Depeche Mode Bong 26 (1995-10)
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Bong 26 (October 1995)
Articles:
Kessler's Korner (behind the scenes article) by Jonathan Kessler
Marek Lieberberg Celebrates 25 Years In The Music Business by Daryl Bamonte
I Met That Bloke From Depeche Mode Once by various contributors
Convention Diary by Michaela Olexova
In Our Eyes (international fan club news) by Jurga Raskauskaite and Tony Lewis
Pictures:
page 1 Martin off-duty
page 2 Martin and Dave off-duty
page 3 page 4 page 5 Dave live
page 6 promotional shot of Dave
Articles:
Kessler's Korner (behind the scenes article) by Jonathan Kessler
Marek Lieberberg Celebrates 25 Years In The Music Business by Daryl Bamonte
I Met That Bloke From Depeche Mode Once by various contributors
Convention Diary by Michaela Olexova
In Our Eyes (international fan club news) by Jurga Raskauskaite and Tony Lewis
Pictures:
page 1 Martin off-duty
page 2 Martin and Dave off-duty
page 3 page 4 page 5 Dave live
page 6 promotional shot of Dave
Attachments
KESSLER'S KORNER
[From Bong 26, October 1995. Words: Jonathan Kessler.]
Judging from all of your responses, there are a lot of you out there interested in getting into the music business.
Thank you for all of your follow up questions on my first article on promoters. I will try to address them in future Korners.
As a promoter is the local person or organization contracting to have the band appear in a given city on a given night, the agent is the band’s representative, who contacts these promoters and negotiates the contract for the show.
Initially, an agent works closely with the band to develop an itinerary for the entire tour. There are many factors involved in this, from the best time of year to be playing in a particular territory, particularly when it has to be considered whether to play indoor or outdoor shows, to how long after an album release it is best to tour in certain countries.
The agent also has to work closely with the band’s production team whilst developing the itinerary. It would be difficult to play a concert in Madrid on Friday followed by a show in Moscow on Monday, when it’s a five day drive for the equipment, not allowing for hold-ups at borders. Don’t laugh, worse booking mistakes have been made.
It is also necessary for an agent to understand the band’s detailed requirements in order to put on the show. These are outlined in a ‘rider’ attached to the main contract, and cover everything from the venue’s ability to accommodate the production equipment to the provision of refreshments in the band’s dressing room. (If any of you have been fortunate enough to get backstage after a Depeche Mode concert, and an agent has been present, you could be forgiven for thinking that one of his chief tasks is to drink 10% of the band’s beer.) We must not forget, of course, that the agent is also responsible for negotiating the band’s fee, and it must be said that a contract’s financial clauses can be complex enough on their own.
In the United States or Europe, the band’s fee is usually a percentage of the box office receipts, less the show expenses. There is often also a certain guaranteed amount which the promoter must pay, regardless of sales.
However, when touring in more remote parts of the world, the deals become a bit more complex. First of all, would a 2,500 guarantee to play a show in South Africa be a good deal? Probably not, if it would cost 10,000 to fly the band, crew and production equipment to the show. Fees for these more remote parts of the world typically encompass all of the costs in getting the band to the various locations, as well as the expenses incurred while staying there. Secondly, what currency should a contract be in? And what if there is a drastic shift in the exchange rates between the time of contracting, and the actual show date? Agents develop complex contractual clauses to ensure that their clients do not get contractually ruined by the declining value of one currency in relation to another. Lastly, who do you call if the promoter in New Guinea decides to take off with the box office receipts from that night in a newly acquired Lear Jet, instead of paying the band? Not that this is too common, but using a series of deposits, letters of credit and other financial guarantees, agents have done their best to minimise this risk.
Some of these factors have become so complex that agents have begun to specialize in particular remote parts of the world. It is not uncommon for the booking of a world-wide tour to be divided among two or three agents for each of these particular regions.
This piece would not be complete if we did not thank the agents who helped make the last Depeche Mode tour so successful. In the United States, Canada and Mexico, Tom Ross and Carole Kinzel and all the rest at Creative Artists Agency. In Europe and the rest of the world, Harvey Goldsmith, Andrew Zweck and company at Harvey Goldsmith Entertainment.
[From Bong 26, October 1995. Words: Jonathan Kessler.]
Judging from all of your responses, there are a lot of you out there interested in getting into the music business.
Thank you for all of your follow up questions on my first article on promoters. I will try to address them in future Korners.
As a promoter is the local person or organization contracting to have the band appear in a given city on a given night, the agent is the band’s representative, who contacts these promoters and negotiates the contract for the show.
Initially, an agent works closely with the band to develop an itinerary for the entire tour. There are many factors involved in this, from the best time of year to be playing in a particular territory, particularly when it has to be considered whether to play indoor or outdoor shows, to how long after an album release it is best to tour in certain countries.
The agent also has to work closely with the band’s production team whilst developing the itinerary. It would be difficult to play a concert in Madrid on Friday followed by a show in Moscow on Monday, when it’s a five day drive for the equipment, not allowing for hold-ups at borders. Don’t laugh, worse booking mistakes have been made.
It is also necessary for an agent to understand the band’s detailed requirements in order to put on the show. These are outlined in a ‘rider’ attached to the main contract, and cover everything from the venue’s ability to accommodate the production equipment to the provision of refreshments in the band’s dressing room. (If any of you have been fortunate enough to get backstage after a Depeche Mode concert, and an agent has been present, you could be forgiven for thinking that one of his chief tasks is to drink 10% of the band’s beer.) We must not forget, of course, that the agent is also responsible for negotiating the band’s fee, and it must be said that a contract’s financial clauses can be complex enough on their own.
In the United States or Europe, the band’s fee is usually a percentage of the box office receipts, less the show expenses. There is often also a certain guaranteed amount which the promoter must pay, regardless of sales.
However, when touring in more remote parts of the world, the deals become a bit more complex. First of all, would a 2,500 guarantee to play a show in South Africa be a good deal? Probably not, if it would cost 10,000 to fly the band, crew and production equipment to the show. Fees for these more remote parts of the world typically encompass all of the costs in getting the band to the various locations, as well as the expenses incurred while staying there. Secondly, what currency should a contract be in? And what if there is a drastic shift in the exchange rates between the time of contracting, and the actual show date? Agents develop complex contractual clauses to ensure that their clients do not get contractually ruined by the declining value of one currency in relation to another. Lastly, who do you call if the promoter in New Guinea decides to take off with the box office receipts from that night in a newly acquired Lear Jet, instead of paying the band? Not that this is too common, but using a series of deposits, letters of credit and other financial guarantees, agents have done their best to minimise this risk.
Some of these factors have become so complex that agents have begun to specialize in particular remote parts of the world. It is not uncommon for the booking of a world-wide tour to be divided among two or three agents for each of these particular regions.
This piece would not be complete if we did not thank the agents who helped make the last Depeche Mode tour so successful. In the United States, Canada and Mexico, Tom Ross and Carole Kinzel and all the rest at Creative Artists Agency. In Europe and the rest of the world, Harvey Goldsmith, Andrew Zweck and company at Harvey Goldsmith Entertainment.
MAREK LIEBERBERG CELEBRATES 25 YEARS IN THE MUSIC BUSINESS
[From Bong 26, October 1995. Words: Daryl Bamonte.]
After the successful launch of a new feature in the last issue of Bong magazine, Kessler’s Korner, you will all be aware of the role of a promoter. Sometimes the relationship is strictly business, but in some cases, as with the promoters that Kessler listed, there blossoms a good friendship between a band and the man “who is responsible for everything involved in having the band appear on a given night”…
One such man is the German promoter Marek Lieberberg who was in London on September 12th to celebrate 25 years in the music business. He must have dealt with a thousand acts in that time, so it was indeed an honour for Depeche Mode to be one of the few bands invited, and an even greater honour to be a member of their staff and be asked to attend. Mind you, we may have been invited partly for our entertainment value…
As we arrived at Bibendum, it struck me that this place had a lot of doormen… oh no… it was a black tie job… luckily I put a jacket on. We were greeted at the door by trapeze artists and magicians and were ushered through and given champagne and microscopic sandwiches that had a posh name. I quickly checked the guest list. Gordon Sumner… then I noticed that someone had written STING in biro… just in case no-one knew. Mark Knopfler… hmmm… did Marek say 25 years or fifty?…
We went upstairs to the dining room. Very civilized. Nice little jazz quartet playing, not too loud either. Master of Ceremonies was an old gentleman in a scarlet jacket and the manner of a judge (didn’t see a panty line though, M’lud…). ‘The Judge’ welcomed various dignitaries (including Fletch and Martin, who were indeed being dignified at this point), and we sat down to enjoy some fine fayre, and the treat of hearing twice Eurovision winner Johnny Logan singing, and still looking like a teenager (ahhhh… what’s another year eh, Johnny?).
The jazz band were later joined by a female singer who was introduced by The Judge as coming straight from Broadway. As Bibendum is just off Fulham Broadway, I remember thinking how convenient it was for her. After quaffing several bottles of fine wine, I decided (after much prompting from Martin) that it was time to dedicate a song to Marek. A free-form Jazz-Gloria-Gaynor-AnyOldPisshead ensemble ensued (although I doubt I was able to say it at the time…), and only modesty prevents me from claiming that it brought the house down.
Returning to my seat, accepting the applause of my fellow diners, I felt a tug at my shoulder and heard a gruff Geordie voice mumble something. I spun around, fearing a vicious assault from one of Newcastle United’s notorious Toon Army, only to be greeted by a demure STING, hand outstretched and offering congratulations. I regained my composure enough to blurt out “Cheers Gordon!”, instantly regretting it…
Then, as if not to be upstaged by an unknown, STING took the stage himself, and performed a reworked version of his Quentin Crisp Tribute “An Englishman In New York”, only this time he had cleverly reworded it as “A German In London”, a piquant rebirth for an already irresistible lyric. (He was a school teacher, after all…).
As the wine began to flow, so did the conversation. In some corners you could see deep, intense business discussions going on, with deals being struck and hands being shook. In other more jovial quarters Martin had set fire to his shirt (and skin) and managed to effortlessly break a very expensive marble table completely in half (I vouched for him – he barely leant on it…). The rest of the organization? JD, Fletch and I were our usual respectable selves. Jonathan Kessler, as always, protested intense jet lag, but I’m sorry Franksy, you do not get jet lag while crossing London and your behaviour was inexcusable…
A memorable night, and one worth writing about…
[From Bong 26, October 1995. Words: Daryl Bamonte.]
After the successful launch of a new feature in the last issue of Bong magazine, Kessler’s Korner, you will all be aware of the role of a promoter. Sometimes the relationship is strictly business, but in some cases, as with the promoters that Kessler listed, there blossoms a good friendship between a band and the man “who is responsible for everything involved in having the band appear on a given night”…
One such man is the German promoter Marek Lieberberg who was in London on September 12th to celebrate 25 years in the music business. He must have dealt with a thousand acts in that time, so it was indeed an honour for Depeche Mode to be one of the few bands invited, and an even greater honour to be a member of their staff and be asked to attend. Mind you, we may have been invited partly for our entertainment value…
As we arrived at Bibendum, it struck me that this place had a lot of doormen… oh no… it was a black tie job… luckily I put a jacket on. We were greeted at the door by trapeze artists and magicians and were ushered through and given champagne and microscopic sandwiches that had a posh name. I quickly checked the guest list. Gordon Sumner… then I noticed that someone had written STING in biro… just in case no-one knew. Mark Knopfler… hmmm… did Marek say 25 years or fifty?…
We went upstairs to the dining room. Very civilized. Nice little jazz quartet playing, not too loud either. Master of Ceremonies was an old gentleman in a scarlet jacket and the manner of a judge (didn’t see a panty line though, M’lud…). ‘The Judge’ welcomed various dignitaries (including Fletch and Martin, who were indeed being dignified at this point), and we sat down to enjoy some fine fayre, and the treat of hearing twice Eurovision winner Johnny Logan singing, and still looking like a teenager (ahhhh… what’s another year eh, Johnny?).
The jazz band were later joined by a female singer who was introduced by The Judge as coming straight from Broadway. As Bibendum is just off Fulham Broadway, I remember thinking how convenient it was for her. After quaffing several bottles of fine wine, I decided (after much prompting from Martin) that it was time to dedicate a song to Marek. A free-form Jazz-Gloria-Gaynor-AnyOldPisshead ensemble ensued (although I doubt I was able to say it at the time…), and only modesty prevents me from claiming that it brought the house down.
Returning to my seat, accepting the applause of my fellow diners, I felt a tug at my shoulder and heard a gruff Geordie voice mumble something. I spun around, fearing a vicious assault from one of Newcastle United’s notorious Toon Army, only to be greeted by a demure STING, hand outstretched and offering congratulations. I regained my composure enough to blurt out “Cheers Gordon!”, instantly regretting it…
Then, as if not to be upstaged by an unknown, STING took the stage himself, and performed a reworked version of his Quentin Crisp Tribute “An Englishman In New York”, only this time he had cleverly reworded it as “A German In London”, a piquant rebirth for an already irresistible lyric. (He was a school teacher, after all…).
As the wine began to flow, so did the conversation. In some corners you could see deep, intense business discussions going on, with deals being struck and hands being shook. In other more jovial quarters Martin had set fire to his shirt (and skin) and managed to effortlessly break a very expensive marble table completely in half (I vouched for him – he barely leant on it…). The rest of the organization? JD, Fletch and I were our usual respectable selves. Jonathan Kessler, as always, protested intense jet lag, but I’m sorry Franksy, you do not get jet lag while crossing London and your behaviour was inexcusable…
A memorable night, and one worth writing about…
I MET THAT BLOKE FROM DEPECHE MODE ONCE
[From Bong 26, October 1995. Words: Various contributors.]
I am now 27. I have been a fan since 1985 when I saw the cover of “Singles 1981-85” and thought it looked interesting. I bought the album and suddenly recognized some tunes heard on the radio now and then. Anyway, from that moment I was DM fan.
This story begins on 2nd October 1990 when I was in Copenhagen for my 3rd concert of DM (also 1986 + 88). I had never seen anyone from the band ‘live’ – only heard from friends who knew someone who had run into DM in the streets or at a club… On the way by bus in Copenhagen, the bus stopped at a crossing and guess who stood there among the pedestrians – Andy and Martin! My heart missed two or three beats as I got my camera ready to shoot, then I rushed off the bus to meet the guys just to say hello. But they were too busy to write any autographs. Instead they took a time so I could get at least a good picture. Then they went on, leaving me in heaven!
On 27th May 1993, the Band were to do their S.O.F.A.D. gig in Copenhagen. I went there two days ahead just to be in town. I found out that they would arrive from Brussels on the day before the concert so I went to the airport hoping for the best and expecting a huge DM crowd, but didn’t find anyone at all. A very friendly customs officer actually showed his arrivals list. Fortunately there was only one VIP arrival from Brussels that day, but it was five hours later that day. He also told me where the plane would stop and where the limos would pass the gates. Yes, he was a very nice man! I didn’t dare going back to Copenhagen so I spent five hours in the airport.
Finally, the plane arrived. The party went out and into the cars waiting. I watched all this at the gate where they eventually had to pass. Still, I was the only one there – amazing! Then the cars moved and passed me. I hoped to get some shots, but there were black windows all over. Suddenly, just as they had passed me they stopped, a bodyguard went out and called me. He asked if I wanted autographs. I couldn’t believe that they had actually stopped – just for me. Anyway, of course I wanted autographs. First Dave signed a blow-up of the S.O.F.A.D. cover – he was nice. Then onto the next car – here were Andy and Martin, they also signed the cover. Then I showed them a 20x30cm enlargement of the 1990 photo which I had brought, just in case, and asked them to sign that as well. They did and also had a good laugh, especially Martin as they recognized themselves. Unfortunately I missed the first car with Alan, but I thanked them for stopping.
After the concert, I went backstage as I had managed to get myself a backstage pass. I talked to Martin briefly and once again thanked him for stopping at the airport.
The day after the gig I had nothing to do but wait for the train home. So I decided to hang around the hotel. There was a huge crowd there – 80% were Metallica fans as the Band had just checked in. Two hours later the three limos arrived. Now I knew what would happen. Depeche Mode had to leave Copenhagen! I went to talk to the driver of the first car and he told me that he had been driving for Dave all three days and that it was actually Dave who had asked them to stop at the airport because I was the only one waiting. Of course, that made me happy. Thanks Dave. Then the Band went into the cars and to the airport.
That was the end of three very exciting days around the gig. Who knows what’s gonna happen next time. One thing is for sure – I’ll be around!
Jens Bay
Give, Denmark
On 11th April, 1995 I was at the Beverly Center shopping mall in L.A. and I had the good luck to run into Dave Gahan there. I was with two other people who are also Depeche Mode fans. We were on the escalator going down and I looked across and saw Dave on the other side going up. I couldn’t believe my eyes. We went back up and when we caught up with Dave, asked if it would be OK to get an autograph. He said sure. We only spoke with him briefly but I was so happy to meet him after loving Depeche Mode so much for about nine years now. Before, the closest I had got to DM was the 11th row at one of their concerts, so it was very exciting to finally be face to face with Dave. I was afraid that he probably wouldn’t want to be bothered, as he probably gets asked for autographs a lot, but he was very nice about the situation.
Kristin Norby
Los Angeles, USA
We met Depeche Mode at the hotel they were staying in after their Prague concert on June 18, 1993. We were not sure whether it was really the right hotel or not but we had a good tip so we stayed and waited. After some time, the doors, opened and Andy with Martin entered the lobby. We approached them, asked for signatures and if we could take a photograph. We talked for a while with both of them until Dave and Alan’s arrival at the hotel. We then had a chance to ask Dave about their tour and for his autograph before security intervened. Soon, we left the hotel.
Robert Broj
Prague, Czech Republic
[From Bong 26, October 1995. Words: Various contributors.]
I am now 27. I have been a fan since 1985 when I saw the cover of “Singles 1981-85” and thought it looked interesting. I bought the album and suddenly recognized some tunes heard on the radio now and then. Anyway, from that moment I was DM fan.
This story begins on 2nd October 1990 when I was in Copenhagen for my 3rd concert of DM (also 1986 + 88). I had never seen anyone from the band ‘live’ – only heard from friends who knew someone who had run into DM in the streets or at a club… On the way by bus in Copenhagen, the bus stopped at a crossing and guess who stood there among the pedestrians – Andy and Martin! My heart missed two or three beats as I got my camera ready to shoot, then I rushed off the bus to meet the guys just to say hello. But they were too busy to write any autographs. Instead they took a time so I could get at least a good picture. Then they went on, leaving me in heaven!
On 27th May 1993, the Band were to do their S.O.F.A.D. gig in Copenhagen. I went there two days ahead just to be in town. I found out that they would arrive from Brussels on the day before the concert so I went to the airport hoping for the best and expecting a huge DM crowd, but didn’t find anyone at all. A very friendly customs officer actually showed his arrivals list. Fortunately there was only one VIP arrival from Brussels that day, but it was five hours later that day. He also told me where the plane would stop and where the limos would pass the gates. Yes, he was a very nice man! I didn’t dare going back to Copenhagen so I spent five hours in the airport.
Finally, the plane arrived. The party went out and into the cars waiting. I watched all this at the gate where they eventually had to pass. Still, I was the only one there – amazing! Then the cars moved and passed me. I hoped to get some shots, but there were black windows all over. Suddenly, just as they had passed me they stopped, a bodyguard went out and called me. He asked if I wanted autographs. I couldn’t believe that they had actually stopped – just for me. Anyway, of course I wanted autographs. First Dave signed a blow-up of the S.O.F.A.D. cover – he was nice. Then onto the next car – here were Andy and Martin, they also signed the cover. Then I showed them a 20x30cm enlargement of the 1990 photo which I had brought, just in case, and asked them to sign that as well. They did and also had a good laugh, especially Martin as they recognized themselves. Unfortunately I missed the first car with Alan, but I thanked them for stopping.
After the concert, I went backstage as I had managed to get myself a backstage pass. I talked to Martin briefly and once again thanked him for stopping at the airport.
The day after the gig I had nothing to do but wait for the train home. So I decided to hang around the hotel. There was a huge crowd there – 80% were Metallica fans as the Band had just checked in. Two hours later the three limos arrived. Now I knew what would happen. Depeche Mode had to leave Copenhagen! I went to talk to the driver of the first car and he told me that he had been driving for Dave all three days and that it was actually Dave who had asked them to stop at the airport because I was the only one waiting. Of course, that made me happy. Thanks Dave. Then the Band went into the cars and to the airport.
That was the end of three very exciting days around the gig. Who knows what’s gonna happen next time. One thing is for sure – I’ll be around!
Jens Bay
Give, Denmark
On 11th April, 1995 I was at the Beverly Center shopping mall in L.A. and I had the good luck to run into Dave Gahan there. I was with two other people who are also Depeche Mode fans. We were on the escalator going down and I looked across and saw Dave on the other side going up. I couldn’t believe my eyes. We went back up and when we caught up with Dave, asked if it would be OK to get an autograph. He said sure. We only spoke with him briefly but I was so happy to meet him after loving Depeche Mode so much for about nine years now. Before, the closest I had got to DM was the 11th row at one of their concerts, so it was very exciting to finally be face to face with Dave. I was afraid that he probably wouldn’t want to be bothered, as he probably gets asked for autographs a lot, but he was very nice about the situation.
Kristin Norby
Los Angeles, USA
We met Depeche Mode at the hotel they were staying in after their Prague concert on June 18, 1993. We were not sure whether it was really the right hotel or not but we had a good tip so we stayed and waited. After some time, the doors, opened and Andy with Martin entered the lobby. We approached them, asked for signatures and if we could take a photograph. We talked for a while with both of them until Dave and Alan’s arrival at the hotel. We then had a chance to ask Dave about their tour and for his autograph before security intervened. Soon, we left the hotel.
Robert Broj
Prague, Czech Republic
CONVENTION DIARY
[From Bong 26, October 1995. Words: Michaela Olexova.]
1:00pm – Lynn has just made us a nice cup of coffee and we are sitting down to have the last run through of tonight’s programme. “Are we really going to have enough time for all these competitions?” she wonders, I try to convince her that we will have no problem fitting it all in. We didn’t last year and the fans loved it. Ticking off all the prizes we are taking with us to Camden Palace tonight, we realize that we need a much bigger box to put them all in.
2:30pm – We are all set to leave. Lynn calls for a cab but after waiting for 10 minutes they call back to tell us that there isn’t a cab in our area. Great! Now we have to wait for at least another half an hour. Let’s hope all the people we arranged to meet outside the venue at 3:00pm are still waiting.
3:10pm – We’ve made it! Only 10 minutes late, but no-one is here yet anyway. Two foreign girls kindly offer to help us move our stuff into the venue. Thanks again.
3:15pm – The guys from MESH, the band that are playing tonight, are here and we are trying to arrange to have the back door opened so they can move all their equipment on to the stage.
3:40pm – The soundcheck should start soon. The local technicians are here but what about the guy from Camden Palace’s management who is supposed to turn the electricity on for us, shouldn’t he be here already? “We had a late night yesterday and have no idea what time he’ll be here,” is the reply we get.
4:00pm – Our friends Anne-Marie, Paul, Laurie, Pete, Gavin, Tom, Tracy and John who have volunteered to help us out tonight are all arriving along with our DJ Paul. We start to set up the stalls for the t-shirts and raffle tickets.
4:30pm – The bloke from the management is still not here and neither are the security people. At the same time we find out that there is no vide screen available. It seems that everything is working against us but we are staying cool…
5:00pm – Only one hour to go before the doors open. The manager has finally arrived which is a great relief to all of us. The guys from MESH are ready to start their soundcheck. There doesn’t seem to be any problem with the sound, so they leave for a while to grab something to eat. Our DJ Paul Green also looks pleased with everything…
6:00pm – …but not for long. Just as we are about to open the doors, we find out that the bars are not ready and some of the staff are still missing. “Is anyone round here responsible for all this?” we ask, as usual nobody seems to know. Some people make me wonder sometimes.
6:20pm – There are hundreds of people waiting outside, we can’t hang on any longer, so WE decide to open the doors. The fans are flowing in, buying themselves raffle tickets and t-shirts in the foyer, greeting old friends here and there, then they enter the darkness of the Camden Palace itself with music throbbing loudly around the walls and a big screen with the word BONG projected onto it with lasers. We would rather have a video but it’s better than nothing.
7:00pm – “Good evening Camden Palace and welcome to the Depeche Mode Fan Club Convention”. I don’t know why I agreed to do this again. The thought of a few hundred people staring at me makes me nervous even though the lights prevent me from seeing them. Now that bit is over, the Convention is officially opened. I can see for myself just how many people there really are. I recognize a few familiar faces, not only from Britain but from Germany, France, Spain, Holland, everyone is dancing and the atmosphere is fantastic. I think I am going to enjoy tonight.
7:30pm – It’s time for the first competition of the evening – DM Remix. Unlike last year, we decide to allow more people to enter this competition. Everyone has a chance to grab a bit of paper which is available at the front of the stage, get a pen and listen to a minute long extract of ten Depeche Mode songs. The overall winner is Chris Plant who wins a signed 12” record of “A Question Of Time”. There were four runners-up who also won prizes.
8:00pm – MESH take the stage, full of energy and enthusiasm. They come complete with an army of fans and an excellent reputation… but what will Depeche Mode fans think of them?
8:30pm – From what I can see everyone is really enjoying the show – MESH (Mark, Richard & Neil) are giving it their all with songs from their mini album “Fragile” and the audience loves it. What a success, it seems we were right in thinking they would be a good choice for our convention.
9:00pm – It is the last call for the Mastermind competition. Questionnaires containing ten pretty hard questions were given out to everyone at the entrance. Now it’s time to have them back and check the answers. In the meantime fans have a chance to request their favourite tunes in the Request Hour. It was a very popular spot and apologies to everyone who didn’t get their request played.
9:30pm – The lights are up and it’s time for the raffle draw with the help of our friend Laurie. There is an air of excitement, everyone wants to win something no matter how small. We start from the bottom of our list of prizes, which includes a signed song sheet and photographs, and work our way up to the top prize which is Alan’s leather stage suit, won by Gwen Den Ouden from Holland. Congratulations!
10:00pm – We are finally into the second round of the Mastermind Competition. There are only five people through from round one, they are Hank Mees, Antony Mew, Angie Trafford, Chrissy Cleemput and Chris Plant. They are given five very hard questions and the winner is Antony Mew and he wins the actual deck-chair which was used in the video for “Enjoy The Silence”, which has been signed by the band. I can’t remember the last time we had such a brilliant prize.
10:30pm – Karaoke time. You’ve guessed it – we got a bit bored with the look-a-like competitions, and decided to try something else. This turns out to be a lot of fun for everyone, we can only allow the contestants to sing half of the song so we can fit everyone in. Half an hour and 14 singers later the audience has to choose three winners. They are Luis from Spain who comes third with his performance of “Personal Jesus” and wins a drumstick signed by Alan, Peter from Germany comes second with “Enjoy The Silence” and wins a signed tour programme, but Willie from Germany comes first with “Somebody” and wins a signed copy of “Strange”, a book of photographs by Anton Corbijn.
11:15pm – Only 45 minutes left to go. Enough time for some more DM music, dancing and to throw some give-aways into the crowd, we have tons of tour passes and promo postcards, so everyone has a chance to take at least one thing home with them. It is nice to see all those Grabbing Hands!
11:30pm – I have a question for you. How many Dave look-alikes do you think can fit on one stage at the same time? Too many to count from where I am standing, and a multitude of nationalities too…
12:00 midnight – Where has the time gone, I have no idea it is this late. Does it really have to end? Oh well… “Thank you for coming and hope to see you soon.”
00:10am – Nearly everyone has gone and the place looks so empty. The guys from MESH are packing away their gear and so are we. We move all our stuff outside and wait for our cab to take us and anything we have left over back to our office. There are still some people hanging around. Two fans have just thanked us for organizing a great evening and it feels nice… worth every minute.
[From Bong 26, October 1995. Words: Michaela Olexova.]
1:00pm – Lynn has just made us a nice cup of coffee and we are sitting down to have the last run through of tonight’s programme. “Are we really going to have enough time for all these competitions?” she wonders, I try to convince her that we will have no problem fitting it all in. We didn’t last year and the fans loved it. Ticking off all the prizes we are taking with us to Camden Palace tonight, we realize that we need a much bigger box to put them all in.
2:30pm – We are all set to leave. Lynn calls for a cab but after waiting for 10 minutes they call back to tell us that there isn’t a cab in our area. Great! Now we have to wait for at least another half an hour. Let’s hope all the people we arranged to meet outside the venue at 3:00pm are still waiting.
3:10pm – We’ve made it! Only 10 minutes late, but no-one is here yet anyway. Two foreign girls kindly offer to help us move our stuff into the venue. Thanks again.
3:15pm – The guys from MESH, the band that are playing tonight, are here and we are trying to arrange to have the back door opened so they can move all their equipment on to the stage.
3:40pm – The soundcheck should start soon. The local technicians are here but what about the guy from Camden Palace’s management who is supposed to turn the electricity on for us, shouldn’t he be here already? “We had a late night yesterday and have no idea what time he’ll be here,” is the reply we get.
4:00pm – Our friends Anne-Marie, Paul, Laurie, Pete, Gavin, Tom, Tracy and John who have volunteered to help us out tonight are all arriving along with our DJ Paul. We start to set up the stalls for the t-shirts and raffle tickets.
4:30pm – The bloke from the management is still not here and neither are the security people. At the same time we find out that there is no vide screen available. It seems that everything is working against us but we are staying cool…
5:00pm – Only one hour to go before the doors open. The manager has finally arrived which is a great relief to all of us. The guys from MESH are ready to start their soundcheck. There doesn’t seem to be any problem with the sound, so they leave for a while to grab something to eat. Our DJ Paul Green also looks pleased with everything…
6:00pm – …but not for long. Just as we are about to open the doors, we find out that the bars are not ready and some of the staff are still missing. “Is anyone round here responsible for all this?” we ask, as usual nobody seems to know. Some people make me wonder sometimes.
6:20pm – There are hundreds of people waiting outside, we can’t hang on any longer, so WE decide to open the doors. The fans are flowing in, buying themselves raffle tickets and t-shirts in the foyer, greeting old friends here and there, then they enter the darkness of the Camden Palace itself with music throbbing loudly around the walls and a big screen with the word BONG projected onto it with lasers. We would rather have a video but it’s better than nothing.
7:00pm – “Good evening Camden Palace and welcome to the Depeche Mode Fan Club Convention”. I don’t know why I agreed to do this again. The thought of a few hundred people staring at me makes me nervous even though the lights prevent me from seeing them. Now that bit is over, the Convention is officially opened. I can see for myself just how many people there really are. I recognize a few familiar faces, not only from Britain but from Germany, France, Spain, Holland, everyone is dancing and the atmosphere is fantastic. I think I am going to enjoy tonight.
7:30pm – It’s time for the first competition of the evening – DM Remix. Unlike last year, we decide to allow more people to enter this competition. Everyone has a chance to grab a bit of paper which is available at the front of the stage, get a pen and listen to a minute long extract of ten Depeche Mode songs. The overall winner is Chris Plant who wins a signed 12” record of “A Question Of Time”. There were four runners-up who also won prizes.
8:00pm – MESH take the stage, full of energy and enthusiasm. They come complete with an army of fans and an excellent reputation… but what will Depeche Mode fans think of them?
8:30pm – From what I can see everyone is really enjoying the show – MESH (Mark, Richard & Neil) are giving it their all with songs from their mini album “Fragile” and the audience loves it. What a success, it seems we were right in thinking they would be a good choice for our convention.
9:00pm – It is the last call for the Mastermind competition. Questionnaires containing ten pretty hard questions were given out to everyone at the entrance. Now it’s time to have them back and check the answers. In the meantime fans have a chance to request their favourite tunes in the Request Hour. It was a very popular spot and apologies to everyone who didn’t get their request played.
9:30pm – The lights are up and it’s time for the raffle draw with the help of our friend Laurie. There is an air of excitement, everyone wants to win something no matter how small. We start from the bottom of our list of prizes, which includes a signed song sheet and photographs, and work our way up to the top prize which is Alan’s leather stage suit, won by Gwen Den Ouden from Holland. Congratulations!
10:00pm – We are finally into the second round of the Mastermind Competition. There are only five people through from round one, they are Hank Mees, Antony Mew, Angie Trafford, Chrissy Cleemput and Chris Plant. They are given five very hard questions and the winner is Antony Mew and he wins the actual deck-chair which was used in the video for “Enjoy The Silence”, which has been signed by the band. I can’t remember the last time we had such a brilliant prize.
10:30pm – Karaoke time. You’ve guessed it – we got a bit bored with the look-a-like competitions, and decided to try something else. This turns out to be a lot of fun for everyone, we can only allow the contestants to sing half of the song so we can fit everyone in. Half an hour and 14 singers later the audience has to choose three winners. They are Luis from Spain who comes third with his performance of “Personal Jesus” and wins a drumstick signed by Alan, Peter from Germany comes second with “Enjoy The Silence” and wins a signed tour programme, but Willie from Germany comes first with “Somebody” and wins a signed copy of “Strange”, a book of photographs by Anton Corbijn.
11:15pm – Only 45 minutes left to go. Enough time for some more DM music, dancing and to throw some give-aways into the crowd, we have tons of tour passes and promo postcards, so everyone has a chance to take at least one thing home with them. It is nice to see all those Grabbing Hands!
11:30pm – I have a question for you. How many Dave look-alikes do you think can fit on one stage at the same time? Too many to count from where I am standing, and a multitude of nationalities too…
12:00 midnight – Where has the time gone, I have no idea it is this late. Does it really have to end? Oh well… “Thank you for coming and hope to see you soon.”
00:10am – Nearly everyone has gone and the place looks so empty. The guys from MESH are packing away their gear and so are we. We move all our stuff outside and wait for our cab to take us and anything we have left over back to our office. There are still some people hanging around. Two fans have just thanked us for organizing a great evening and it feels nice… worth every minute.
IN OUR EYES
[From Bong 26, October 1995. Words: Jurga Raskauskaite, Tony Lewis.]
This page is here to inform you about the activities of the fan clubs that exist all around the world and work locally for Depeche Mode fans in that particular area or country. It is open to every fan club who wants to share some of their experiences from their conventions or parties. We also welcome any photographs to go with your stories. All contributions should be sent to the usual Bong address.
Please note, the official DM Fan Club BONG is not associated with the activities expressed here, doesn’t take part in the events and therefore takes no responsibility.
Martin’s Birthday In Lithuania
Martin’s birthday is ccelebrated in Lithuania every year. This year there was a great party organized in Kedainiai, the centre of Lithuania, by a local DM Fan Club. When my friends and I arrived, there we saw a cozy and nicely decorated dancehall with several pictures of DM and Martin hanging on the walls. The part started at about 10pm. I don’t think all the fans were there because of another party in the nearby town. Some of the fans just didn’t have a chance to come here. But everyone in Kedainiai seemed to be in the mood for a great time. We were dancing until midnight and it seemed that everyone wanted to show the best they could. At midnight, we sang “Happy Birthday” and traditional Lithuanian song to Martin. All the fans could dance again or watch DM videos later on. I think “Photographic”, “Personal Jesus” and “Never Let Me Down Again” again were the songs everybody liked the most that evening. There were some competitions held too that night, i.e. – two groups of the fans had to give tasks or questions to each other. It was great and very original, with a great sense of humour. Later on, these groups had to act any of the DM videos. They chose “Pimpf” and “Enjoy The Silence”. The party was very nice and it ended at about 6am. And I have to say that all the devotees I met there were very friendly and we had a great time together. So I’d like to send my regards to all my new friends. See you next time!
Jurga Raskauskaite
Alytus, Lithuania
More Than A Party!
We started setting up in afternoon. Everybody was extremely nervous and we all knew it was going to be a great evening. What more can you say about DM music being played all evening!!! Pro Discos came at about 5pm to set up the lights and excellent sound system, while myself and fellow devotees in Evolution (our fan club) put posters up and finished the stage design. We started playing Eighties music when the devotees started to arrive at seven, and by this time myself and Robert had begun to test the beers out! Eight o’clock arrived, the lights went down and dry ice filled the stage. We played the intro which was “Rush” to start off with and Pro Discos controlled the lights and strobes which were similar to the ones used on the Devotional Tour. The atmosphere was amazing, everybody was on a high, and on the tenth anniversary of “Shake The Disease” as well! What more could we ask for, we had the fans, the music, the only thing that was missing were Depeche Mode themselves! The Intro finished and we mixed into “In Your Room”, this is when everybody started to head for the dancefloor. We continued to play loads of rare DM material, which included Razormaids and demos as well as some of the old favourites like “Photographic” and “Just Can’t Get Enough”. The favourite song played that night was “Never Let Me Down Again” as well as “World In My Eyes”, “Enjoy The Silence” and “Halo”. We also had some freebies thanks to everybody at Mute and various rare DM memorabilia for sale. It was such a great night for the masses that I would like to end by saying a big thank you to everybody, especially Lynn Newcombe, Bong, Mute Records and of course to Depeche Mode, who if it wasn’t for them we would have nothing to look forward to!!!
Tony Lewis
Peterborough, England
[From Bong 26, October 1995. Words: Jurga Raskauskaite, Tony Lewis.]
This page is here to inform you about the activities of the fan clubs that exist all around the world and work locally for Depeche Mode fans in that particular area or country. It is open to every fan club who wants to share some of their experiences from their conventions or parties. We also welcome any photographs to go with your stories. All contributions should be sent to the usual Bong address.
Please note, the official DM Fan Club BONG is not associated with the activities expressed here, doesn’t take part in the events and therefore takes no responsibility.
Martin’s Birthday In Lithuania
Martin’s birthday is ccelebrated in Lithuania every year. This year there was a great party organized in Kedainiai, the centre of Lithuania, by a local DM Fan Club. When my friends and I arrived, there we saw a cozy and nicely decorated dancehall with several pictures of DM and Martin hanging on the walls. The part started at about 10pm. I don’t think all the fans were there because of another party in the nearby town. Some of the fans just didn’t have a chance to come here. But everyone in Kedainiai seemed to be in the mood for a great time. We were dancing until midnight and it seemed that everyone wanted to show the best they could. At midnight, we sang “Happy Birthday” and traditional Lithuanian song to Martin. All the fans could dance again or watch DM videos later on. I think “Photographic”, “Personal Jesus” and “Never Let Me Down Again” again were the songs everybody liked the most that evening. There were some competitions held too that night, i.e. – two groups of the fans had to give tasks or questions to each other. It was great and very original, with a great sense of humour. Later on, these groups had to act any of the DM videos. They chose “Pimpf” and “Enjoy The Silence”. The party was very nice and it ended at about 6am. And I have to say that all the devotees I met there were very friendly and we had a great time together. So I’d like to send my regards to all my new friends. See you next time!
Jurga Raskauskaite
Alytus, Lithuania
More Than A Party!
We started setting up in afternoon. Everybody was extremely nervous and we all knew it was going to be a great evening. What more can you say about DM music being played all evening!!! Pro Discos came at about 5pm to set up the lights and excellent sound system, while myself and fellow devotees in Evolution (our fan club) put posters up and finished the stage design. We started playing Eighties music when the devotees started to arrive at seven, and by this time myself and Robert had begun to test the beers out! Eight o’clock arrived, the lights went down and dry ice filled the stage. We played the intro which was “Rush” to start off with and Pro Discos controlled the lights and strobes which were similar to the ones used on the Devotional Tour. The atmosphere was amazing, everybody was on a high, and on the tenth anniversary of “Shake The Disease” as well! What more could we ask for, we had the fans, the music, the only thing that was missing were Depeche Mode themselves! The Intro finished and we mixed into “In Your Room”, this is when everybody started to head for the dancefloor. We continued to play loads of rare DM material, which included Razormaids and demos as well as some of the old favourites like “Photographic” and “Just Can’t Get Enough”. The favourite song played that night was “Never Let Me Down Again” as well as “World In My Eyes”, “Enjoy The Silence” and “Halo”. We also had some freebies thanks to everybody at Mute and various rare DM memorabilia for sale. It was such a great night for the masses that I would like to end by saying a big thank you to everybody, especially Lynn Newcombe, Bong, Mute Records and of course to Depeche Mode, who if it wasn’t for them we would have nothing to look forward to!!!
Tony Lewis
Peterborough, England