2023 - July - Depeche Mode at Berlin Olympiastadion

The funniest, but perhaps most accurate headline about yesterday's Depeche Mode concert was provided by the magazine Welt. It titled with 'Not many people are forgiven for a black vest with a gold back piece'.

Of course, this description refers to David 'Dave' Gahan, the frontman of Depeche Mode. He is once again powerful and exuberant on stage, just like always. This presence and his unmistakable voice are still his trademark. And thank goodness, the now 61-year-old hasn't forgotten a thing.

The atmosphere in the stadium, filled with nearly 70,000 spectators, is fantastic. Despite the hot 31°C at the start of the concert, the band appears rested and ready. Although you can sometimes see that we, as the audience, have matured a bit, everyone here seems to be dancing and singing along. Plus, this time we were allowed to bring a 0.5 liter PET bottle into the concert due to the high temperatures, which would always be mercilessly sorted out at the entrance.

At the beginning and in the middle of the concert, the band naturally presents their new album 'Memento Mori', which is also the tour name. The fact that this title, translated from Latin as 'Remember, you must die,' is somewhat melancholic, may also be due to the death of band member Andrew Fletcher in 2022.

Although the songs from the new album are good, the atmosphere in the stadium really heats up with the older songs. It starts with 'Walking In My Shoes' and continues with 'It’s No Good' and of course later with 'Enjoy The Silence,' 'Never Let Me Down Again,' and 'Personal Jesus,' just to name a few.

But the moment of the evening seems to belong to Martin Gore. He takes over as the singer for two songs and creates a sea of lights with the songs 'A Question of Lust' and 'Home'. Where lighters were used in the past, today the flashlight on our phones effectively and still atmospherically lights up.

Gore is then replaced by Gahan with the words 'absolutely wonderful,' and this could also summarize the entire evening.

And with this conclusion, I could have ended my report a few minutes ago, but then I just received this news: Depeche Mode extends their 'Memento Mori' Tour and will play several concerts in early 2024. This time, however, in arenas and halls instead of stadiums.

So, for those who haven't been able to attend so far, you can secure tickets soon. The pre-sale starts in a few days.