Depeche Mode @ Molson Amphitheatre

July 27th, 2009

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Hipsters and man-bangs were far and few in-between as groves of Depeche Mode fans (including CBC Q’s Jian Ghomeshi) collectively engaged in a mass exodus to the Molson Amphitheatre partly, to escape the fermenting foul of the garbage strike but mostly, to relive the 80s and 90s via the synth-pop tunes of Dave Gahan and company.

Humbly titled, the Tour of the Universe, the men of the Mode were rendered unidentifiable as they walked onstage marked only by their silhouettes thanks to the pupil-dilating glare of the LED backdrop. With an astounding career spanning 29 years, surprisingly, their entry was a rather muted affair as they kicked off the gig with “In Chains”, a low-key entry from their latest full-length, Songs of the Universe, that is riddled with distorted guitars, dragging drum beats, Asian-inspired tones and religious imagery.

From Gahan’s cancer scare last May to his recent leg injury in Spain, for a moment, it seemed like Depeche Mode had finally hit their stride as they churned out other new songs like “Wrong” and “Hole to Feed” without the energetic fervor that one would expect from a band that has inspired acts like the Pet Shop Boys, Coldplay, and even Hilary Duff. But with every song sung and each clothing item lost, Gahan demonstrated that neither he nor his band had succumbed to the oxidizing effects of old age.

Belting out the 1986 single “A Question of Time”, Gahan resurrected his old school dance moves that included his signature pirouette-like spins and booty sways albeit with more suggestive undertones. Along with “Walking in My Shoes” and “Precious”, the audience clamored for more and at times, even dipping into the realm of religious fanaticism. Case in point: a certain fella kept screaming out, “Oh My God!” within the first three seconds of each song as if he were in the presence of some deity. This was no preteen “zomg Zefron!” moment, this was the equivalent to a religious experience for some (or an excuse to smoke an obscene amount of Marijuana).

Unfortunately, the momentum was shortlived as Gahan retreated backstage following “Fly on the Windscreen” to allow guitarist Martin Gore to step up and perform a double-ballad set with “Little Soul” and “Home”. While a few people began to tear up as Gore crooned about little souls leaving footprints and finding a place you belong, many others took to their seats out of boredom or perhaps, disappointment that their dance party had temporarily been put on hold.

After a little hiccup, Gahan returned just in time to resurrect audience interest with hits like “In Your Room”, “I Feel You”, “Policy of Truth”, and “Enjoy the Science”. The second-to-last song riffed up a familiar chord progression that caused concert goers to go wild with the quintessential Depeche Mode tune, “Personal Jesus”, which expectedly caused the amphitheatre and the “Oh My God” fan behind me to have several more orgasmic-like cries of joy. “Waiting for the Night” ended the evening and appropriately so as many fans were surely sharing the lyrical sentiments to the much-anticipated concert that brought them 22 songs of euphoric ecstasy… most of the time, at least.

Tags: concert reviews, concerts, depeche mode, reviews