A serious and dirty beat beats in a dark Palau Sant Jordi, illuminated only by a hypnotic blue light that attracts the gaze of 17,000 faces, attentive to the stage. The industrial sound of the introduction of My cosmos is Mine, which advances with a slow and crushing rhythm, envelops those present in a somber atmosphere and prepares them to enjoy all the nuances of Depeche Mode, its most mainstream version and its most difficult. access, only suitable for die-hard fans. From the original formation, the one that along with other groups shaped the so-called New Wave in London, Dave Gahan and Martin Gore remain. Andrew Fletcher, keyboardist and founding member of the group, died in 2022 and his departure gave the band’s new album, Memento mori (which translated means “Remember that you will die”) an aura of posthumous tribute.
Barcelona was the third date, after two concerts in Madrid, of their tour of Spain, which takes them to Bilbao next Thursday. Although the city was able to enjoy their classics in June at Primavera Sound, the public has welcomed the group with enthusiasm and devotion. A quick glance at the audience is enough to see the vast fan universe that drives Depeche Mode. It is worthy of study how Depeche Mode has managed to create a community of fans that ranges from 60 years old – and have grown up with their music – to young people of just 20, who have discovered them thanks to the series ‘The Last of Us’, to which provide the soundtrack to Never let me down again.
With the synth play of The Wagging Tongue, Gahan spinning like a top and Gore focused on the keyboards, Depeche Mode opens the way to its repertoire of classics. “Good night Barcelona,” the singer introduces as the stage turns reddish. The vocalist doesn’t need many words to stir up the hornet’s nest. By simply raising the microphone stand above his head, he manages to elicit a raucous ovation, from the first row to the last stands, as if with this gesture he encouraged those present to accompany him on an exciting journey through time. A journey that takes us to the nineties with Walking on my shoes and It’s no good. Gore abandons the keyboards to perform the first guitar solo of the night, with which both Gahan and the audience go into a frenzy.
Police the Truth, one of the best songs from the album ‘Violator’ (1990), hits hard. The forceful chorus “Truth hits everyone, truth hits everyone” followed by “the only certain thing in life is death” comes as a premonitory echo of the past that makes sense with the new work of Depeche mode. After the madness, the first chords of In Your Room emerge as a balm of peace even though the intensity that is breathed in the place does not decrease even a little.
The artist is wearing his usual uniform, a satin jacket and an eighties-style collared shirt, but he proudly shows off an unexpected detail: white flamenco-style high-heeled boots with which he promises to click all night. The stage seems to burn under the feet of the vocalist, who does not stop swaying and moving his hips to the rhythm of songs like Everything Counts. It is his personal hallmark, his evasion of reality to connect with that crazy young man from the seventies. Because the years weigh and pass – he turns 62 in two months – and yet he flows and dances lightly to end up parading along the catwalk attached to the stage.
The British continue with their endless battery of hits: the heartbreaking Precious, which Gahan sings to his children and was born as a result of his divorce, followed by a traditional dose of Depeche Mode with Before we drown. The singer leaves the focus to his partner who proceeds to sing Strangelove and Somebody solo. Martin Gore seizes his moment. He and his forceful voice, alone with a completely dedicated audience that illuminates the space with the lights of their cell phones, star in one of the most tender moments of the night.
The trip to the past ends and the duo returns those present to 2024, or rather 2023, with Ghost again. Behind them the screen plays the video clip of what is undoubtedly one of the most acclaimed songs from Depeche Mode’s new work. But this is a concert full of nuances and Depeche Mode brings out its rock side with I feel you and a Gahan with strange, zombie-like gaits, as if he were a modern reincarnation of Michael Jackson. Synth pop takes over the room and starts a party with eighties vibes and A pain that I’m used to as the soundtrack.
It’s already 90 minutes of unbridled dancing but the insatiable audience asks for more and Depeche Mode gives it to them. They dedicate Behind the wheel to their late partner Andrew Fletcher and continue with Black celebration, Stripped and the paradoxical Enjoy the silence, which draws the crowds from a packed Sant Jordi.
The relaxed Condemnation asks for a change of scenery and after a short break the well-known Just can’t get enough explodes as a defibrillator. “Ready to have a good time?” says Gahan. The public comes to life. The lights and the big M that decorates the stage change from pink to yellow to the sound of the first chords of Depeche Mode’s most pop anthem. As if he were an orchestra conductor, Gahan plays with the audience to nail the last “ooooohs” and the huge crowd of fans responds without hesitation. Masterful demonstration of how to reach a massive audience.
The aforementioned Never let me down again serves as a prologue to the grand finale. Personal Jesus puts an end to a visceral night, with a plethoric Dave Gahan and a virtuoso Martin Gore on guitar and keyboards.
