Depeche Mode in Amsterdam 07.05.2017 or "Born slippy"

On Sunday morning we flew with a small aircraft of SAS airline to Amsterdam. 

We was very tired, because in the last night we met some other devotees and came back to our hotel very late. If you ever come to Stockholm, the Courtyard by Marriott, Kungsholmen is a great place to stay. Near by the bus to the airport, there's a subway station and you can walk to Gamla Stan at the waterfront. Spacy rooms, very clean and friendly stuff. If you book a good time in advance they have  fair prices.

But what you see in the next picture is now Amsterdam, a view of our hotel there, Ibis at the centralstation. Small but clean rooms, a nice bar and so close to the satin, perfect for a short stay. Look at these bicycles.... I love the dutch people for hiking so much. Amsterdam is one of my favorite cities in the world, so open minded, so beautiful with all the canals and bridges, great pubs, museums, restaurants....

Here I met my friend Martin. We traveling together since 2001 and in paris 2014 we saw our last Depeche Mode concert together. at that time I couldn't now, that there's coming a new tour and I was really sad, because I thought, maybe we will have this fun again together. We live in the same city and have lots of other fun together but it's a special kind of fun to visit a Depeche Mode concert.

We are a well-rehearsed team and I was happy the play starts again. So we made a short walk through the red light district, had some beers and a good Thai meal, vegan of course.

I ate not enough the last days because it was so easy to find good vegan options at Stockholm.

After a short stop in our hotel to dress us up, we drove to the Ziggo Dome. Here is the stadium of Ajax Amsterdam, and because we both are big football fans in general, we took a picture in front of this.

Next stop Ziggo Dome, a multi functional arena. Well organized with lockers for your jackets and other stuff. so we bought some merchandise and lock it while the concert.

After another few beers we came into the standing area. Wow so many people inside this arena....

Unluckely there was only the screening in the middle because the arena is not wide enough for the side screenings, but on the side screenings the band was filmed while the show and now we will miss that. Hard if you stand far way of the stage like we did  as this evening.

Ok, with the first show I wasn't totally happy like you read in my last post. But I want to give all the give them a second chance and to have a great evening specially with Martin, because it's his first show of this tour. So we decided to have a drop beer before the show is starting. This is a special ritual between Martin and me, buy a beer and then drink it off the reel. Special kind of fun, you know?

Depeche Mode came out.... same game like in Stockholm, the audience didn't see Dave and as they discovered him on his podium a murmur went though the masses.

The audience was in a good mood and many of the people around us danced like us. The setlist was the same. No wonder, it's the 2.concert. The crowd liked the first two new songs....and in the beginning of " Barrel of a gun" they sang with the band, but it is a downer, it didn't work good live. 

"Cover me" was the first highlight, it is such an quite song but a wonderful live song, Dave sing it very insistently. Because the absent screens we didn't see so much of the band and we listened to the music and so I can say, Dave singing very well, maybe better then ever before.

He was very concentrated on the singing, he didn't cheer the audience like otherwise. And I think that's the reason because the general mood isn't like every time. But give him time...it's the second concert. The crowd like the screenings, most of the people near us enjoyed it, I remark it.

 In the middle Martin L. Gore performed first " Home". He came on the catwalk and the audience sang with him. I like this version very much and had my fun, too.
After "Question of lust" Dave sang " Poison heart", a song he written for the new album. I like it very much on the album, but live it  has not the same depth like "Cover me".

And than "the train is coming", very good screening. The audience like the song and clapped their hands as the dictator stood on his podium, very funny.

"Wrong" and "Everything counts" pushed the show very hard, good choice to play them one after the other. So after that " Stripped" bubble the good mood down, because you didn't see the band very good and the screening is boring, to be honest.

Ok, and again one of my favorite songs of all times and maybe the best song Martin L. Gore has ever written: "Enjoy the silence". 

I couldn't accept the screening and many people react like me, maybe because different reasons, but this screening is a atmosphere killer. First all scream and sang, but it became quiter and quiter, that's a pity. 

" Never let me down" worked against it very well. It is the hymn of Depeche Mode, the one and only song if you could choose only one.

Ok, it's the second concert, please give me more time. I'm still not arrived at the new tour. So I couldn't here " Heroes" this evening. My friend Martin came out a little bit later and he reported, that many people didn't identify the song. It would be better Dave would make an statement, but it's not his way, how we all know. 

Outside I spoke with many fans and I'm very happy to hear, that's many of them are very happy about the concert. This pair came from Germany and was very content with it.

For me it's so important to meet other fans. I like to talk with them all. I'm a blatherskite...

To " Personal Jesus" I was back into the standing area and enjoyed my " Personal Jesus".

Outside we met many more fans from all over Europe. And we hearda snipped of "born slippy" by Underworld. And we looked where it came from and beside the Ziggo Dome was a stylish bar and there was a great and funny Aftershowparty. They plaid great songs of the 80ies: Human League, Billiy Idol, Madness, New Order. Fantastic. I didn't like Aftershowparties with only Depeche Mode, specially when I heard them live a few minutes before.

At 1.00 o'clock a.m. it ended and we took Taxi to the central station. I felt into my bed like a stone and slept deep and dreamless.

Depeche Mode starts the Global Spirit Tour in Stockholm at 05.05.2017 or "Where is the revolution?"

Hi dears, I'm very late with my blog for the first 3 concerts of the global spirits tour. But from last Friday on ( flight to Stockholm, first concert, the many impressions of the concert and the city, the meeting of all the devotees and the beers I drank....) I was so busy.
From Stockholm to Amsterdam, next morning back to Cologne, working, next evening after working to Antwerp by car, back to Cologne in the night and working again next morning. Today I had to do such a lot things and now I'm sitting here to start writing. Tomorrow morning I will fly to Nice, to see my 4. concert of the Spirits Tour.

So I had to keep it short, please understand. From Nice on I will post every day after a concert, be sure. Hope you will follow me inspire my late start.

Here is a picture of the last tour. It is my favorite picture. My name is Schulzi.

This is Stockholm, is my 3.time in this city. I like it, but it's not my favorite town in Scandinavia.

For us it's a very expensive town. A pint of beer cost about 10€.

Stockholm are many islands in an archipelago and so you see the water everywhere, that's very beautiful.

But at Friday we arrive in the late afternoon so we have to go to the Friends Arena, a stadium with a roof, where Depeche Mode start their Global spirit tour.

on our way

                     .....and here is the Friends Arena. Beside is the Scandinavia mall. There was a store specially for the concert day, a Depeche Mode merchandise store. But we were to late to find him. I hope I will find it next time ( it will be in a few cities again).

 Here with my travel mates. We were so excited.....yeah, first show!!!

 Inside I met a lot of devotees from all over the world. First people I saw were a american couple which I knew since 12 years. We met 2005 in San Jose at the "Playing the angel tour" the first time.
That's one of the best when you meet everywhere crazy people like yourself are.

And with a few people you'll becoming good friends and so I'm very happy to meet this guy again.
You will see him often on my blog, because he will be my main travel mate .

I had "Front of the stage" tickets, very spacy this time with an own bar, so very comfortable for us.

I was excited to hear the DJ Set.... but some things will come later at the tour, there are enough concerts left to discover all the small specials of the tour.

And then it was time, the lights turned of and we heard a snippet of " Revolution" of the Beatles. LOL

Can't remember what was the incoming music... maybe a part of "where is the revolution" ? I was to excited.

And then.....the screening starts and the band came out: Martin Gore, Peter Gordeno, Christian Eigner and Fletch walked to their places on stage.... but no Mr. Dave Gahan..... I got a little bit nervous.... then he walked on a podium over the rest of the stage. The podium is integrated in the screening, so he walked over the screen. The audience screamed so loud as they all discover him finally.

First song " Going backwards" from the new album "Spirit".

Meanwhile Dave walked down to his microphone.

Followed by " So much love" of Spirit swell. Both new songs worked very well live.

Then Dave said " Good evening, Stockholm!" What a great moment, an unbelievable feeling to be part of another Depeche Mode Tour again, I can't believe, I'm such a lucky one to have the possibility to live this dream.

Later on my blog, be sure, I will write more about every song, but the first concert is a very special film, once started the end is coming quicker as thought.

So here is the complete setlist.

I hope there will e a few changes, I want o hear more of their unbelievable back catalogue. 

Until " Cover me" we heard to be honest nothing new.

Here a picture of the screening of " in your room".

I have to think about it.

The most screenings by Anton Corbjin I didn't understand this time. Anton did not such a good job, because the screenings took to much place, sometimes you couldn't see the band because they stood in the darkness....and if you far away you can see only the screenings.

I said to my travel mate : hey Thomas, why we have to see this old unknown couple dancing to in your room ? We both paid so much money for the tour, why made Anton not a film of you and me both, dancing together ? It would be make more sense!"

Dave's last song of the first part was " Cover me", a song he wrote for "Spirit".

Here I like the screening. A film about an old astronaut plaid by Dave himself. An old man sitting on a bench in his astronaut's suite and thinking about his past, his exciting job as a astronaute. At the end  he's taking hois helmet and walked to the ocean....didn't understand the meaning, but it was a beautiful film, shoot in black and white, you saw every wrinkle in Dave's old but beautiful face. It made me a little bit sad.

As every time Dave walked out for 2 songs and martin sang " Home " in the very good album version and " Question of lust"

Then " Where is the revolution" with a refreshed Mr. Gahan.

He gaves a little "Mao" at the podium in front of the screenings with flags and legs.....

But I started to call me " where is the revolution?"

Then " Wrong" and now finally a song for the fans for singing with the band " Everything counts" ....in a larger amounts. The audience woke up a little bit.

And the rest of the film.... you have to wait until my next post's, because I don't want to write to bad things here. The rest of the first concert my friends and I started to discuss.... the screening of "Enjoy the silence" wasn't funny we found and it was such a downer, we went a little bit aside to speak and drink together. After the break Dave sang " Heroes" of David Bowie. It's a sacrilege for me and you will hear more about this.

First summing-up 4 years went down in our life's since the last tour, but 4 years are 4 years, the band are now in the mid fifties and maybe the wild days are gone ? 

I hope not and I will give them a chance in Amsterdam and Antwerp.

We pent the evening in town and as I stood on a street near the central station in front of a bar, 3 balloons flew across the street... I caught them.... what kind of sign was this ?

The whole saturday we walked trough the sunny city and later we met some Kiss fans on their way to the telekom Arena where Kiss plaid at the evening.

It was a wonderful stay in this friendly beautiful city.

So enjoy some picture and excuse again my late posting. Stay tuned, tomorrow I'll try to post Amsterdam and Antwerp.

Have to sleep to be fresh in Nice tomorrow.

Globalspirit Tour of Depeche Mode starts at Barrowland, Glasgow

Good morning your people outside, lovely devotees,  wherever you are, whatever you do. I hope, no I'm sure, I know a few of you and I hope I will meet some of you at the upcoming Depeche Mode Tour, hope I will find new readers, hope we'll have a long and exciting tour.

So, a pressconference in Milano, the new single "where is the revolution", the new album "spirits" and a few promotion appearances lay behind us. The new tour Globalspirit is announced until March 2018 with the very good news that the band will play finally in South America again.

And now, the first payed concert lay in the past, too. Can't believe how the time is running. You sit at home, planning your tour - that's hard work, believe me - and think, oh wow, it is such a long time until the tour will starts. But then the day come and the time is running like sand in your hands when Depeche Mode come on stage.

The tour starts in Stockholm in May, but a few weeks ago the BBC announced the " 6 music festival" in Glasgow in different locations. And they announced,  Depeche Mode will be a part of it on Sunday March 26 in the Barrowland Ballroom, where the Band played at last at 16 October 1984, unbelievable......

And yes, we, a group of friends, booked the concert, hotel rooms and a flight to Glasgow. I love Glasgow, because it's a small beautiful town and the Glaswegians are very friendly and open minded people.

And so we met us in a very big group at the airport of Dusseldorf on an early Sunday morning.
It was clock change in the night before so it was really early, but so what when the reward is Depeche Mode.

After landing we took a taxi to our hotel. It was not in the city because we was so many friends for the first concert and we descend on the hotel like a swarms of bees..... lol, because the german fans are called the black swarm. I know them all but I'm not really part of the black swarm , because I love   coloured clothes.

We hadn't time for sightseeing, after a short break in our rooms to style us for the first concert, we went by taxi to the pre-show in the solid rock cafe near Glasgow station. The pre-show was presented by the "kilts", a scotish fan group like the black swarm, but they wear kilts.... what else ?
I think a few of you know them. At the "Playing the angel" tour they made many concerts all over the world and they wear the kilts and the same Iroquois bonnet, Martin Gore wore the whole tour on the concerts.

We meet a lot of more friends there from all over Europe, that was so fantastic. We didn't see us for years and then depeche Mode is on tour and you meet again and it begins there where we stopped.
That's I like most when I'm traveling around to the concerts, to meet friends and devotees, to discover new people, talking and drinking together, dancing, screaming....
A few very good friendships developed from this.

And then taxi to the Barrowland Ballroom, a room with a long history. There played all the important musicians including Depeche Mode themselves : David Bowie, Blondie, Iggy, U2, Björk and many more. It's an room for 1900 people. Inside there are long ways stairs on, stairs up, I had problems to find the hall with the stage. It's a little bit old style there, a funky old ballroom style, but this is my style.
And from here I had a few problems, I had a few beers with even more friends and then we mixed us under the crowd and stand maybe in the 6t or 7th row in front of the stage. I was so excited, the whole day long I was very cool but now..... there was an electricity in the air, bzzzzz.

Yes, and then the moment came.... I know there was a woman announcing Depeche Mode, but I didn't hear what she said, I plunged in a tunnel. Sorry, I'm a real big fan of the band but I think there are not enough words for describing what Dave is for me. So I saw only him, banned of his aura. The first tears, but tears of joy, of emotion. He wore a vest, no jacket.... he moves from the first song as we know it from him. He is the best, there's no doubt.

Spoiler, take care.......

"Going backwards" is the opener and I'm sure it will be the opener of the tour, great text lines like " but we have nothing inside, we feel nothing inside" will attend us the next year.
" So much love" is an song in a question of time style and so Dave came really fast to the point.
Followed by "Corrupt" what is a surprise and very well sang by Dave. " A pain that I used to ", ok I thought, we heard it at the last tour... we will see, what the whole set will brings. ( they played " Barrel of the gun", too, I like it, but we heard it on the last tour and I want to hear other songs, they didn't play often ).
Then "Cover me". A highlight of the new album and a great livesong. Very well presented, the song is written  by Dave, so his interpretation is more personal, I think. " I dreamt of us in another life, one we've never reached." Very intense.
Then " Home" ! I really enjoy this so often heard song but it figures great to this evening with one of the best crowds ever. A complete party from beginning on and they deserved " Home"( in the Ultra album version).
Now the new single " where's the revolution". It's not an easy live piece, I think it have to grow....
Only three songs left: " Walking in my shoes", " Personal Jesus " and yes: " Enjoy the silence".
partytime, you all know what going on when we reached this advanced stadium, the crowd sang every word with Dave, a little bit hysteric stadium, but wonderful being again part of this.
It was a short performance, but the train is coming.... in nearly 5 weeks we will see them in Stockholm. I'm so excited what they will play in the whole set, hope more songs from the  new album, because there are so many great songs on it.
So stay tuned, this will be an amazing years, I have many concerts planned and you could come on board of my train, please come along with me.

You can find me on Facebook and Instgram: mydailymodeblog and on Twitter as Schulzi.
Would be great when you leaving a comment.

Cover me !!!

all pictures taken by myself

the train is coming

It's a long time ago since my last post. Life is flowing.... many things happened since the last time.
In my private life, in the life of my friends, in Europe, around the world.
David Bowie left the world, I hope he is on mars now.
This is not a political blog, so I won't write anything about Trump or other.....

Where is the revolution, I ask with the new single of Depeche Mode.
Please stay tuned, I start writing in the next days. On Sunday I'll go to Glasgow to the first gig of Depeche Mode. I'm very excited.
Later I will write more, this was for checking my account.

The train is coming, so get on board