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The Wizard Of Id [Melody Maker, 7th August 1993. Words: Chris Roberts. Pictures: Phil Nicholls.] Depeche Mode / The Sisters Of Mercy National Sports Centre, Crystal Palace “That’s it then,” bellows the portly juggler, with some relief, on the train back to civilisation. “Done The Mode...

"Reach Out, Touch Mode - The History" [Melody Maker, 3rd April 1993. Words: Simon Price.] PEOPLE LAUGH AT DEPECHE MODE, DON’T THEY? IN BRITAIN, at least, they’re still perceived as, well, a bit naff. This sneering derision is partly the legacy of a very old battle: the stand-off, in the...

"I Never Wanted To Destroy Depeche Mode" [Melody Maker, 3rd April 1993. Words: Jennifer Nine. Pictures: Anton Corbijn / Uncredited.] … But he almost did. DEPECHE MODE started life in early 1981 as frilly shirted synthi-popper New Romantics (their electro-beat actually inspired the burgeoning...

Socket To 'Em! [Melody Maker, 18th August 1990. Words: Ted Mico. Pictures: Kevin Westenberg.]

Depeche Mode Hip It Up And Start Again [Melody Maker, 10th March 1990. Words: Jon Wilde. Pictures: Uncredited.]

Boys On Film [Melody Maker, 15th April 1989. Words: Francesco Adinolfi. Pictures: Anton Corbijn.] Martin Gore leans back into the soft leather upholstery of the Kensington Hilton hotel and attempts to convince me that Depeche Mode haven’t just committed commercial suicide with “101”, the title...

Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California [Melody Maker, 16th July 1988, Words: Paul Mathur.] Wire have probably not played to 100,000 people in total as they’ve skimmed their precious stones across the edges of a strange pop history. [1] And yet here they are in a place larger than Wembley Stadium...

Rubber Bullets [Melody Maker, 3rd October 1987. Words: Paul Mathur. Picture: Uncredited.] A review of "Music For The Masses" where the author seems to like the album in spite of himself. Consequently the review strives to be fair and is reserved about the album while never failing to give...

Music For The Pop Charts [Melody Maker, date unknown, 1987. Words: Damon Wise. Picture: Uncredited.] A very perceptive review of Music For The Masses, seeing Depeche Mode as caught midway between artistic pretensions and a knack for pop appeal, and not certain which they prefer. Not only does...

Soft Sell [Melody Maker, 6th October 1984. Words: Penny Kiley. Picture: Tom Sheehan.] SOFT SELL Depeche Mode Empire, Liverpool Destruction time again? Let’s hear it for the great misunderstood masters of ignored creativity. If Depeche Mode think they should be taken more seriously...

Greatness And Perfection [Melody Maker, 29th September 1984. Words: Barry McIlheney. Picture: Uncredited.] GREATNESS AND PERFECTION And to think that not so long ago Depeche Mode were regarded as a bit of a joke. Those desperately shallow early singles, the tedium of the TV...

Depeche Seek Their Reward [Melody Maker, 22nd September 1984. Words: Uncredited. Picture: Tom Sheehan.] Depeche Mode release an album this month to follow their current hit single, “Master And Servant”. The album, “Some Great Reward”, is out on Mute Records on September 24. It...

Blasphemy Rewarded [Melody Maker, 22nd September 1984. Words: Mark Jenkins. Pictures: Tom Sheehan.] BLASPHEMY REWARDED Depeche Mode have a problem. It’s not enough to be big in Britain any more – they have to think about being big everywhere at once. That makes considerations like having...

Mode On The Road [Melody Maker, 19th May 1984. Words: Uncredited. Picture: Uncredited.] MODE ON THE ROAD Depeche Mode have lined up a 26-date autumn tour of Britain and Eire. And the band, who’ve just finished an extensive European tour, are in the studio working on material for their...

The Basildon Bond [Melody Maker, 10th March 1984. Words: Micky Senate. Picture: Tom Sheehan.] THE BASILDON BOND When Depeche Mode last visited Munich, they had to fight their way out of a hotel bar after a drunken Austrian businessman and his pals had taken exception to the group’s...

Oxford Dons [Melody Maker, 11th February 1984. Words: Simon Scott. Picture: Uncredited.] OXFORD DONS As the final minutes ticked away before the live “Oxford Road Show” broadcast, Peter Powell concisely shattered a few illusions as he led the audience in several rehearsals of BBC audience...

Dream And Scream [Melody Maker, 17th September 1983. Words: Barry McIlheney. Picture: Uncredited.] DREAM AND SCREAM Everything counts, particularly in the pop star vacuum of Belfast, and tonight everything added up to pretty near perfect. Because so far this year all we’ve had is a...

Singles [Melody Maker, 26th February 1983, Words: Dave Gahan, Andrew Fletcher. Pictures: Uncredited.] SINGLES Dave Gahan and Andy Fletcher of Depeche Mode were nervous and apprehensive about passing judgement on their fellow artists. Their shock at discovering just how much dross gets...

Learning The Highway Mode [Melody Maker, 14th November 1981. Words: Paul Colbert. Pictures: Tom Sheehan.] LEARNING THE HIGHWAY MODE When it happened, he hadn’t know what to do… run, fight, laugh, panic… In other people’s tales the answer always seems so obvious, but when the two guys...

Talking Hook Lines [Melody Maker, 31st October 1981. Words: Paul Colbert. Picture: Uncredited.] TALKING HOOK LINES So obviously bright, so clearly sparkling with new life, it’s a wonder they don’t burn permanent dancing shadows onto the walls. The joy of Depeche Mode is that there’s...