Freitag, 12. Januar 2018

My life with Depeche Mode in general or 2017

These day I saw on Facebook that a guy wrote a dissertation about „the hedonic consumption & nostalgia among the DM fan community“.
I didn't read the work until now, because first I want to answer a few question a friend asked me yesterday.
He ask for my reasons to follow Depeche Mode since over 30 years and why it is not boring to watch almost the same show again and again?

I'm Depeche Mode fan since 1981. I think my life would have be another life without Depeche Mode.
I grew up with my grandmother until I was 5. My grandmother didn't listen to music.
Then I moved to my parents in Cologne. They were foreigners for me but the first thing I like in my new home was the music. My mother loved Elvis, The Beatles, Alexandra and Udo Jürgens. My father was addicted to James Last. After a few beer he like to dance on the table to James Last, he was a party guy and I think I inherited that, the total dedication to music ..

With 10 years I discovered Abba and Abba was the first band I saw live.....many years it was the only music I listened to in my small room.
As I was 14, my mother bought me the book „ Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo“, which described the experiences of a girl as a drug user in Berlin.
Through this book I find to the music of David Bowie and I from there I was a David Bowie fan. 
But Bowie was finally another generation and I felt a little bit alone. Alone at home, alone with my music.
I had a school friend, Klausi, I met him every afternoon, he collected records.
1981 he had a new record, it was "Speak and Spell“ of Depeche Mode. This moment, I think, changed my life. The combination of the voice and the music was totally different to all I heard before.. Since this day I was under the spell ( nice wordplay) of Depeche Mode and although Depeche Mode changed their sound and their members, I was remained a fan, specially of Mr. Gahan.
I went with Depeche Mode and Mr. Gahan through all highs and downs. I suffered a lot with them/him.
From 1982 I visited concerts of the band and from year to year I saw more concert on one tour. 1987/1988 I saw the complete European tour under many hard circumstances because I haven't a lot of money at this time for tickets and the journeys.
Last year I saw 39 concerts of the „ Global Spirit Tour“, and with the upcoming concerts this year I will reach my personal record of all times on one tour ( I hope).

You see, I'm really addicted to Depeche Mode, but why?

Depeche Mode brought brightness in my life. 1981 I needed friendly easy music. I lived in a cold and ugly neighbourhood in Cologne, I felt lonely while missing my Granny.

Depeche Mode looked like teenagers at this time, not the smartest, same like me. I searched for identification and the music of „ A broken frame“ gave me answers.
1983 I made a step forward, I planned to leave my family the first time, I try to emancipate myself in this world and the lines of „ Construction time again“ helped to construct my own world. 
„ Everything counts“ was after „ Get the balance right“ the best song I heard so far. I played the whole album but speacially this song every day from morning to evening. My brother ( only a year younger ,wanted to kill me for playing it again and again). With the music of „ Some great reward“ I graduate in school.
1985 I left home and started to live alone and 1987 ( master of myself) I followed the band through Europe. The life on the streets, every day another city, another concert, sleeping in trains or at stations showed me a site of life  I didn't know before. 
The concerts were still better for me than the albums. I loved their music, but the concerts, the show, Dave, that was my big love in my life.

Until 1997 I went through very hard times in my life, I made a few experiences not so far away from them of Mr. Gahan. „ Songs of faith and devotion“ was an answer for me to my doubt at the life in generally.
„Ultra“ was a solace for my broken soul.
1998 was my first child born and better times begans. 2001 I started again a big tour through the world to see Depeche Mode with my best friend.
To see Mr. Gahan with this unbelievable power made me believe in life so deep. 
All the years I travelled alone through the world but from 2001 on I started to connect me with other fans from all over the world. And this is another part of the fascintion of  Depeche Mode.
To meet other fans, to built up friendships, to see the world.


Last year wasn't a good year from me at the first sight. Really hard problems at home with my younger son, a unknown person tried to steal money from my bank accounts, my older son left home for study and so many other complications.
But in the summary I had one of the best years of my life because of the concerts of Depeche Mode.
I met friends at the end of the year and they asked me, what happened, you look so happy, so bright, so young?
Depeche Mode happened. 
Laughing, singing, dancing, crying, embracing, travelling, swimming, sightseeing, running, testing borders, eating, drinking, meeting people and friends, making holidays, hanging around.

2017

The album“ Spirit“ wasn't not the best for me, not so bad like „ Universe“ or „ Delta Machne“ but  far away from the last good album for me „ Exciter“.

But I flew full of lust to the first small gig in Glasgow.
Summary : I was shocked, no „ Never let me down“, first concert since 1987 without this song. I couldn't feel anything.



Stockholm: 
As I went into the stadium, I met two good friends from the USA. That's Depeche Mode, meeting other devotees all around the world.
First real show with the screenings of Anton Corbjin. Mmh, still no feeling from my site, good setlist ( with „never let me down“) but Dave wasn't the same like the tours before. 
Is it possible that the fascination was gone?



Amsterdam: a bad indoor concert. I was so shocked, I was sick after the concert, no joke, it is true.



Antwerpen: Dave's birthday and a very good mood. First light at the horizon ( totally unexpected in Belgium!)


Nice: another bad concert, I was bored of all. Even „ Personal Jesus“ was boring for me.
But I met many other friends and we spent a great night after the concert.
Next morning I ran along the wonderful promenade in Nice and flew happy back to home.



Bratislava: I was really sad about my missing connection to the band and cried deeply at „ Everything counts“, this hymn of my youth.
But the stay with the friends and a journey with a ship to Vienna was so wonderful.



Lille: best concert so far. Very good mood. The French celebrated „ Heroes“ and I got new hope.



London: deepest moment of the tour. After a funny day with my friends in Camden, I couldn't feel anything in this huge London stadium. The two attacks at the same evening in London and Torino, gave my mood the rest and I thought the first time I will cancel the tour. My best travelmates thought the same.
We said, Cologne will be maybe the last station if nothing will change for us.



Cologne: The return of Mr. Gahan. Don't know what happened, but there he was back again. The old Dave who gave everything and an audience which gave everything back to the band. Finally the show worked and so this day ended with a big happy end. I had "takeover day" ( facebook site Depeche Mode) and a day couldn't be better.



Hanover:
first double event. Two great concerts in my old home with very good friends. Two days full of singing, dancing and drinking to Depeche Mode.





Frankfurt: very good party in the Commerzbank arena. But they aren't still not so good like 2013.



Berlin: a very good pre-show party in the Hansastudios, Meistersaal, where I met devotee's from all over the world. I danced the whole night. The rainy concert in the Olympiastadium was unforgetable. Dancing in underwear to your favourite band with best friends, what could be better?



Rome: the last 4 tours the Rome concert was always under my best three. And like on the last tour: Rome won again. So full of joy the Italians celebrated the concert. 
It was a beautiful place, very hot summer day, wonderful hotel, laughing the whole three days there.
„ Everything counts“ and „ Personal Jesus“ were such amazing moments I cannot describe with words.



Milano: until the middle it was a very quiet concert and I was really surprised because Milan is everytime a bank. But with „ Home“ the Italians started singing and stopped first at „ Personal Jesus“. Wow, never heard something like this and so this concert was the second best concert of the tour.



Bologna: what a beautiful city. If you wasn't in Bologna, you didn't know Italy.
One of the best moments for me:
We are sitting together with three friends in an ugly small parc, drinking our last beer of our fridge in our B& B, before we had to go to the airport. Very unspectacular, a little bit like homeless peoples, but I think deep in our soul we all are a bit homeless and following Depeche Mode, because it feel like the home, we are all looking for. The connection between us three felt so good in this moment. We didn't speak a lot, just enjoying this great last moments of our Italy tour.
The whole time in Bologna we sat together everywhere

in this town and drank together, laugh together.... unbelievable. Thank you Arkadi, Ohst, Michael!



Paris:
not so good like expected, but again a very good aftershow party outside of the stadium where we found new friends.




Gelsenkirchen: last Germany concert and one of the best. „ Cover me“ was the song of the summer tour, this quiet small song. Mr. Gahan gave all and it was an amazing moment. Thank you Michael for putting me on your shoulders, I was so close and Dave threw me a kiss as he was on the catwalk.


Cluj:
A journey with my younger son, very important hours together with him.
Wonderful small city and beautiful country. One of the best concerts, full of love. Mr. Gore's birthday celebration. 



Las Vegas:
First concert of our USA tour. Very good concert with a good audience. I like this trashy city.
Saw first time the „Grand Canyon“. Testing my physically borders at the „ Stratosphere tower“.
Best picture of the tour besides Depeche Mode.



best picture ever!


Santa Barbara: Saw the „ Death Valley“on our way to Martin Gore's hometown.
Small venue, warm evening, a good concert.



San Diego:
the venue was to big, a very quiet concert, but a wonderful day in Mexico before the concert.


favorite tour drink


San Jose: Great indoor concert with a good audience. Mr. Gahan worked very hard and made an unbelievable show.



Oakland: One of the best concerts of the tour, believe it... in the USA. A huge dance party with my Personal Jesus.




Los Angeles:
4 concerts in the amazing Hollywood Bowl, finally a dream come true to see Depeche Mode there.
First time for me to see them 4 times in a row. The venue is like no other. Dave worked so hard this 4 days.
Best show was the last evening with a lot of setlist changes. Highlight“ Useless“ which I heard 1998 the last time live.










Manchester: first show for me of the winter tour, a few great changes, but now it was more a „Ultra“ concert than a „ Spirit" concert. But the new setlist worked very well, the mood was fanatstic and this in one of my fave british cities.



London. A big party with friends, happy to be happy in London again. New screening for „ Home“.




Frankfurt: First German gig in the winter in the fabulous Festhalle. Such an amazing crowd. Martin Gore are a bit shocked about the enthusiasm of the German fans. He walked on the catwalk while "Insight“ not to „ Home“. Maybe it was a bit to much dedication of the fans.
Funny.



Antwerpen: again a very good concert with the Belgians. New video for „ Everything counts“.



Stuttgart: the worst concert, no good mood at all.



Mannheim: again a good indoor concert, but not so good as expected.



Paris:
first concert: one of the best concerts of my life, everything was perfect, we met Mr. Corbjin!
second concert: they changed not enough songs, so the French were pissed.... not such a good concert. But we met our buddies from the summer at a after show party and had a great evening.






Turin 1: very good concert in a cold Italy. We had such a great time in this small city. Highlight: we met the band after the show in their hotel. We spoke with the friendly Andy Fletcher and saw the happy Mr. Gahan together with friends. He looks so fantastic and have an ineffable aura, what a man.




Turin 2: Like Paris 2.... do more setlist changes on your second concert, dear Depeche Mode.
The return of „ I feel you“ saved the evening.



Madrid:
The best christmas party ever with your favorite band and your best friends in a wonderful town with nice Spaniards.
Stood in row 6 at the end of the concert and enjoeyd every minute of the show. Personal Jesus....what can I say more?




39 concerts in Europe and USA. 11 countries, 2 continents.
28 flights, 23 car rides,11 train rides, 3 taxi rides, 1 bus ride, 7 by tram, 2 by foot, one by ship.
The most concerts I saw with my travel mates Ohst, Arkadi, Isa, Michael and Heike.
But Ohst has won, I saw 34 shows together with him.


Best List:
1. Rom
2. Milan
3. Cologne
4. Paris 1 Winter
5. Oakland
6. Hollywood 4
7. Cluj
8. Bologna
9. Hannover
10. Manchester





The tour is starting again yesterday in Hamburg. Please stay tuned.
See you next time.

#depechemode #globalspirittour #devotee #davegahan # martingore #fletch 





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