My Depeche Mode Tour Blog 2017/18 Schulzi on Global Spirit Tour : Depeche Mode in Paris, December 3 or "One night in Paris with Anton"

After my compulsory break because my abdominal influenza I started traveling again on Sunday with my friends Arkadi, Isa and Ohst with one of my favorite means of transport, the Thalys train
In Cologne we live in a very privileged situation. The Thalys train bring you in 3 hours and 15 minutes from Cologne to Paris, station to station.
As I sat in the train I remembered my first journey to Paris. It was 30 years ago in November 1987.
I went together with my boyfriend Olaf to Paris ( by train, too but at this time we needed more than 6 hours to Paris). We rested 3 days and nights in paris to see all 3 shows of Depeche Mode in the "Palais Omnisport de Bercy"( now fresh renovated and called Accorhotel Arena).
1987 I was 21 years old and at this time I had seen all 16 concerts of the "Music for the masses" tour 1987 before Paris.
I was on the road from October 21 until November 14. I travelled through Europe by train and most of the times I slept in the trains and had no hotels.
I came back on November 14 to Cologne, tired, hungry and dirty. Touring in the 80ties wasn't the same like touring in this modern times.
So in Paris my friend and me we booked a room in a very good hotel to have a kind of holidays.

It was a wonderful experience to discover Paris, we were kids at this time and this city was a Metropolis for us.
Highlight were the 3 Depeche Mode concerts at the Palais Omnisport de Bercy. I didm't know a arena like this at this time.
A multifunctional modern arena, built at 1984 for 17000 people ( now 21000 ) for sport events and concerts. The arena has an unique look it's shortgrassed. There were 3 amazing unforgettable concerts with Front 242 as support band. The sec on d day they changed the setlist, Martin sang " It doesn't matt" and Dave " Just can't get enough". I had never thought at this time that I will return so many times to the Omnisport de Bercy. Yesterday was my 19th concert in this venue ( 18 Depeche Mode, 1 Madonna), this is so f*cking weird. Depeche Mode played 22 times at the Bercy included Sunday.

And the concerts at this venue are always special and for this reason Depeche Mode and Anton Corbijn filmed the two concerts of 2001 in the Bercy and called the DVD "One night in Paris".
And yes, the Parisian were great again on Sunday. We had standing tickets and the interior was completely overcrowded but I met finally David McElroy, he write the unbelievable good " Almost predictable Blog : http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.se

We searched for the wardrobe a while, but there wasn't a wardrobe, not really funny with all the warm winter clothes....
We drank one beer and find a good place near the mixer. The splitted the mixers in Paris, Sound left, Light right. At the beginning we were really tired from the journey and a late very good falafel dinner ( F''as du falafel at rue Roisiers, you have to try).

Then very on point at 8:45 p.m. Depeche Mode moved out. The crowd stood from the first song.

It was one of the best concerts of my whole life, You can really say..... words are unnecessary.
Dave came out... veni vidi vici.
The setlist was the normal one, but I'm so happy with this, because it fitted so wonderful.
Every song was perfect.
I was very touched at " Everything counts", because 1987 it was the last song of the set and as I heard this song in Paris 30 years later than my first Paris concert.... I was so overwhelmed.... the tears ran down... I didn't care... maybe one of the best concerts of my whole life.... I say it again....,pain.....
After the unbelievable "Cover me" and Martin's songs, Dave came back and we discovered Anton Corbjin. He took pictures on the stage at " Cover me" and after the break he stood at the mixer just next to us. We asked him for a selfie and he said, yes, and did the selfie by himself. I love this man.... later he danced like a devotee to "Walking in my shoes".
What a concert....... I'm now in the train back to Paris, because I went back very early on Monday morning because I have to work. Now I'm back in the Thalys train and I'm very excited.... what will be happen tonight?