...so back to Depeche Mode...the beginning of the live experience.
My very first concert was DM.  It was at the Los Angles Forum.  I went with my older sister and her friend Frank...they were in high school and were so "cool".  Frank liking DM made me like them more!  That concert changed my life forever.  I remember thinking to myself, I cannot believe that I am seeing all of these songs that I love and only know from my tapes and the radio (No CD's yet!!) performed live.  I could not stop watching Martin and Dave and Alan and Fletch. There were no large TV screens at concerts yet and so you had to really look at the stage... AND, with little media coverage and no internet, exposure to bands was mainly music and not so much anything else.  Band symbols or pictures were hard to come by -and collectible. Posters and Pins and Tour Programs were something to buy at the show.  Finding a poser at the store was something to search for...some of the early DM pictures were just lame, but you always looked for something new!  Today's experience is much different. ..And after the show, when the band was gone, you had to wait to see them again in a couple of years or a new record or single to come out... Imagine, again, no internet for another 10 years! We had crappy high up side seats, but it was awesome! (looking through the rigging, I could see pretty well down to the stage). It was the Black Celebration tour.  The stage was set up in the old great way with different elevations...Alan Wilder on one side and Martin in front, Andy on the other side and Dave all over the place. Being the Catholic that I am, I remember feeling a little guilty for loving the song "Blasphemous Rumors" -but that made it all so much better. I don't think they played "It Doesn't Matter", but Martin did sing "Somebody". (Anyone who reads this is welcome to to help me "Fact Check"). This is the precursor to my being such a fanatic.  After the concert, I listened to my tapes over and over again.  I then started my search to hear to more.... I was in grade school with a paper route so income was basically zero and access to DM material was limited.  I remember borrowing my friend Ryan's Sisters Albums!  -She had "Construction Time Again" and the "People are People LP". Precious things...records.  We'll get to more of that later....
Until next time....

Echo6