Depeche Mode Bong 22 (1994-09)
- Thread starter demoderus
- Start date
Bong 22 (September 1994)
Articles:
Near Miss (the crashing Tornado incident) by Alan Wilder
Andy Franks - A History
Ask Anton
Depeche Mode For "Devotees" (band biography) by Brian Do
Devotional Diary I (tour recollections) by Daryl Bamonte
Depeche Mode Fest '94 (U.S. convention report) by John E. Roberts
Pictures:
page 1 Dave live
Articles:
Near Miss (the crashing Tornado incident) by Alan Wilder
Andy Franks - A History
Ask Anton
Depeche Mode For "Devotees" (band biography) by Brian Do
Devotional Diary I (tour recollections) by Daryl Bamonte
Depeche Mode Fest '94 (U.S. convention report) by John E. Roberts
Pictures:
page 1 Dave live
Attachments
NEAR MISS
[From Bong 22, September 1994. Words: Alan Wilder.]
September 5, 1994
I was in a remote part of Scotland driving on the A85 just beyond Lochearnhead. As I approached a sharp bend in the road, the sound of an RAF Tornado appeared behind me and as I looked up, I saw the underside of the aircraft, which was at a 180 degree angle, no more than 50 ft. above me. Within a split second to my complete astonishment, the plane had crashed beside the road into the Glen about 200 yds. Ahead. Apparently it had been travelling at approx. 400 mph.
As I swerved off the road onto a farm track, I heard the sound of the impact and witnessed an enormous explosion from which the smoke and debris almost engulfed me.
Another witness ran to call the police as I drove around the bend towards the site. At the same time, particles of carbon etc. began to “rain” down onto the open-top car. Beyond the bend I witnessed the road full of the wreckage of the aircraft and the parts of dead airmen’s bodies which were clearly visible in the road (i.e. part of a seatbelt with “guts” attached, lumps of gore etc.), a parachute, burning shrapnel and a strong sweet smell of fuel.
After the police arrived I decided to leave the scene to avoid delay as many other cars had arrived and there was nothing further to do. It was only at this point that I realised what an incredible escape I’d had. I would have surely been killed or worse, severely maimed, had I been 10 seconds further into my journey. The most incredible thing is the one in a billion chance of that happening and me being there at that particular time given the circumstances. [1]
Alan Wilder
[From Bong 22, September 1994. Words: Alan Wilder.]
September 5, 1994
I was in a remote part of Scotland driving on the A85 just beyond Lochearnhead. As I approached a sharp bend in the road, the sound of an RAF Tornado appeared behind me and as I looked up, I saw the underside of the aircraft, which was at a 180 degree angle, no more than 50 ft. above me. Within a split second to my complete astonishment, the plane had crashed beside the road into the Glen about 200 yds. Ahead. Apparently it had been travelling at approx. 400 mph.
As I swerved off the road onto a farm track, I heard the sound of the impact and witnessed an enormous explosion from which the smoke and debris almost engulfed me.
Another witness ran to call the police as I drove around the bend towards the site. At the same time, particles of carbon etc. began to “rain” down onto the open-top car. Beyond the bend I witnessed the road full of the wreckage of the aircraft and the parts of dead airmen’s bodies which were clearly visible in the road (i.e. part of a seatbelt with “guts” attached, lumps of gore etc.), a parachute, burning shrapnel and a strong sweet smell of fuel.
After the police arrived I decided to leave the scene to avoid delay as many other cars had arrived and there was nothing further to do. It was only at this point that I realised what an incredible escape I’d had. I would have surely been killed or worse, severely maimed, had I been 10 seconds further into my journey. The most incredible thing is the one in a billion chance of that happening and me being there at that particular time given the circumstances. [1]
Alan Wilder
ANDY FRANKS - A HISTORY
[From Bong 22, September 1994.]
Many of you will be familiar with the name ANDY FRANKS, through various tour programmes, mentions in Bong magazine and his full length feature film “101”, in which Depeche Mode also appeared.
Andy Franks has now left the Depeche fold to pursue other interests within the live music industry, so he felt, sorry we felt it would be appropriate to record the finer (and printable) parts of his distinguished career in the enviable role of “long-term Depeche Mode employee”. (Before you rush for your writing set and apply for his job, Andy is not being replaced).
PART ONE “IN THE BEGINNING… (THERE WAS RHYTHM)” – SLITS SINGLE, EARLY EIGHTIES
1980 – Franksy gets pissed off with erecting aerials and decides to drive a cab instead. Playing bass in “The Wild Beasts” was a mildly stimulating association with the music industry, but staying sober and then driving the rest of your drunken band home in the back of your cab was a bit much. Anyway, “The Dug-Out” was never going to be “The Cavern” and Franksy was never good-looking enough to be the new Paul McCartney. (Franksy had a much better looking wife, though).
One rainy, miserable Wednesday night, Franksy picked up a fare in the red-light district of Bristol. He couldn’t see the man’s face (for it was a man) but was intrigued by his enchanting voice. The stranger told him of a long-haired mystical character – “The one they call JD” – who helped run a P.A. company in Temple Meads and who travelled to far off lands such as Wales. “Andy the cab” decided to investigate. Before he knew it he was doing monitors for “The Slits”…
PART TWO “I LOVE A MAN IN UNIFORM” (GANG OF FOUR SINGLE – EARLY EIGHTIES)
1981 – Andy had finally traded in his cab driver’s uniform and was now a full time employee of “Show-Tec”, he as a monitor engineer and JD as front-of-house engineer. They forged a unique partnership that added more than a bit of sparkle to a dreary tour of Benelux with Gang of Four. Then Franksy’s “Cred-O-Meter” went through the roof – in October 1981, he was asked to do monitors for Depeche Mode…
PART THREE NO TITLE FOR PART THREE
1982 / 83 / 84 – Andy did “a whole bunch of tours” with the Mode in Britain and Europe, missing out on the American tours in 1982 and 1983 due to commitments with “Show-Tec”. Even so, by the start of the “Construction Time” Tour in September 1983, he had become resident crew chief.
PART FOUR “SOME GREAT REWARD”
1984 / 85 / 86 – “Show-Tec” was now defunct and Franksy now had the freedom to do every Depeche tour. In 1985, we took the “Some Great Reward” Tour to America, the Far East and in the summer we did festivals in Europe and some shows in Eastern Europe. These summer shows were lacking in most areas of organisation, and as Andy was the most grown-up member of the crew (we were pretty childish back then, us roadies) he took it upon himself to sort out all the major production problems. When the “Black Celebration” tour started in March 1986, he was rewarded with the job of production manager (he was still doing monitors as well). After the tour, the band gave him a full-time job.
PART FIVE “MAJOR HEADACHE”
1987 / 88 – We were on the “Music For The Masses” Tour in Germany, November 1987. Franksy woke up one morning with a headache. What’s new – he was on tour with Depeche Mode after all. A daily cocktail of red wine and stress can give anyone a pain in the neck. This pain was different. Not even two dozen tablets of the then new wonder-drug Nurofen would make it go away. Acupuncture failed miserably. Massage was a non-starter. Finally, we made him go to hospital in Berlin. (A strange omen. On the previous tour our rigger’s pancreas burst in Berlin). The German doctor confirmed our worst fears. Franksy’s brain had exploded. To be less layman-like, he had suffered a brain haemorrhage. The problem was, Franksy insisted on coming back to the venue to work. Therefore, a strange and wonderful thing occurred – the surgeons performed the complex operation right underneath the stage of the Deutschlandhalle as the band played to 12,000 screaming, unsuspecting fans!!! Franksy was back at work the very next day, and every other day, right up until June 18th 1988, when we played the Rosebowl, Pasadena (as featured in Franksy’s film, “101”). The band made him production director for his trouble.
PART SIX “THE WORLD IN HIS EYES”
1989 / 90 – After his brush with death, Franksy began to see things differently in the world. New challenges were on the horizon. The band asked him to run the production for the forthcoming “World Violation” Tour from a different angle, under the guise of Sitting Target, Depeche Mode’s very own production company, with a view to setting up tours for other bands after the tour. The “World Violation” Tour was very successful. To quote the Sitting Target brochure: “Sitting Target successfully arranged concerts at such diverse venues as New York’s Giants Stadium, and the following day Radio City Music Hall – with the same production. Travelled from Milan to a concert the following day in Rome with a nine-truck production, and opened the doors on time (you had to be there)”. The brochure closes with the endearingly friendly line “Call in – our door is always open”.
PART SEVEN “SITTING TARGET – NOT SITTING WAITING”
1991 / 92 – Franksy didn’t wait for work to come to him, he went and found it. After a brief period of management with a young blues outfit (The Southernaires) Andy got stuck in to what he does best – tour production. With JD involved as well, he put together the production for the first Seal tour – with great success. By the time Mr. Franks had put on the two monster “Madstock” shows for Madness in August 1992 (he also did their Christmas shows later that same year), he was already well under way with the pre-production for the resident band’s upcoming Devotional Tour.
PART EIGHT “AND FINALLY…”
1993 / 94 – The Devotional Tour was very long. Very long indeed. Franksy once again took care of the production, but by Easter 1994 became the tour director and was overseeing all the aspects relating to the tour management. I won’t dwell too much on the last tour, as it’s been covered enough in the last few issues of Bong magazine. I’ll just say that it was very successful, with everybody working to their limit.
As I said, Franksy has now left the camp, but if you would like to wish him well, please send cards / donations to the following address:
ONLY JOKING…
[From Bong 22, September 1994.]
Many of you will be familiar with the name ANDY FRANKS, through various tour programmes, mentions in Bong magazine and his full length feature film “101”, in which Depeche Mode also appeared.
Andy Franks has now left the Depeche fold to pursue other interests within the live music industry, so he felt, sorry we felt it would be appropriate to record the finer (and printable) parts of his distinguished career in the enviable role of “long-term Depeche Mode employee”. (Before you rush for your writing set and apply for his job, Andy is not being replaced).
PART ONE “IN THE BEGINNING… (THERE WAS RHYTHM)” – SLITS SINGLE, EARLY EIGHTIES
1980 – Franksy gets pissed off with erecting aerials and decides to drive a cab instead. Playing bass in “The Wild Beasts” was a mildly stimulating association with the music industry, but staying sober and then driving the rest of your drunken band home in the back of your cab was a bit much. Anyway, “The Dug-Out” was never going to be “The Cavern” and Franksy was never good-looking enough to be the new Paul McCartney. (Franksy had a much better looking wife, though).
One rainy, miserable Wednesday night, Franksy picked up a fare in the red-light district of Bristol. He couldn’t see the man’s face (for it was a man) but was intrigued by his enchanting voice. The stranger told him of a long-haired mystical character – “The one they call JD” – who helped run a P.A. company in Temple Meads and who travelled to far off lands such as Wales. “Andy the cab” decided to investigate. Before he knew it he was doing monitors for “The Slits”…
PART TWO “I LOVE A MAN IN UNIFORM” (GANG OF FOUR SINGLE – EARLY EIGHTIES)
1981 – Andy had finally traded in his cab driver’s uniform and was now a full time employee of “Show-Tec”, he as a monitor engineer and JD as front-of-house engineer. They forged a unique partnership that added more than a bit of sparkle to a dreary tour of Benelux with Gang of Four. Then Franksy’s “Cred-O-Meter” went through the roof – in October 1981, he was asked to do monitors for Depeche Mode…
PART THREE NO TITLE FOR PART THREE
1982 / 83 / 84 – Andy did “a whole bunch of tours” with the Mode in Britain and Europe, missing out on the American tours in 1982 and 1983 due to commitments with “Show-Tec”. Even so, by the start of the “Construction Time” Tour in September 1983, he had become resident crew chief.
PART FOUR “SOME GREAT REWARD”
1984 / 85 / 86 – “Show-Tec” was now defunct and Franksy now had the freedom to do every Depeche tour. In 1985, we took the “Some Great Reward” Tour to America, the Far East and in the summer we did festivals in Europe and some shows in Eastern Europe. These summer shows were lacking in most areas of organisation, and as Andy was the most grown-up member of the crew (we were pretty childish back then, us roadies) he took it upon himself to sort out all the major production problems. When the “Black Celebration” tour started in March 1986, he was rewarded with the job of production manager (he was still doing monitors as well). After the tour, the band gave him a full-time job.
PART FIVE “MAJOR HEADACHE”
1987 / 88 – We were on the “Music For The Masses” Tour in Germany, November 1987. Franksy woke up one morning with a headache. What’s new – he was on tour with Depeche Mode after all. A daily cocktail of red wine and stress can give anyone a pain in the neck. This pain was different. Not even two dozen tablets of the then new wonder-drug Nurofen would make it go away. Acupuncture failed miserably. Massage was a non-starter. Finally, we made him go to hospital in Berlin. (A strange omen. On the previous tour our rigger’s pancreas burst in Berlin). The German doctor confirmed our worst fears. Franksy’s brain had exploded. To be less layman-like, he had suffered a brain haemorrhage. The problem was, Franksy insisted on coming back to the venue to work. Therefore, a strange and wonderful thing occurred – the surgeons performed the complex operation right underneath the stage of the Deutschlandhalle as the band played to 12,000 screaming, unsuspecting fans!!! Franksy was back at work the very next day, and every other day, right up until June 18th 1988, when we played the Rosebowl, Pasadena (as featured in Franksy’s film, “101”). The band made him production director for his trouble.
PART SIX “THE WORLD IN HIS EYES”
1989 / 90 – After his brush with death, Franksy began to see things differently in the world. New challenges were on the horizon. The band asked him to run the production for the forthcoming “World Violation” Tour from a different angle, under the guise of Sitting Target, Depeche Mode’s very own production company, with a view to setting up tours for other bands after the tour. The “World Violation” Tour was very successful. To quote the Sitting Target brochure: “Sitting Target successfully arranged concerts at such diverse venues as New York’s Giants Stadium, and the following day Radio City Music Hall – with the same production. Travelled from Milan to a concert the following day in Rome with a nine-truck production, and opened the doors on time (you had to be there)”. The brochure closes with the endearingly friendly line “Call in – our door is always open”.
PART SEVEN “SITTING TARGET – NOT SITTING WAITING”
1991 / 92 – Franksy didn’t wait for work to come to him, he went and found it. After a brief period of management with a young blues outfit (The Southernaires) Andy got stuck in to what he does best – tour production. With JD involved as well, he put together the production for the first Seal tour – with great success. By the time Mr. Franks had put on the two monster “Madstock” shows for Madness in August 1992 (he also did their Christmas shows later that same year), he was already well under way with the pre-production for the resident band’s upcoming Devotional Tour.
PART EIGHT “AND FINALLY…”
1993 / 94 – The Devotional Tour was very long. Very long indeed. Franksy once again took care of the production, but by Easter 1994 became the tour director and was overseeing all the aspects relating to the tour management. I won’t dwell too much on the last tour, as it’s been covered enough in the last few issues of Bong magazine. I’ll just say that it was very successful, with everybody working to their limit.
As I said, Franksy has now left the camp, but if you would like to wish him well, please send cards / donations to the following address:
ONLY JOKING…
ASK ANTON
[From Bong 22, September 1994.]
“…In 1979, Anton Corbijn bought a copy of Joy Division’s ‘Unknown Pleasures’ and soon left his home in Holland, headed for London to pursue his career as a photographer. Today, Corbijn’s work is instantly recognizable, particularly in the rock world. Thanks to his portraits of and album art for U2, R.E.M., Bryan Ferry, Nick Cave, and countless others, Corbijn is among the most successful rock photographers of his generation…” Billboard, 1993
Are there any plans to release a “STRANGE III” type compilation of the recent video singles?
No plans as yet for a “STRANGE” follow-up regarding “Songs” CD, but there might be a Greatest Hits video next year which will include the recent videos. [1]
Dave’s obviously very proud of his tattoos. Does he like them to be prominently featured in your photographs?
Sometimes he does, especially with the first photographs for the “Songs” CD.
How much creative input do the band have when a video is being produced? In general, who has the first idea and the last say, at the end of the day, on what material goes out on release?
It depends on the song. Sometimes there is a meeting like for “I Feel You”, but usually (really, I’m quite modest!) ideas come from me and I tell everyone and generally I go ahead with a few remarks from the band in mind. Alan tends to be most interested, but Dave too, especially as most of the visual weight tends to be on him.
You have worked with the band for a lot of years. Are you mates and do you socialize together?
We don’t socialize a lot, but I have seen all of them outside work. It hasn’t been made easy as I travel continuously myself so my social life is pretty minimal anyway. I have missed Martin’s wedding which is a sore point, but have been able to attend Fletch’s and Dave’s weddings. [2]
How do Depeche Mode compare to other bands and artists that you have worked with over the years, such as U2?
It’s a much longer name.
What do you consider to be your best photograph / video of the band?
Not having anything to look at with me right now I have to do with memory and the one of Dave smoking a joint in South Africa I like a lot (in calendar ’95). Also the group-shot with the naked girl in Milan, I like. Video, again hard because I like some for sentimental reasons or technical reasons, so I’ll mention a few. Early super 8 mm in b/w: “Behind The Wheel”, colour super 8 mm: “Enjoy The Silence” and recently: “Walking In My Shoes”.
Do you actually like the music of Depeche Mode?
What?
A few months ago I heard on MTV that you are planning to publish a book of your photos. Can you tell me when is it going to be out and what kind of photos will be there?
I’m preparing two books; one is on U2 from 1982-94, and the other one is my own photography of ‘ikons’, including many musicians. Both should be out by late ’95 or early ’96.
Have you ever published some other book apart from “STRANGERS”?
I have published a few books apart from “STRANGERS”. 1989 – FAMOUZ ‘photograph 1976-88’, 1990 – ‘Allegro’ and 1993 – ‘Herbert Grönemeyer’ (only available in Germany).
“Walking In My Shoes” is one of the best videos you have ever made. It reminds me of my favourite book “The Name Of The Rose”. Where did you get your inspiration for this video?
Inspired by Hieronymus Bosch, a painter from the south of Holland whose work is very haunting and some bits are based on Irving Penn’s work (photographer).
“In Your Room” seems to be a kind of ‘compilation’ video using the clips of the videos you have made with DM. Does it mean the end of something?
It does in a way. I realized that it would be the last video for a long time, and good ending for a Greatest Hits video. [3]
Do you intend publishing your autobiography?
Not unless the money is right.
Where do you get your inspirations from?
For videos it is just a matter of closing my eyes and listening to the song many times. If I get any ideas during this period I’ll do the video, and of course if I draw a blank it is a NO. For photographs I work a lot on intuition but I also have many photographers I admire, such as Josef Sudek, Robert Frank, Lee Friedlander, Dorothea Lange, Irving Penn etc.
What was the hardest video to film and why?
The first video “A Question Of Time”, because it was the first time I did my own camera work, there was no money for anything and apart from Alan, the band only wanted to turn up for 3 hours. Also “I Feel You” had some problems but they were weather related.
How did you start working with DM?
In 1986 I was asked to make a video for “A Question Of Time” and it had to be done in America which is something I always wanted to do, so I grabbed the chance and made a little story about growing up.
Are you happier as a film-director, photographer or artist / designer?
Exactly.
What do you think of DM’s early videos?
I like some Peter Care videos but that’s it. [4]
Do you follow the band everywhere on their tour?
No, I drop in during the tour a few times for a free drink.
What’s your favourite B/W photographic paper and toner?
It’s called Oriental Seagull and works with lith-developers really well.
What kind of films do you use?
Kodak TRI-X for 20 years – it’s a great b/w film. For colour, I try different ones all the time.
Do you prefer to film in black and white or colour and why?
I prefer b/w because it is already a step further away.
Do you have a favourite DM song or album?
“101”.
Aside from DM, U2 and Nirvana who else have you worked with? Who would you like to?
Worked with many people – a few here to mention: REM, Echo & The Bunnymen, Madness, Bon Jovi, NIN, Rollins Band, Nick Cave, Herbert Grönemeyer, etc. Love to work with Bob Dylan for instance.
Do you have a favourite photographer?
Already mentioned in a previous answer.
What kind of camera do you use?
Till 1989 a Nikon (35 mm camera), since then I’m using a Hasselblad which is a square format camera.
How long have you been taking pictures professionally?
Since I can remember, but roughly 18 years.
What was your first ‘big’ break?
BONG 22.
Why weren’t all the songs from the tour on the Devotional video?
It became too long and sometimes there’s a noticeable difference between film and the real thing – songs suffering more than others were dropped. In America it is only one hour long for some complex reason.
What is FAMOUZ?
‘FAMOUZ’ is a non-existing word, coming from famous and a wordplay from my accent which English people thought was German. Famouz should refer to my homeland (Europe) and the people I photograph (usually famous).
Why do you film so many of your videos in the desert?
Space, man!
Which was, in your opinion, the best DM cover (LP, 12”, 7”) before you began working with the band?
What?
What was your first video you ever made?
The first amateur video was for Palais Schaumburg song called “Hockey”, a Hamburg band (1983). The first professional video was “Dr. Mabuse” by Propaganda from Düsseldorf in 1984.
Have you ever photographed any Dutch bands? If so, which ones?
Yes, first photographs ever were of a Dutch band called Solution (1972) and after that: Focus, Golden Earring, Herman Brood, The Nits, etc.
What’s the reason of your exhibition in Amsterdam in the Stedelyk Museum?
Got a Dutch photograph award called ‘Capilux Award’ and because of my age I got a retrospective as well.
[From Bong 22, September 1994.]
“…In 1979, Anton Corbijn bought a copy of Joy Division’s ‘Unknown Pleasures’ and soon left his home in Holland, headed for London to pursue his career as a photographer. Today, Corbijn’s work is instantly recognizable, particularly in the rock world. Thanks to his portraits of and album art for U2, R.E.M., Bryan Ferry, Nick Cave, and countless others, Corbijn is among the most successful rock photographers of his generation…” Billboard, 1993
Are there any plans to release a “STRANGE III” type compilation of the recent video singles?
No plans as yet for a “STRANGE” follow-up regarding “Songs” CD, but there might be a Greatest Hits video next year which will include the recent videos. [1]
Dave’s obviously very proud of his tattoos. Does he like them to be prominently featured in your photographs?
Sometimes he does, especially with the first photographs for the “Songs” CD.
How much creative input do the band have when a video is being produced? In general, who has the first idea and the last say, at the end of the day, on what material goes out on release?
It depends on the song. Sometimes there is a meeting like for “I Feel You”, but usually (really, I’m quite modest!) ideas come from me and I tell everyone and generally I go ahead with a few remarks from the band in mind. Alan tends to be most interested, but Dave too, especially as most of the visual weight tends to be on him.
You have worked with the band for a lot of years. Are you mates and do you socialize together?
We don’t socialize a lot, but I have seen all of them outside work. It hasn’t been made easy as I travel continuously myself so my social life is pretty minimal anyway. I have missed Martin’s wedding which is a sore point, but have been able to attend Fletch’s and Dave’s weddings. [2]
How do Depeche Mode compare to other bands and artists that you have worked with over the years, such as U2?
It’s a much longer name.
What do you consider to be your best photograph / video of the band?
Not having anything to look at with me right now I have to do with memory and the one of Dave smoking a joint in South Africa I like a lot (in calendar ’95). Also the group-shot with the naked girl in Milan, I like. Video, again hard because I like some for sentimental reasons or technical reasons, so I’ll mention a few. Early super 8 mm in b/w: “Behind The Wheel”, colour super 8 mm: “Enjoy The Silence” and recently: “Walking In My Shoes”.
Do you actually like the music of Depeche Mode?
What?
A few months ago I heard on MTV that you are planning to publish a book of your photos. Can you tell me when is it going to be out and what kind of photos will be there?
I’m preparing two books; one is on U2 from 1982-94, and the other one is my own photography of ‘ikons’, including many musicians. Both should be out by late ’95 or early ’96.
Have you ever published some other book apart from “STRANGERS”?
I have published a few books apart from “STRANGERS”. 1989 – FAMOUZ ‘photograph 1976-88’, 1990 – ‘Allegro’ and 1993 – ‘Herbert Grönemeyer’ (only available in Germany).
“Walking In My Shoes” is one of the best videos you have ever made. It reminds me of my favourite book “The Name Of The Rose”. Where did you get your inspiration for this video?
Inspired by Hieronymus Bosch, a painter from the south of Holland whose work is very haunting and some bits are based on Irving Penn’s work (photographer).
“In Your Room” seems to be a kind of ‘compilation’ video using the clips of the videos you have made with DM. Does it mean the end of something?
It does in a way. I realized that it would be the last video for a long time, and good ending for a Greatest Hits video. [3]
Do you intend publishing your autobiography?
Not unless the money is right.
Where do you get your inspirations from?
For videos it is just a matter of closing my eyes and listening to the song many times. If I get any ideas during this period I’ll do the video, and of course if I draw a blank it is a NO. For photographs I work a lot on intuition but I also have many photographers I admire, such as Josef Sudek, Robert Frank, Lee Friedlander, Dorothea Lange, Irving Penn etc.
What was the hardest video to film and why?
The first video “A Question Of Time”, because it was the first time I did my own camera work, there was no money for anything and apart from Alan, the band only wanted to turn up for 3 hours. Also “I Feel You” had some problems but they were weather related.
How did you start working with DM?
In 1986 I was asked to make a video for “A Question Of Time” and it had to be done in America which is something I always wanted to do, so I grabbed the chance and made a little story about growing up.
Are you happier as a film-director, photographer or artist / designer?
Exactly.
What do you think of DM’s early videos?
I like some Peter Care videos but that’s it. [4]
Do you follow the band everywhere on their tour?
No, I drop in during the tour a few times for a free drink.
What’s your favourite B/W photographic paper and toner?
It’s called Oriental Seagull and works with lith-developers really well.
What kind of films do you use?
Kodak TRI-X for 20 years – it’s a great b/w film. For colour, I try different ones all the time.
Do you prefer to film in black and white or colour and why?
I prefer b/w because it is already a step further away.
Do you have a favourite DM song or album?
“101”.
Aside from DM, U2 and Nirvana who else have you worked with? Who would you like to?
Worked with many people – a few here to mention: REM, Echo & The Bunnymen, Madness, Bon Jovi, NIN, Rollins Band, Nick Cave, Herbert Grönemeyer, etc. Love to work with Bob Dylan for instance.
Do you have a favourite photographer?
Already mentioned in a previous answer.
What kind of camera do you use?
Till 1989 a Nikon (35 mm camera), since then I’m using a Hasselblad which is a square format camera.
How long have you been taking pictures professionally?
Since I can remember, but roughly 18 years.
What was your first ‘big’ break?
BONG 22.
Why weren’t all the songs from the tour on the Devotional video?
It became too long and sometimes there’s a noticeable difference between film and the real thing – songs suffering more than others were dropped. In America it is only one hour long for some complex reason.
What is FAMOUZ?
‘FAMOUZ’ is a non-existing word, coming from famous and a wordplay from my accent which English people thought was German. Famouz should refer to my homeland (Europe) and the people I photograph (usually famous).
Why do you film so many of your videos in the desert?
Space, man!
Which was, in your opinion, the best DM cover (LP, 12”, 7”) before you began working with the band?
What?
What was your first video you ever made?
The first amateur video was for Palais Schaumburg song called “Hockey”, a Hamburg band (1983). The first professional video was “Dr. Mabuse” by Propaganda from Düsseldorf in 1984.
Have you ever photographed any Dutch bands? If so, which ones?
Yes, first photographs ever were of a Dutch band called Solution (1972) and after that: Focus, Golden Earring, Herman Brood, The Nits, etc.
What’s the reason of your exhibition in Amsterdam in the Stedelyk Museum?
Got a Dutch photograph award called ‘Capilux Award’ and because of my age I got a retrospective as well.
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DEPECHE MODE FOR "DEVOTEES"
[From Bong 22, September 1994. Words: Brian Do.]
1. We Feel You
“I feel you / Your sun it shines / I feel you / within my mind / You take me there / You take me where / The kingdom comes / You take me to / And lead me through Babylon / This is the morning of our love / It’s just the dawning of our love.”
New driving voice, new powerful lyrics, new harmonious chords and rhythms – that’s what the world witnessed when Depeche Mode’s single “I Feel You” arrived on February 15, 1993 and climbed its way straight to the top of the music charts in over a dozen countries worldwide, landing at No. 1 in six countries including Italy, Spain and Austria. The music video was even nominated by MTV’s annual Music Awards for the Alternative Video Of The Year. Was this the same Depeche Mode that had brought us the 6 ½ million selling LP “Violator”, the 1990 British single of the year award for “Enjoy The Silence”, and the best selling single (“Personal Jesus”) in the history of the Warner Bros. Catalogue? It certainly was.
Depeche Mode were back and in their best form yet. Adding “I Feel You” to their list of hit singles, it was an impressive start that would launch their newest studio LP “Songs Of Faith And Devotion” after its release on March 22, 1993 straight to the top of the music industry. The new album debuted at No. 1 on both the American and British charts and then went on to conquer a large handful of countries all around the globe. It was a remarkable achievement for an album to achieve such a distinguished double. But first, let’s take a step back to 1992 during the months of producing “Songs Of Faith And Devotion” to see how the boys from Basildon had come up with this new album.
Dave Gahan, who since “Violator” had developed an even more stronger and powerful voice, once a young lad with clean cut hair and leather trousers, was now sporting long shoulder length hair, new tattoos, and a goatee beard. He stated that things had dramatically changed for him since the last album and that some of these changes were apparent in the new recording sessions. Having gone through a divorce and marrying again, David hints at the idea that he has gone through a new spiritual rebirth. He states: “I was going through a lot of things at the time. You know, with my divorce and all, and leaving behind my son Jack. Then I ran off to another country and got married. All these things tend to have an effect on you.”
Martin Gore, the chief lyricist who could even write songs in his sleep, was back with a wide assortment of new themes. When asked why he came up with the particular lyrics and sounds for “Songs Of Faith And Devotion”, he replied: “Right now there’s a lot of dance techno music out there, I think everyone expected us to come up with a hard dance album, but there’s so much of it out there right now that the songs are really getting lost. I think I subconsciously tried to rebel against that.”
Alan Wilder, the musician extraordinaire, and producer Mark “Flood” Ellis were the two craftsmen responsible for the sounds you hear on the “Songs Of Faith And Devotion”. Having spent considerable time together in the recording studios during “Violator”, Alan and Flood would again sometimes find themselves in the recording studio well after hours perfecting the ‘atmosphere’ for the new LP. Working together and patience are two things Alan knows better than anybody. “The reason why we’ve stayed together as a group for so long is the fact that we’ve learned to allocate and delegate our roles so well. Surely, we have internal rankles and arguments, but there’s not a music group out there that doesn’t have them. We’ve just learned to keep ours more private.” [1]
Andy Fletcher, the silent partner of the quartet, continued to provide his spiritual support and management outlook as the band sat down to commence work on their 11th full-length album. It wasn’t until “Music For The Masses” in 1987 that the band actually had a signed contract with their musical home Mute Records, and so Fletch has always overseen and managed their financial affairs. Previous to “Music For The Masses”, the band only had a verbal hand shake agreement with Mute founder, Daniel Miller.
2. In Depeche Mode’s Room
Because “Violator” was such an overwhelming success there was a need for privacy to concentrate on the new album, a new recording studio was needed that would differ from the previous ones used and which would serve as the ground base and work place for the new LP. Such a location was set up at a privately rented villa in Madrid, Spain. It was the perfect choice for the band as they were reunited together in February ’92 to begin production on “Songs Of Faith And Devotion”. The band admits that the first few months were a disaster and disagreements were flying left and right. “It’s just after 10 or so albums, your standards go up and you try harder to get things right,” Martin explains. A lot of the turmoil stemmed around Dave as he confesses: “It was hard for them to even want to be in the same room with me. There were arguments a lot of the time.” With the exception of a break-up in April when Dave flew back to the United States to wed Theresa, the recording sessions then on went really well. [2]
Dave explains the atmosphere of the villa in Madrid and how it helped him alleviate his voice during the recording sessions. “There was something about the echoey tiles that made the feel just right. I mean I came out of the studio and into the control room and everyone – Flood and everyone just looked at me and felt it was really good. Something was just really right about it. I think we captured something special there.” The song David mentions here was “Condemnation”, a gospel-like number in which he feels he had given his best performance yet.
(continued in Bong 23)
[From Bong 22, September 1994. Words: Brian Do.]
1. We Feel You
“I feel you / Your sun it shines / I feel you / within my mind / You take me there / You take me where / The kingdom comes / You take me to / And lead me through Babylon / This is the morning of our love / It’s just the dawning of our love.”
New driving voice, new powerful lyrics, new harmonious chords and rhythms – that’s what the world witnessed when Depeche Mode’s single “I Feel You” arrived on February 15, 1993 and climbed its way straight to the top of the music charts in over a dozen countries worldwide, landing at No. 1 in six countries including Italy, Spain and Austria. The music video was even nominated by MTV’s annual Music Awards for the Alternative Video Of The Year. Was this the same Depeche Mode that had brought us the 6 ½ million selling LP “Violator”, the 1990 British single of the year award for “Enjoy The Silence”, and the best selling single (“Personal Jesus”) in the history of the Warner Bros. Catalogue? It certainly was.
Depeche Mode were back and in their best form yet. Adding “I Feel You” to their list of hit singles, it was an impressive start that would launch their newest studio LP “Songs Of Faith And Devotion” after its release on March 22, 1993 straight to the top of the music industry. The new album debuted at No. 1 on both the American and British charts and then went on to conquer a large handful of countries all around the globe. It was a remarkable achievement for an album to achieve such a distinguished double. But first, let’s take a step back to 1992 during the months of producing “Songs Of Faith And Devotion” to see how the boys from Basildon had come up with this new album.
Dave Gahan, who since “Violator” had developed an even more stronger and powerful voice, once a young lad with clean cut hair and leather trousers, was now sporting long shoulder length hair, new tattoos, and a goatee beard. He stated that things had dramatically changed for him since the last album and that some of these changes were apparent in the new recording sessions. Having gone through a divorce and marrying again, David hints at the idea that he has gone through a new spiritual rebirth. He states: “I was going through a lot of things at the time. You know, with my divorce and all, and leaving behind my son Jack. Then I ran off to another country and got married. All these things tend to have an effect on you.”
Martin Gore, the chief lyricist who could even write songs in his sleep, was back with a wide assortment of new themes. When asked why he came up with the particular lyrics and sounds for “Songs Of Faith And Devotion”, he replied: “Right now there’s a lot of dance techno music out there, I think everyone expected us to come up with a hard dance album, but there’s so much of it out there right now that the songs are really getting lost. I think I subconsciously tried to rebel against that.”
Alan Wilder, the musician extraordinaire, and producer Mark “Flood” Ellis were the two craftsmen responsible for the sounds you hear on the “Songs Of Faith And Devotion”. Having spent considerable time together in the recording studios during “Violator”, Alan and Flood would again sometimes find themselves in the recording studio well after hours perfecting the ‘atmosphere’ for the new LP. Working together and patience are two things Alan knows better than anybody. “The reason why we’ve stayed together as a group for so long is the fact that we’ve learned to allocate and delegate our roles so well. Surely, we have internal rankles and arguments, but there’s not a music group out there that doesn’t have them. We’ve just learned to keep ours more private.” [1]
Andy Fletcher, the silent partner of the quartet, continued to provide his spiritual support and management outlook as the band sat down to commence work on their 11th full-length album. It wasn’t until “Music For The Masses” in 1987 that the band actually had a signed contract with their musical home Mute Records, and so Fletch has always overseen and managed their financial affairs. Previous to “Music For The Masses”, the band only had a verbal hand shake agreement with Mute founder, Daniel Miller.
2. In Depeche Mode’s Room
Because “Violator” was such an overwhelming success there was a need for privacy to concentrate on the new album, a new recording studio was needed that would differ from the previous ones used and which would serve as the ground base and work place for the new LP. Such a location was set up at a privately rented villa in Madrid, Spain. It was the perfect choice for the band as they were reunited together in February ’92 to begin production on “Songs Of Faith And Devotion”. The band admits that the first few months were a disaster and disagreements were flying left and right. “It’s just after 10 or so albums, your standards go up and you try harder to get things right,” Martin explains. A lot of the turmoil stemmed around Dave as he confesses: “It was hard for them to even want to be in the same room with me. There were arguments a lot of the time.” With the exception of a break-up in April when Dave flew back to the United States to wed Theresa, the recording sessions then on went really well. [2]
Dave explains the atmosphere of the villa in Madrid and how it helped him alleviate his voice during the recording sessions. “There was something about the echoey tiles that made the feel just right. I mean I came out of the studio and into the control room and everyone – Flood and everyone just looked at me and felt it was really good. Something was just really right about it. I think we captured something special there.” The song David mentions here was “Condemnation”, a gospel-like number in which he feels he had given his best performance yet.
(continued in Bong 23)
DEVOTIONAL DIARY I
[From Bong 22, September 1994. Words: Daryl Bamonte.]
We are pleased to say that Daryl has allowed us to print his Devotional Tour Diary. A personal account of the day-to-day trials and tribulations during this mega-long tour. The Diary itself was so extensive that it has been split up into several parts…
May 19th, LILLE: First gig in Lille tonight. Strange feeling, being on tour again. Funny place to start.
May 24th, BRUSSELS: Just spent four days in ZURICH. There’s only so many cuckoo clocks you can look at in four days.
May 27th, COPENHAGEN: Good show tonight. Good party afterwards. The tour is starting to hot up, as the band settle into it. Spirit of camaraderie starting to appear.
May 28th, GOTHENBURG: Spiritualized have left. They didn’t like us. We went to the hotel disco after the show to think about a new support band. The resident band were playing, a dodgy Swedish ska band. Kessler asked them to support us in Stockholm the next night. The drummer came round first, and agreed on behalf of his band.
May 29th, STOCKHOLM: Ska band were superb. Of all the support bands we’ve ever had, they are the most recent.
June 1st, ROTTERDAM: Al’s birthday. I’m proud to say I (Dis-)Organized the most boring birthday party ever. Never mind. He’s got another birthday to come before this tour’s over.
June 6th, MILAN: Day off in MILAN. We just did two shows, which were great. I got refused entry to the cathedral in the city centre today. I didn’t have any sleeves. I argued that if I didn’t have any arms I wouldn’t have any sleeves, and they’d have to let me in then, but my Italian is surprisingly bad and when the polizia started shoving me, I thought I’d better hop it. Went to a bar instead. Much better.
June 8th, FLORENCE: A nightclub, a piano, a microphone, alcohol, Alan Wilder, Martin Gore – I THANK YOU!
June 10th, NANCY: Didn’t speak all day today. Refuse to speak in a place called NANCY.
June 12th, MANNHEIM: Went to a disco in an airport at 7am. Yes. It’s getting that bad.
June 14th, DORTMUND: After a great show (Westfalenhalle), we went over the road to the park hotel for a quiet drink. (The crew were staying there.) Woke up the next morning in a twin room in the park hotel. Apparently, Martin and I checked in.
June 18th, PRAGUE: We had ANOTHER support band tonight. Local lads. Their name was “Sonic Smell”. Yes, you heard it right: “Sonic Smell”. I’m sorry, but not even 70 years of communism can excuse a band from taking a name that basically means “Humungous stench”. PHEW!
June 21st, MUNICH: Marxman joined the tour tonight. They’re pretty good. Der wickid actually, yernart amin?
June 30th, PARIS: We’ve just done two excellent sold-out shows at the Bercy. Hildia asked me “Are we doing The Bercy tonight?” and I replied “No, we’re doing Get Right With Me instead” and she just smiled. I think she’s got a cold.
July 3rd, BREST: Can you imagine living somewhere called BREST?
July 7th, TOULON: Most of us are on the plane flying after-show from TOULON to LISBON, except for Fletch, who flew home to be with his family on his birthday, which is tomorrow. How long do you think he has at home? “29 hours, 29 hours…”
July 10th, OPORTO: Dave Bracey had to do the sound tonight (did a great job). Jon Lemon couldn’t make it. Had too much to dream last night, apparently. Must be “mixing” in the wrong company.
July 15th, MADRID: “One of the most incredible Depeche Mode shows ever” – JD Fanger.
July 21st, FRANKFURT: It was 1978, and he was a young punk who had sneaked onto the stage and was dancing around in his bondage trousers, next to Joe Strummer. As the roadies rushed to get him, he ran full speed and as he flew into the crowd, he floated for a second, half hero, half angel. When he landed he realised it wasn’t 1978, it was 1993, and he was the singer of Depeche Mode and 12,000 Germans were trying to rip his trousers off.
July 23rd, OSTEND: Martin Gore’s birthday today, and guess what? We had a day off in OSTEND. A day-off-in-Ostend… I once wrote a script for a soap opera set in a pub in OSTEND. It was called “OSTENDERS”. It could have worked, but Anita Dobson sounded ridiculous with a Flemish accent. A day off in Ostend should have bee as bad as it sounds, but we had a hotel on the beach, and looking across the North Sea you could almost smell the fish and chips. Three months away from Blighty; and now so close to home. We’ve got a gig in ZEEBRUGGE tomorrow and then a 2000 mile journey across the whole of Europe for a show in BUDAPEST. So near and yet so far…
July 24th, ZEEBRUGGE: Headlined the huge Belga Beach festival today. The festival IS actually on the beach but Belga isn’t a coastal suburb of ZEEBRUGGE, it’s actually a brand of horrible cigarettes. The band were excellent tonight, even though the man upstairs decided to turn the shower on. The crowd stayed in good spirits all the same, and to show solidarity, Dave went right to the front of the stage, and dancing in bare feet, got absolutely soaked. He seemed to have an aversion to anything metal for some reason. We had a huge power-cut backstage tonight (about the same time Dave plugged his hairdryer in…).
July 26th, BUDAPEST: It was a long trek from Belgium yesterday, and we had to drive out into the Hungarian countryside today for Anton to shoot the “CONDEMNATION” video. Dave seemed to spend most of the day being dragged around by Sam and Hildia. He wasn’t complaining though. It could have been the other way round…
July 29th, LIEVIN: Yet another support band today. A band called “Paralax”, whose kudos is bolstered by the fact that they were recommended by Alan Wilder (and they’re on Mute.) Most of the band entourage have gone to LONDON already to “prepare” for the Crystal Palace show. It’s amazing how calm and smooth today was…
July 31st, LONDON: Crystal Palace. Finally home after 3 months. 36,000+ people at this show, 1,000 with passes, and I know all of them, so backstage was chaos. My son had a good day. He definitely preferred DUB SYNDICATE to THE SISTERS OF MERCY. I used to think that ANDREW ELDRITCH was really cool. A god-like quasi-Darth Vader figure. He’s actually like RIGSBY.
To be continued…
[From Bong 22, September 1994. Words: Daryl Bamonte.]
We are pleased to say that Daryl has allowed us to print his Devotional Tour Diary. A personal account of the day-to-day trials and tribulations during this mega-long tour. The Diary itself was so extensive that it has been split up into several parts…
May 19th, LILLE: First gig in Lille tonight. Strange feeling, being on tour again. Funny place to start.
May 24th, BRUSSELS: Just spent four days in ZURICH. There’s only so many cuckoo clocks you can look at in four days.
May 27th, COPENHAGEN: Good show tonight. Good party afterwards. The tour is starting to hot up, as the band settle into it. Spirit of camaraderie starting to appear.
May 28th, GOTHENBURG: Spiritualized have left. They didn’t like us. We went to the hotel disco after the show to think about a new support band. The resident band were playing, a dodgy Swedish ska band. Kessler asked them to support us in Stockholm the next night. The drummer came round first, and agreed on behalf of his band.
May 29th, STOCKHOLM: Ska band were superb. Of all the support bands we’ve ever had, they are the most recent.
June 1st, ROTTERDAM: Al’s birthday. I’m proud to say I (Dis-)Organized the most boring birthday party ever. Never mind. He’s got another birthday to come before this tour’s over.
June 6th, MILAN: Day off in MILAN. We just did two shows, which were great. I got refused entry to the cathedral in the city centre today. I didn’t have any sleeves. I argued that if I didn’t have any arms I wouldn’t have any sleeves, and they’d have to let me in then, but my Italian is surprisingly bad and when the polizia started shoving me, I thought I’d better hop it. Went to a bar instead. Much better.
June 8th, FLORENCE: A nightclub, a piano, a microphone, alcohol, Alan Wilder, Martin Gore – I THANK YOU!
June 10th, NANCY: Didn’t speak all day today. Refuse to speak in a place called NANCY.
June 12th, MANNHEIM: Went to a disco in an airport at 7am. Yes. It’s getting that bad.
June 14th, DORTMUND: After a great show (Westfalenhalle), we went over the road to the park hotel for a quiet drink. (The crew were staying there.) Woke up the next morning in a twin room in the park hotel. Apparently, Martin and I checked in.
June 18th, PRAGUE: We had ANOTHER support band tonight. Local lads. Their name was “Sonic Smell”. Yes, you heard it right: “Sonic Smell”. I’m sorry, but not even 70 years of communism can excuse a band from taking a name that basically means “Humungous stench”. PHEW!
June 21st, MUNICH: Marxman joined the tour tonight. They’re pretty good. Der wickid actually, yernart amin?
June 30th, PARIS: We’ve just done two excellent sold-out shows at the Bercy. Hildia asked me “Are we doing The Bercy tonight?” and I replied “No, we’re doing Get Right With Me instead” and she just smiled. I think she’s got a cold.
July 3rd, BREST: Can you imagine living somewhere called BREST?
July 7th, TOULON: Most of us are on the plane flying after-show from TOULON to LISBON, except for Fletch, who flew home to be with his family on his birthday, which is tomorrow. How long do you think he has at home? “29 hours, 29 hours…”
July 10th, OPORTO: Dave Bracey had to do the sound tonight (did a great job). Jon Lemon couldn’t make it. Had too much to dream last night, apparently. Must be “mixing” in the wrong company.
July 15th, MADRID: “One of the most incredible Depeche Mode shows ever” – JD Fanger.
July 21st, FRANKFURT: It was 1978, and he was a young punk who had sneaked onto the stage and was dancing around in his bondage trousers, next to Joe Strummer. As the roadies rushed to get him, he ran full speed and as he flew into the crowd, he floated for a second, half hero, half angel. When he landed he realised it wasn’t 1978, it was 1993, and he was the singer of Depeche Mode and 12,000 Germans were trying to rip his trousers off.
July 23rd, OSTEND: Martin Gore’s birthday today, and guess what? We had a day off in OSTEND. A day-off-in-Ostend… I once wrote a script for a soap opera set in a pub in OSTEND. It was called “OSTENDERS”. It could have worked, but Anita Dobson sounded ridiculous with a Flemish accent. A day off in Ostend should have bee as bad as it sounds, but we had a hotel on the beach, and looking across the North Sea you could almost smell the fish and chips. Three months away from Blighty; and now so close to home. We’ve got a gig in ZEEBRUGGE tomorrow and then a 2000 mile journey across the whole of Europe for a show in BUDAPEST. So near and yet so far…
July 24th, ZEEBRUGGE: Headlined the huge Belga Beach festival today. The festival IS actually on the beach but Belga isn’t a coastal suburb of ZEEBRUGGE, it’s actually a brand of horrible cigarettes. The band were excellent tonight, even though the man upstairs decided to turn the shower on. The crowd stayed in good spirits all the same, and to show solidarity, Dave went right to the front of the stage, and dancing in bare feet, got absolutely soaked. He seemed to have an aversion to anything metal for some reason. We had a huge power-cut backstage tonight (about the same time Dave plugged his hairdryer in…).
July 26th, BUDAPEST: It was a long trek from Belgium yesterday, and we had to drive out into the Hungarian countryside today for Anton to shoot the “CONDEMNATION” video. Dave seemed to spend most of the day being dragged around by Sam and Hildia. He wasn’t complaining though. It could have been the other way round…
July 29th, LIEVIN: Yet another support band today. A band called “Paralax”, whose kudos is bolstered by the fact that they were recommended by Alan Wilder (and they’re on Mute.) Most of the band entourage have gone to LONDON already to “prepare” for the Crystal Palace show. It’s amazing how calm and smooth today was…
July 31st, LONDON: Crystal Palace. Finally home after 3 months. 36,000+ people at this show, 1,000 with passes, and I know all of them, so backstage was chaos. My son had a good day. He definitely preferred DUB SYNDICATE to THE SISTERS OF MERCY. I used to think that ANDREW ELDRITCH was really cool. A god-like quasi-Darth Vader figure. He’s actually like RIGSBY.
To be continued…
DEPECHE MODE FEST '94
[From Bong 22, September 1994. Words: John E. Roberts.]
This is a review of the first US Depeche Mode convention since the fall of US BONG – “DM FEST 1994”.
Since I never had nor attended a Depeche Mode Convention, ever, I was quite nervous if I could pull such an event off. Thoughts of no one showing up or hundreds of people showing up ran through my head constantly. Though the DM Fest was a very small gathering, it was a huge success. Only about 40 people in all attended.
The original date for the event was scheduled for Saturday July 23rd, 1994 (Martin’s birthday!), but since Depeche Mode were performing two shows in Detroit July 4th weekend, the date was changed, at the very last minute, to Saturday July 2nd, 1994. My apologies to those seeing the announcement in Bong 20 which said the event would be July 23, 1994 and weren’t able to make it.
It was a very busy day. Since the guys from Depeche Mode arrived in Detroit on July 2, there were persistent rumours that the band was going to make an appearance at the DM Fest, but no such luck.
People started showing up around 3:30pm (though it wasn’t starting until 4pm). It was truly awesome to see that many people in one room completely devoted to Depeche Mode. People came from all over the States, and the person who travelled the furthest distance to attend the convention was Stephanie, who came all the way from France.
No one really knew what to do when they got there, so the first few hours were rough introductions. Keep in mind that most of the people here have only ever conversed via computer E-mail and never met face to face. It was really interesting to talk about DM in a serious way, like grandparents talk about politics. It was so cool to meet all the BONGsters there.
Bryan Do was the DJ for the entire evening, playing quite a bit, but not entirely, DM songs, including standard remixes, Razormaid mixes & several obscure mixes and tracks. There was also a huge video screen showing videos, interviews, “The Story of 101” documentary and a very humorous live performance by Depeche Mode from 1981. Unfortunately, no one danced the entire evening!
Towards the end of the night we did the freebie give-aways and boy did I attract everyone’s attention when I came walking through the hall carrying the boxes of freebies! I have to give a huge “THANK YOU VERY MUCH” to Howie Klein of Sire / Warner Bros Records for supplying all the DM promotional items for the give-aways!
One of the highlights of the evening was the Depeche Mode “karaoke” contest. BONGsters were asked to get up on stage and perform their favourite Depeche Mode tracks, either a capella or to the music. The Top 5 winners received a rare Sire / Warner Bros. CD sampler “Depeche Mode Summer Tour ’94”. Those winners were Rebecca Hahn for her a capella performance of “Somebody”, Shane Noland (backed by me) for his performances of “Things You Said” and “World In My Eyes”, Jessica woods for a beautiful a capella performance of “Any Second Now (Voices)”, Jason Enos who did “In Your Room” and the best performer, by far, was Crystal Enos (one of the biggest DM fans I’ve met) who did an a capella performance of “Somebody”. She even received a standing ovation!
The runners-up received “SOFAD” live promo posters. I must also admit I attempted my Martin Gore imitation by performing “Sweetest Perfection” and I think I did quite well.
Prizes that were awaiting the winners included Depeche Mode Summer Tour ’94 sampler CDs, DM videos, “SOFAD” promo displays, “SOFAD” live album / video flats and promotional posters and rare promotional posters for DM’s Greatest Hits CD that was going to be released in September ’94, but was scrapped and never produced. These posters are definitely a keeper!
After the give-aways, everyone just went back to eating, drinking, mingling, photo taking and other fun stuff. By then it was getting quite late. Everyone was getting ready to leave back to their hotels as there were two nights of Depeche Mode concerts ahead of us! The night concluded with hugs and kisses and a bunch of new made friendships. Since many of us were still wide awake, we decided to move the party to the local Denny’s restaurant and we were all there well into the early morning hours!
Over all, the evening was a tremendous success, and everyone appeared to have a great time. I am already planning the next DM Fest for 1995 which will again be organized in Detroit. So maybe we will see you there!
P.S. Special thanks to Mark Purvis, Chad Maier & Stymie for contributing to this review.
[From Bong 22, September 1994. Words: John E. Roberts.]
This is a review of the first US Depeche Mode convention since the fall of US BONG – “DM FEST 1994”.
Since I never had nor attended a Depeche Mode Convention, ever, I was quite nervous if I could pull such an event off. Thoughts of no one showing up or hundreds of people showing up ran through my head constantly. Though the DM Fest was a very small gathering, it was a huge success. Only about 40 people in all attended.
The original date for the event was scheduled for Saturday July 23rd, 1994 (Martin’s birthday!), but since Depeche Mode were performing two shows in Detroit July 4th weekend, the date was changed, at the very last minute, to Saturday July 2nd, 1994. My apologies to those seeing the announcement in Bong 20 which said the event would be July 23, 1994 and weren’t able to make it.
It was a very busy day. Since the guys from Depeche Mode arrived in Detroit on July 2, there were persistent rumours that the band was going to make an appearance at the DM Fest, but no such luck.
People started showing up around 3:30pm (though it wasn’t starting until 4pm). It was truly awesome to see that many people in one room completely devoted to Depeche Mode. People came from all over the States, and the person who travelled the furthest distance to attend the convention was Stephanie, who came all the way from France.
No one really knew what to do when they got there, so the first few hours were rough introductions. Keep in mind that most of the people here have only ever conversed via computer E-mail and never met face to face. It was really interesting to talk about DM in a serious way, like grandparents talk about politics. It was so cool to meet all the BONGsters there.
Bryan Do was the DJ for the entire evening, playing quite a bit, but not entirely, DM songs, including standard remixes, Razormaid mixes & several obscure mixes and tracks. There was also a huge video screen showing videos, interviews, “The Story of 101” documentary and a very humorous live performance by Depeche Mode from 1981. Unfortunately, no one danced the entire evening!
Towards the end of the night we did the freebie give-aways and boy did I attract everyone’s attention when I came walking through the hall carrying the boxes of freebies! I have to give a huge “THANK YOU VERY MUCH” to Howie Klein of Sire / Warner Bros Records for supplying all the DM promotional items for the give-aways!
One of the highlights of the evening was the Depeche Mode “karaoke” contest. BONGsters were asked to get up on stage and perform their favourite Depeche Mode tracks, either a capella or to the music. The Top 5 winners received a rare Sire / Warner Bros. CD sampler “Depeche Mode Summer Tour ’94”. Those winners were Rebecca Hahn for her a capella performance of “Somebody”, Shane Noland (backed by me) for his performances of “Things You Said” and “World In My Eyes”, Jessica woods for a beautiful a capella performance of “Any Second Now (Voices)”, Jason Enos who did “In Your Room” and the best performer, by far, was Crystal Enos (one of the biggest DM fans I’ve met) who did an a capella performance of “Somebody”. She even received a standing ovation!
The runners-up received “SOFAD” live promo posters. I must also admit I attempted my Martin Gore imitation by performing “Sweetest Perfection” and I think I did quite well.
Prizes that were awaiting the winners included Depeche Mode Summer Tour ’94 sampler CDs, DM videos, “SOFAD” promo displays, “SOFAD” live album / video flats and promotional posters and rare promotional posters for DM’s Greatest Hits CD that was going to be released in September ’94, but was scrapped and never produced. These posters are definitely a keeper!
After the give-aways, everyone just went back to eating, drinking, mingling, photo taking and other fun stuff. By then it was getting quite late. Everyone was getting ready to leave back to their hotels as there were two nights of Depeche Mode concerts ahead of us! The night concluded with hugs and kisses and a bunch of new made friendships. Since many of us were still wide awake, we decided to move the party to the local Denny’s restaurant and we were all there well into the early morning hours!
Over all, the evening was a tremendous success, and everyone appeared to have a great time. I am already planning the next DM Fest for 1995 which will again be organized in Detroit. So maybe we will see you there!
P.S. Special thanks to Mark Purvis, Chad Maier & Stymie for contributing to this review.