seen Depeche Mode a few times and a friend wanted to go, having never seen them before so got tickets for this even though I approached it with trepidation on two counts. Firstly could an ageing DM without Andy Fletcher deliver and secondly it's at the O2... I have never ever been to the O2 without the dreadful acoustics at least part way spoiling the show. Took my partner as well even though she is not much of a DM fan so was concerned this could be a car crash, but... I was wrong to be worried on all counts.
Firstly DM did something no other band I've seen at the O2 (including U2) has managed... they got it to sound good. Kudos to the sound engineers... the horrible bass boom was still there, but reduced so much you didn't mind. Gahan and Gore's vocals were crystal clear and the attack on the drums and synths was just awesome, but the best bit was the balance... everything just worked together, you could hear it all. So many stadium gigs the vocals get lost or the keyboards are lost in the drums and guitars. Not so here... the sound was really good.
Secondly DM can still play... really really well. The band (supplemented by Austrian drummer Christian Eigner and British keyboardist Peter Gordeno) were just wonderfully tight and tuneful throughout and both Gore and Gahan's voices are still in fine fettle. Gahan reminds me a bit of Jagger... he's 61, but moves round the stage like a man half his age and knows exactly what the crowd want.
My friend who is fan but had never seen them before loved it, but the real surprise was my partner who has never shown any inkling of liking them other than a smattering of appreciation for Just Can't Get Enough and Enjoy The Silence loved them... she was literally overwhelmed by the sound and quality of the songs when played live... have to say I can't disagree with her. Some bands just come to life when playing live compared to their recorded material (the three best examples I know are U2, The Pogues (RIP Shane) and Midnight Oil) and DM are in that category. What she liked was the fact that despite them being pigeon-holed as synth pop they are far more like a rock band (with some synths) live. One of the best tracks they played live was John The Revelator which is a little know track outside of DM fans, but as she said... it had such power with its driving rhythm and wandering vocals over the top.
Highlights for me were Everything Counts (bizarrely as it's not one of my favourite DM tracks), It's No Good, World In My Eyes (during which they paid tribute to the late Andy Fletcher), Ghosts Again, Never Let Me Down Again and Personal Jesus. They clearly look like they still enjoy it and a sell out arena crowd went home very happy having danced and waved arms and yelled for at least the last half of the concert. My only slight criticism (and this is a personal bugbear I share with Lee Mack about bands that do this) is they turned Enjoy The Silence into a crowd singalong... sorry Dave, Martin... but I have paid a fair bit of money to hear you sing it... anyway I realise I am in a minority here as the crowd lapped it up.
So to sum up... DM can still cut it live and then some, their sound engineers deserve a medal and it was a thoroughly good evening all round as all three of us went home very happy... my concerns about my partner not enjoying it were completely unfounded... I think they have a new fan.
The only downside was that the thieving so and sos at O2 wanted £40 to park for the event (my partner's house is on that side of London so made sense to drive especially as accessing a train after the gig is a total nightmare). Whereas going to the cinema gives you 4 hours free parking i.e. one cinema ticket at £13 gets the same deal as £40, the latter just because you are going to a gig. Not right really. If only there were some way round it... like buying one cinema ticket rather than paying the £40
I've seen Depeche Mode a few times and a friend wanted to go, having never seen them before so got tickets for this even though I approached it with trepidation on two counts. Firstly could an ageing DM without Andy Fletcher deliver and secondly it's at the O2... I have never ever been to the O2 without the dreadful acoustics at least part way spoiling the show. Took my partner as well even though she is not much of a DM fan so was concerned this could be a car crash, but... I was wrong to be worried on all counts.
Firstly DM did something no other band I've seen at the O2 (including U2) has managed... they got it to sound good. Kudos to the sound engineers... the horrible bass boom was still there, but reduced so much you didn't mind. Gahan and Gore's vocals were crystal clear and the attack on the drums and synths was just awesome, but the best bit was the balance... everything just worked together, you could hear it all. So many stadium gigs the vocals get lost or the keyboards are lost in the drums and guitars. Not so here... the sound was really good.
Secondly DM can still play... really really well. The band (supplemented by Austrian drummer Christian Eigner and British keyboardist Peter Gordeno) were just wonderfully tight and tuneful throughout and both Gore and Gahan's voices are still in fine fettle. Gahan reminds me a bit of Jagger... he's 61, but moves round the stage like a man half his age and knows exactly what the crowd want.
My friend who is fan but had never seen them before loved it, but the real surprise was my partner who has never shown any inkling of liking them other than a smattering of appreciation for Just Can't Get Enough and Enjoy The Silence loved them... she was literally overwhelmed by the sound and quality of the songs when played live... have to say I can't disagree with her. Some bands just come to life when playing live compared to their recorded material (the three best examples I know are U2, The Pogues (RIP Shane) and Midnight Oil) and DM are in that category. What she liked was the fact that despite them being pigeon-holed as synth pop they are far more like a rock band (with some synths) live. One of the best tracks they played live was John The Revelator which is a little know track outside of DM fans, but as she said... it had such power with its driving rhythm and wandering vocals over the top.
Highlights for me were Everything Counts (bizarrely as it's not one of my favourite DM tracks), It's No Good, World In My Eyes (during which they paid tribute to the late Andy Fletcher), Ghosts Again, Never Let Me Down Again and Personal Jesus. They clearly look like they still enjoy it and a sell out arena crowd went home very happy having danced and waved arms and yelled for at least the last half of the concert. My only slight criticism (and this is a personal bugbear I share with Lee Mack about bands that do this) is they turned Enjoy The Silence into a crowd singalong... sorry Dave, Martin... but I have paid a fair bit of money to hear you sing it... anyway I realise I am in a minority here as the crowd lapped it up.
So to sum up... DM can still cut it live and then some, their sound engineers deserve a medal and it was a thoroughly good evening all round as all three of us went home very happy... my concerns about my partner not enjoying it were completely unfounded... I think they have a new fan.
The only downside was that the thieving so and sos at O2 wanted £40 to park for the event (my partner's house is on that side of London so made sense to drive especially as accessing a train after the gig is a total nightmare). Whereas going to the cinema gives you 4 hours free parking i.e. one cinema ticket at £13 gets the same deal as £40, the latter just because you are going to a gig. Not right really. If only there were some way round it... like buying one cinema ticket rather than paying the £40
paulfromcamden
Baffled
£40 for parking!!!
It's London, the car is not welcome.
paulfromcamden
Baffled
I live not too far from the O2 and that part of town suffers from pretty epic congestion at times - not helped by being so close to the Blackwall Tunnel. So I get why they try and discourage people from driving to the venue.
But £40 is taking the piss.
The irony is that I actually find it's one of the few venues that is relatively easy to drive in and out of. Last night we left the car park at 11pm and were in Herne Hill by 11:30. Wembley ... I'd still be in Wembley 30 mins later
Andrew C!
Been around a while....
Off to see them tomorrow at Birmingham.
paulfromcamden
Baffled
Could be the O2 or it could be the tour system tech as they'll be flying their own PA.
I think DM have nailed them, not the O2... I was at Madonna there in December and the acoustics were bloody dreadful.... as was Madonna (not my choice to go btw).
bor
queue jumper
Great review, tiggers.
All very charismatic front-men. INXS would also fall into that category.
James Evans
Bedroom Bodger
They got the balance right it seems Was tempted by Manchester but the ticket prices were just obscene
Was tempted by Manchester but the ticket prices were just obscene
paulfromcamden
Baffled
How much were tickets? I read a few bits about them using Ticketmaster dynamic pricing in the US and people paying $3000+(!)The got the balance right it seems
James Evans
Bedroom Bodger
Jesus, nowhere near that, but around £200 for the ones I saw, and they were up in the gods a fair way from the stage. There were cheaper tickets available, but directly to the side and behind the stage. Still in the 70-80 range I seem to remember. They're great live, but £200 I just wasn't prepared to pay.
Don't know anything about dynamic pricing, I paid £85 a ticket through their website the week they announced the date (via AXS I think) and we were sat in the tiered stands directly opposite the stage. Great view.
Rug Doc
pfm Member
I saw Kiss there last year and it was again great sound. Very interesting video here re the DM rig..
paulfromcamden
Baffled
I don't know if it's become a thing here in the UK yet. I hope not!
He's worked with Peter Gabriel... that explains a lot... PG's live sound is fantastic and he's a perfectionist so makes sense that Jamie Pollock helped with the excellence in the DM sound.
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Yeah, sorry... I know what it is, just don't know if it was used for DM tickets... hope not.