Depeche Mode Bong 36 (1998-06)
Bong 36 (June 1998)
Articles:
Strange Too - Another Violation (videocassette review) by various contributors
Devotional (videocassette review) by various contributors
Twenty-Four Hours In Cologne (band press conference itinerary)
20th April 1998 Depeche Mode Press Conference
Musings For The Masses Convention by "Red"
For The Masses by Philip Blaine
Pictures:
page 1 promotional shot by Marina Chavez
page 2 the band at the 20th April press conference
page 3 a drawing of the band
page 4 Martin in the studio
Articles:
Strange Too - Another Violation (videocassette review) by various contributors
Devotional (videocassette review) by various contributors
Twenty-Four Hours In Cologne (band press conference itinerary)
20th April 1998 Depeche Mode Press Conference
Musings For The Masses Convention by "Red"
For The Masses by Philip Blaine
Pictures:
page 1 promotional shot by Marina Chavez
page 2 the band at the 20th April press conference
page 3 a drawing of the band
page 4 Martin in the studio
Attachments
STRANGE TOO - ANOTHER VIOLATION
[From Bong 36, June 1998. Words: Various contributors.]
“Strange Too” showcases “Violator” with more sex than the other videos. The videos are framed by the band watching themselves at a drive-thru. Who expected the band at a bordello in “Personal Jesus”? They certainly are not the rosy-cheeked lads from “Some Great Videos”. “Clean” focuses on Martin, even though he does not sing in it. This is an erotic video about a song that is not sexual, say, like “World In My Eyes”. The video is voyeuristic. To begin with, the woman closes the drapes to exclude any audience. The audience are the fans, the band watching from the drive-thru, and even the projections on the wall. This video best reflects the name of the album, since Martin and the woman’s privacy is being violated. Dave Gahan in an interview said that the album got its name because the band had in mind a name that suggests pornography or a heavy metal record. If the attractive woman wore any less clothes, this video would qualify as soft porn. In fact, there might be some fans who imagine themselves in the girl’s position. Anton Corbijn is presenting Depeche Mode in a more bolder light than any video in “Some Great Videos”, in ways fans should enjoy.
Jacqueline Pierce
Houston, USA
“Strange Too” is the second video compilation Anton Corbijn directed for Depeche Mode. It contains six different videos from the wonderful album “Violator”. The video tape starts off with the dynamic rocky song “Personal Jesus” where the guys from Depeche are dressed like cowboys and the whole story behind this clip is situated on a beautiful hot desert location. This shortly turns into the dark & moody “Policy Of Truth” featuring Mr. Gahan driving in a strange dark city whose face is illuminated only by neon lights. The song itself contains some strong guitar riffs which nicely underline the heart’s emptiness writhing in this song. Next, the most sublime Depeche Mode song “Enjoy The Silence” showing Dave in the disguise of a king and superb scenery of the mountains covered with snow behind him which blends perfectly with a crystal sound of synths and guitar. “Clean” is about addiction and this time it’s Martin who plays the lead role, although he’s not singing. The images of the rest of the band can be seen briefly on the white screen of the empty cinema where this visual story takes place. Quite a bit of acting involves the video to the song “Halo”, especially for Dave and Martin who play the parts of “the strongest man in the universe” (Dave) and “the funny clown” (Martin). And last but not least, there is a live video of “World In My Eyes” that was shot during the “World Violation” Tour and brings back some memories of the Band’s performances back then. The single video clips are joined together in a short movie watched by the Band from a car at night in the middle of nowhere… but you certainly won’t get lost!
Marek Grzesiak
Poznan, Poland
[From Bong 36, June 1998. Words: Various contributors.]
“Strange Too” showcases “Violator” with more sex than the other videos. The videos are framed by the band watching themselves at a drive-thru. Who expected the band at a bordello in “Personal Jesus”? They certainly are not the rosy-cheeked lads from “Some Great Videos”. “Clean” focuses on Martin, even though he does not sing in it. This is an erotic video about a song that is not sexual, say, like “World In My Eyes”. The video is voyeuristic. To begin with, the woman closes the drapes to exclude any audience. The audience are the fans, the band watching from the drive-thru, and even the projections on the wall. This video best reflects the name of the album, since Martin and the woman’s privacy is being violated. Dave Gahan in an interview said that the album got its name because the band had in mind a name that suggests pornography or a heavy metal record. If the attractive woman wore any less clothes, this video would qualify as soft porn. In fact, there might be some fans who imagine themselves in the girl’s position. Anton Corbijn is presenting Depeche Mode in a more bolder light than any video in “Some Great Videos”, in ways fans should enjoy.
Jacqueline Pierce
Houston, USA
“Strange Too” is the second video compilation Anton Corbijn directed for Depeche Mode. It contains six different videos from the wonderful album “Violator”. The video tape starts off with the dynamic rocky song “Personal Jesus” where the guys from Depeche are dressed like cowboys and the whole story behind this clip is situated on a beautiful hot desert location. This shortly turns into the dark & moody “Policy Of Truth” featuring Mr. Gahan driving in a strange dark city whose face is illuminated only by neon lights. The song itself contains some strong guitar riffs which nicely underline the heart’s emptiness writhing in this song. Next, the most sublime Depeche Mode song “Enjoy The Silence” showing Dave in the disguise of a king and superb scenery of the mountains covered with snow behind him which blends perfectly with a crystal sound of synths and guitar. “Clean” is about addiction and this time it’s Martin who plays the lead role, although he’s not singing. The images of the rest of the band can be seen briefly on the white screen of the empty cinema where this visual story takes place. Quite a bit of acting involves the video to the song “Halo”, especially for Dave and Martin who play the parts of “the strongest man in the universe” (Dave) and “the funny clown” (Martin). And last but not least, there is a live video of “World In My Eyes” that was shot during the “World Violation” Tour and brings back some memories of the Band’s performances back then. The single video clips are joined together in a short movie watched by the Band from a car at night in the middle of nowhere… but you certainly won’t get lost!
Marek Grzesiak
Poznan, Poland
DEVOTIONAL
[From Bong 36, June 1998. Words: Various contributors.]
This film is a merging of vision and sound that solidifies Anton Corbijn’s chemistry with the band. High wall curtains that shadowed the lads in which one can only stare at the bigger than life image of them while doing “Higher Love”. “World In My Eyes” is my favourite because of its new sounds and Dave’s stage performance that would have to end only with a bow. “Walking In My Shoes” mystified me with its bird-like, half woman body in it that stood upon Dave’s way. The visuals are truly awesome on the massive screens that projected them, through “Stripped”, “Condemnation”, “Never Let Me Down Again” and “Judas”. “I Feel You” and “Rush” were undoubtedly the highlights of the show mainly because we are able to see the whole band so clearly, especially Dave, who conquered every possible space on the stage. During “In Your Room” Dave was almost taken apart by the crowd when he dived from the stage into a sea of fans. As far as the encores are concerned “Personal Jesus” had everyone gasping for air as they “Reached Out and Touched Faith” for the whole song. Lastly, “Enjoy The Silence” – a great song to finish a great night where Dave just struts himself out, much to the delight of the fans, then he grabs a sign that says “Reach Out and Touch Dave” giving it a final Depeche Mode… Thank You!
Leslie and Josie Reyes
Saipan, USA
I’m sorry, but short of quibbling with the set-list, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with this. Here are Depeche Mode, recorded in performance on their 1993 European tour in flawless and suitably artistic fashion by Anton Corbijn. The band’s long-time video director, Corbijn also designed the stage set – an imposing split-level stage, using grids containing large screens (images, for the back projection of) and four large pillars swathed in industrial-type cloth (showbiz, for the prevention of). It’s the combination of lighting and design that really impresses, however. There’s no attempt to dazzle or be flashy – it’s all kept simple and sparing, including the evocative but non-nostalgic images which enhance rather than distract, and are perfectly in tone with the music. Talking of which, the band play a set of 16 numbers, a strong mix of both recent and older material including a couple of reworked ancients in the encores. They also introduce backing singers and – gasp! – live drums for the first time. Oh, and Dave Gahan wiggles his bum (not for the first time), and later reveals a skinny and tattooed torso. It’s all faultlessly conceived and presented, and equally well filmed and edited. You can see everything clearly. There’s no phoney chat between numbers (simply brief darkness or a change of lights), yet the sweat is there too, so it never becomes clinical. The audience never intrude but add to the sense of occasion, only shown as a fleeting image or when involved by Dave Gahan, and there’s no offstage malarkey to spoil the magic. An absorbing experience even for non-die-hard fans, Devotional is a wonderful, creative example of achieving success without artistic compromise.
Ian Cranna, Q Magazine, UK (December 1993)
To be honest I am not a great fan of this sort of thing. Trying to recreate the atmosphere of a live performance on video never really works but Devotional comes close. From the opening song, the arousing “Higher Love”, Dave has the audience in the palm of his hand and continues to hold them there for the next 90 minutes. Apart from a wonderful set list which includes “Walking In My Shoes”, “I Feel You”, “Never Let Me Down Again” and the Grande Finale” “Everything Counts” (complete with compulsory audience sing-a-long). Other highlights include some great moments of Dave interacting with the audience and some realistic atmospheric shots of the stage from a crowd’s eye view. The visuals of Dave on stage shot through the outstretched arms of the fans are stunning. When I sat down to watch Devotional I knew the music was going to be great but this video really catches the ambience and atmosphere of the show. From the opening scene of Dave’s giant shadow projected onto a flimsy silk curtain covering the set and Anton’s wonderfully weird visuals and stills appearing on the screens spanning the stage, you know this is not just your average concert footage video. So if you didn’t get to see any of the shows on the Devotional Tour, this video will convince you otherwise.
Lorraine Selwyn
Essex, England
[From Bong 36, June 1998. Words: Various contributors.]
This film is a merging of vision and sound that solidifies Anton Corbijn’s chemistry with the band. High wall curtains that shadowed the lads in which one can only stare at the bigger than life image of them while doing “Higher Love”. “World In My Eyes” is my favourite because of its new sounds and Dave’s stage performance that would have to end only with a bow. “Walking In My Shoes” mystified me with its bird-like, half woman body in it that stood upon Dave’s way. The visuals are truly awesome on the massive screens that projected them, through “Stripped”, “Condemnation”, “Never Let Me Down Again” and “Judas”. “I Feel You” and “Rush” were undoubtedly the highlights of the show mainly because we are able to see the whole band so clearly, especially Dave, who conquered every possible space on the stage. During “In Your Room” Dave was almost taken apart by the crowd when he dived from the stage into a sea of fans. As far as the encores are concerned “Personal Jesus” had everyone gasping for air as they “Reached Out and Touched Faith” for the whole song. Lastly, “Enjoy The Silence” – a great song to finish a great night where Dave just struts himself out, much to the delight of the fans, then he grabs a sign that says “Reach Out and Touch Dave” giving it a final Depeche Mode… Thank You!
Leslie and Josie Reyes
Saipan, USA
I’m sorry, but short of quibbling with the set-list, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with this. Here are Depeche Mode, recorded in performance on their 1993 European tour in flawless and suitably artistic fashion by Anton Corbijn. The band’s long-time video director, Corbijn also designed the stage set – an imposing split-level stage, using grids containing large screens (images, for the back projection of) and four large pillars swathed in industrial-type cloth (showbiz, for the prevention of). It’s the combination of lighting and design that really impresses, however. There’s no attempt to dazzle or be flashy – it’s all kept simple and sparing, including the evocative but non-nostalgic images which enhance rather than distract, and are perfectly in tone with the music. Talking of which, the band play a set of 16 numbers, a strong mix of both recent and older material including a couple of reworked ancients in the encores. They also introduce backing singers and – gasp! – live drums for the first time. Oh, and Dave Gahan wiggles his bum (not for the first time), and later reveals a skinny and tattooed torso. It’s all faultlessly conceived and presented, and equally well filmed and edited. You can see everything clearly. There’s no phoney chat between numbers (simply brief darkness or a change of lights), yet the sweat is there too, so it never becomes clinical. The audience never intrude but add to the sense of occasion, only shown as a fleeting image or when involved by Dave Gahan, and there’s no offstage malarkey to spoil the magic. An absorbing experience even for non-die-hard fans, Devotional is a wonderful, creative example of achieving success without artistic compromise.
Ian Cranna, Q Magazine, UK (December 1993)
To be honest I am not a great fan of this sort of thing. Trying to recreate the atmosphere of a live performance on video never really works but Devotional comes close. From the opening song, the arousing “Higher Love”, Dave has the audience in the palm of his hand and continues to hold them there for the next 90 minutes. Apart from a wonderful set list which includes “Walking In My Shoes”, “I Feel You”, “Never Let Me Down Again” and the Grande Finale” “Everything Counts” (complete with compulsory audience sing-a-long). Other highlights include some great moments of Dave interacting with the audience and some realistic atmospheric shots of the stage from a crowd’s eye view. The visuals of Dave on stage shot through the outstretched arms of the fans are stunning. When I sat down to watch Devotional I knew the music was going to be great but this video really catches the ambience and atmosphere of the show. From the opening scene of Dave’s giant shadow projected onto a flimsy silk curtain covering the set and Anton’s wonderfully weird visuals and stills appearing on the screens spanning the stage, you know this is not just your average concert footage video. So if you didn’t get to see any of the shows on the Devotional Tour, this video will convince you otherwise.
Lorraine Selwyn
Essex, England
TWENTY-FOUR HOURS IN COLOGNE
[From Bong 36, June 1998. Words: Uncredited.]
Sunday, April 19th
6.25pm The Band arrive in Cologne, Germany on the BA flight from London Heathrow, accompanied by Jonathan Kessler (Band’s manager), Daniel Miller (Mute Records), Donna Vergier (Mute International) and Andrew Zweck (Band’s tour agent).
The Band are greeted by Intercord’s Anne Berning before leaving the airport in two Mercedes Limos. There are approximately 40 fans waiting for their heroes in the arrival hall but there is not enough time to give autographs.
8.30pm After checking in at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Martin, Fletch and Dave meet up in the hotel bar, for a drink with record company representatives from Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, France, Belgium, Austria, and their good friend Marek Lieberberg, the Band’s German promoter who is co-organising and co-hosting the event.
There is another bunch of devotees waiting for a glimpse of Depeche Mode!
9:00pm Dinner is cooked for everyone at the private dining room of “Garages” restaurant in the hotel. After dinner it’s off to the bar for a few “good night” drinks. There are some fans waiting in the bar and they are lucky enough to get the Band’s autographs.
> > >
Monday, April 20th
12.00 noon Make-up time! Mart, Fletch and Dave are brushed with a bit of make-up for the press conference.
1.00pm The Band attend a short photo session before they open their first press conference in years. The whole event lasts for about 30 minutes and hosts around 20 international journalists, 75 journalists from Germany including local promoters and 4 TV crews.
A short impromptu signing session takes place right after the press conference comes to its ends, rewarding the fans four their relentless hours of waiting.
1.35pm Additional photo call followed by a short break.
2.00pm Fletch, Dave and Mart begin a run of face to face interviews with the international press, radio and TV, starting off with French Media Rock, Folk and Magic.
3.00pm Time to switch to UK media and complete interviews for London Tonight, MTV, WTN, Sky, Radio 1, NME, O-Zone and Unique Radio.
4.00pm Finally, the Band are ready to talk to ZDF Morgenmagazin, Frankfurter Rundschau, MTV, Viva (Germany) and one radio station from Austria.
5.00pm Now, it’s all over! There is just a few minutes to pack the bags and leave for the airport for the return flight to London.
6.00pm Dave, Martin, Andy, Jonathan, Daniel, Donna and Andrew check in for their British Airways flight, then disappear out of sight.
[From Bong 36, June 1998. Words: Uncredited.]
Sunday, April 19th
6.25pm The Band arrive in Cologne, Germany on the BA flight from London Heathrow, accompanied by Jonathan Kessler (Band’s manager), Daniel Miller (Mute Records), Donna Vergier (Mute International) and Andrew Zweck (Band’s tour agent).
The Band are greeted by Intercord’s Anne Berning before leaving the airport in two Mercedes Limos. There are approximately 40 fans waiting for their heroes in the arrival hall but there is not enough time to give autographs.
8.30pm After checking in at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Martin, Fletch and Dave meet up in the hotel bar, for a drink with record company representatives from Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, France, Belgium, Austria, and their good friend Marek Lieberberg, the Band’s German promoter who is co-organising and co-hosting the event.
There is another bunch of devotees waiting for a glimpse of Depeche Mode!
9:00pm Dinner is cooked for everyone at the private dining room of “Garages” restaurant in the hotel. After dinner it’s off to the bar for a few “good night” drinks. There are some fans waiting in the bar and they are lucky enough to get the Band’s autographs.
> > >
Monday, April 20th
12.00 noon Make-up time! Mart, Fletch and Dave are brushed with a bit of make-up for the press conference.
1.00pm The Band attend a short photo session before they open their first press conference in years. The whole event lasts for about 30 minutes and hosts around 20 international journalists, 75 journalists from Germany including local promoters and 4 TV crews.
A short impromptu signing session takes place right after the press conference comes to its ends, rewarding the fans four their relentless hours of waiting.
1.35pm Additional photo call followed by a short break.
2.00pm Fletch, Dave and Mart begin a run of face to face interviews with the international press, radio and TV, starting off with French Media Rock, Folk and Magic.
3.00pm Time to switch to UK media and complete interviews for London Tonight, MTV, WTN, Sky, Radio 1, NME, O-Zone and Unique Radio.
4.00pm Finally, the Band are ready to talk to ZDF Morgenmagazin, Frankfurter Rundschau, MTV, Viva (Germany) and one radio station from Austria.
5.00pm Now, it’s all over! There is just a few minutes to pack the bags and leave for the airport for the return flight to London.
6.00pm Dave, Martin, Andy, Jonathan, Daniel, Donna and Andrew check in for their British Airways flight, then disappear out of sight.
20TH APRIL 1998 DEPECHE MODE PRESS CONFERENCE
[From Bong 36, June 1998.]
“We just want to thank Jonathan Kessler, our manager, who has kept us together over the last 4 years. When we finished the last tour, 4 years ago, we thought maybe it would be the last Depeche Mode tour, but we have just been in the studio for 3 months recording new material – and this upcoming tour – which we were all very happy about – we think is going to be one of the best Depeche Mode tours. We will be doing all our best tracks over the last 12 years – so it will be a historical perspective and we are very much looking forward to it. Thank you.”
Andy Fletcher
How do you feel being on the road again after such a long time?
Martin: We are looking forward to it. The previous tour was just too long for us. It was 15 months. For us to go on tour now is just right. We are doing a four month tour – to see how things go.
Did people mind you not going on tour after “Ultra”?
Dave: Actually, I think it was pretty positive. I think people understood it would have been insane for us to take that on, at that time. I think not only would we have been cheating ourselves but also our fans because we were just not ready. It was quite a big ordeal just getting the three of us together and recording another record. You know, after Alan departed, we had to re-think about how we were going to work and we had to find people to fulfil the role that Alan played. It took quite a while, probably about six months during the recording of “Ultra”, before we really settled in and became OK with each other. Not that we disliked each other, it was just that everybody had been through a lot of different things and it took some time getting familiar with working again.
What can we expect from the live performance on the tour?
Andy: I think it is going to be a historical perspective with the greatest hits from 1986 to 1998 – playing all the songs that we recorded in that period. We will be doing most of the hits from that period plus a couple of earlier songs as well. It will be more a celebration of our history.
Martin: I am working on my new dance routines as well!
Dave: A lot has happened since the last tour. There have been the Spice Girls and things like that, so we have been working very hard.
Martin: We have been watching it very carefully, I think our fans will be surprised. We’re getting there.
You’ve been through some troubled times? Has that been influencing the music?
Martin: We are not actually releasing a “new” album, but there will be some new songs. I think the atmosphere that we are recording in at the moment – is a really good atmosphere – it speaks for itself – so perhaps that’s the best way – it has been influenced by the fact that we are all healthy and having a good time at the time.
Dave: I think we are all very grateful – I am – and I think I speak for the others – that we are getting to do this. We are more comfortable now and it’s good to be working again.
How many songs can we expect on the tour?
Dave: We will be playing a few songs from “Ultra”, and a new song from our Greatest Hits.
Martin: When performing live, we usually play 18-20 songs, so we sat down and did the list of songs that we feel we have to play. We are at the stage now where there are about 16 songs from the last 12 years or so that we don’t even argue about, and that we have to play. There are 16 songs that I think people would be cheated if we did not play, so we will build from that.
Dave: The last 16 singles and a couple of really old ones!
Is Anton Corbijn part of the tour?
Dave: He may be involved in some of the stage show but we have not yet decided on who we are going to use. We are still looking at that. We have three different designs, and we’re keeping an open mind on that – but not decided.
It’s been five years since the last tour. Do you worry about your old fans having withdrawn from you or do you have loyal fans?
Dave: I think our fans have been really loyal. I don’t know why but I think we created our own little niche and our fans have stuck with us. They have grown with us as well, which is really nice. Even today, at this press conference, I think there are a few fans outside, which is very nice. I don’t think it was a worry, I don’t think it was a consideration. We just didn’t even consider touring at all with the last record, and there has always been pretty big gaps in between our tours.
Andy: We have been together 17 or 18 years, and have seen bands come and go all the time, but we just concentrate on trying to make our music as good as possible and by doing that I think it is the best way to actually keep your fans.
Martin: If you started worrying if there are any fans, I think you would start thinking about the music you make. I think we just make music for ourselves, music that we like and hopefully someone out there likes it and then will come along to the concerts. The music is the most important thing.
The 80’s are back in fashion now. Has this been influencing you to do this historical tour?
Andy: I don’t think you could ever say we have been trendy, it’s probably why we have lasted so long. It certainly helped I’m sure. We like being a band of the 90’s. It just so happens our music spans the 80’s and 90’s, so that most of the tracks from this new album are going to be from that period.
The last tour almost split up the entire band. Have you taken any precautions for that not to happen this time?
Martin: We’ve got rules that we keep. I only drink two days a week – you may laugh.
You started out as a boy band. What would you like to be at the end of the 90’s?
Andy: We want to be back. It’s nice to be considered at the end of the 90’s – to still be a credible band, a very well known band that’s still making good music – I suppose!
Dave: As I said we are really fortunate that we have been able to make records over virtually two decades and there are not may bands that get to do that. That’s it really. I don’t think there is too much emphasis based on the 80’s, 90’s, 60’s, 70’s or whatever. We are just still making music, we still want to play and still have fans that want to come and see us – it’s as simple as that.
Andy: When we started we were very young. Hopefully we are still young now… 36, is that young?
Are you nervous about being on the road again?
Dave: Well sitting here in the lounge, desperately stopping my body from shaking… I don’t know, we did a couple of performances, just playing a few songs from “Ultra” at the launch parties that we did, and it was really nerve racking. But I think it is good to be nervous, you know nervous energy can be put into performing. For me personally, it is pretty important. If I wasn’t feeling nervous then I would think there was something wrong, but yes, I am really nervous.
How many people can we expect on stage on the new tour?
Andy: Well, we are going to use a drummer for the first time, full time on stage – an Austrian guy, Christian Eigner. He is really good and he worked with us already on the Ultra parties and TV shows. We might have a couple of backing singers and perhaps a synthesiser. I don’t know.
Martin: At the moment, Tim, our producer, wants to come on stage with us for a couple of songs and scratch – whatever that is. We’re not sure.
[From Bong 36, June 1998.]
“We just want to thank Jonathan Kessler, our manager, who has kept us together over the last 4 years. When we finished the last tour, 4 years ago, we thought maybe it would be the last Depeche Mode tour, but we have just been in the studio for 3 months recording new material – and this upcoming tour – which we were all very happy about – we think is going to be one of the best Depeche Mode tours. We will be doing all our best tracks over the last 12 years – so it will be a historical perspective and we are very much looking forward to it. Thank you.”
Andy Fletcher
How do you feel being on the road again after such a long time?
Martin: We are looking forward to it. The previous tour was just too long for us. It was 15 months. For us to go on tour now is just right. We are doing a four month tour – to see how things go.
Did people mind you not going on tour after “Ultra”?
Dave: Actually, I think it was pretty positive. I think people understood it would have been insane for us to take that on, at that time. I think not only would we have been cheating ourselves but also our fans because we were just not ready. It was quite a big ordeal just getting the three of us together and recording another record. You know, after Alan departed, we had to re-think about how we were going to work and we had to find people to fulfil the role that Alan played. It took quite a while, probably about six months during the recording of “Ultra”, before we really settled in and became OK with each other. Not that we disliked each other, it was just that everybody had been through a lot of different things and it took some time getting familiar with working again.
What can we expect from the live performance on the tour?
Andy: I think it is going to be a historical perspective with the greatest hits from 1986 to 1998 – playing all the songs that we recorded in that period. We will be doing most of the hits from that period plus a couple of earlier songs as well. It will be more a celebration of our history.
Martin: I am working on my new dance routines as well!
Dave: A lot has happened since the last tour. There have been the Spice Girls and things like that, so we have been working very hard.
Martin: We have been watching it very carefully, I think our fans will be surprised. We’re getting there.
You’ve been through some troubled times? Has that been influencing the music?
Martin: We are not actually releasing a “new” album, but there will be some new songs. I think the atmosphere that we are recording in at the moment – is a really good atmosphere – it speaks for itself – so perhaps that’s the best way – it has been influenced by the fact that we are all healthy and having a good time at the time.
Dave: I think we are all very grateful – I am – and I think I speak for the others – that we are getting to do this. We are more comfortable now and it’s good to be working again.
How many songs can we expect on the tour?
Dave: We will be playing a few songs from “Ultra”, and a new song from our Greatest Hits.
Martin: When performing live, we usually play 18-20 songs, so we sat down and did the list of songs that we feel we have to play. We are at the stage now where there are about 16 songs from the last 12 years or so that we don’t even argue about, and that we have to play. There are 16 songs that I think people would be cheated if we did not play, so we will build from that.
Dave: The last 16 singles and a couple of really old ones!
Is Anton Corbijn part of the tour?
Dave: He may be involved in some of the stage show but we have not yet decided on who we are going to use. We are still looking at that. We have three different designs, and we’re keeping an open mind on that – but not decided.
It’s been five years since the last tour. Do you worry about your old fans having withdrawn from you or do you have loyal fans?
Dave: I think our fans have been really loyal. I don’t know why but I think we created our own little niche and our fans have stuck with us. They have grown with us as well, which is really nice. Even today, at this press conference, I think there are a few fans outside, which is very nice. I don’t think it was a worry, I don’t think it was a consideration. We just didn’t even consider touring at all with the last record, and there has always been pretty big gaps in between our tours.
Andy: We have been together 17 or 18 years, and have seen bands come and go all the time, but we just concentrate on trying to make our music as good as possible and by doing that I think it is the best way to actually keep your fans.
Martin: If you started worrying if there are any fans, I think you would start thinking about the music you make. I think we just make music for ourselves, music that we like and hopefully someone out there likes it and then will come along to the concerts. The music is the most important thing.
The 80’s are back in fashion now. Has this been influencing you to do this historical tour?
Andy: I don’t think you could ever say we have been trendy, it’s probably why we have lasted so long. It certainly helped I’m sure. We like being a band of the 90’s. It just so happens our music spans the 80’s and 90’s, so that most of the tracks from this new album are going to be from that period.
The last tour almost split up the entire band. Have you taken any precautions for that not to happen this time?
Martin: We’ve got rules that we keep. I only drink two days a week – you may laugh.
You started out as a boy band. What would you like to be at the end of the 90’s?
Andy: We want to be back. It’s nice to be considered at the end of the 90’s – to still be a credible band, a very well known band that’s still making good music – I suppose!
Dave: As I said we are really fortunate that we have been able to make records over virtually two decades and there are not may bands that get to do that. That’s it really. I don’t think there is too much emphasis based on the 80’s, 90’s, 60’s, 70’s or whatever. We are just still making music, we still want to play and still have fans that want to come and see us – it’s as simple as that.
Andy: When we started we were very young. Hopefully we are still young now… 36, is that young?
Are you nervous about being on the road again?
Dave: Well sitting here in the lounge, desperately stopping my body from shaking… I don’t know, we did a couple of performances, just playing a few songs from “Ultra” at the launch parties that we did, and it was really nerve racking. But I think it is good to be nervous, you know nervous energy can be put into performing. For me personally, it is pretty important. If I wasn’t feeling nervous then I would think there was something wrong, but yes, I am really nervous.
How many people can we expect on stage on the new tour?
Andy: Well, we are going to use a drummer for the first time, full time on stage – an Austrian guy, Christian Eigner. He is really good and he worked with us already on the Ultra parties and TV shows. We might have a couple of backing singers and perhaps a synthesiser. I don’t know.
Martin: At the moment, Tim, our producer, wants to come on stage with us for a couple of songs and scratch – whatever that is. We’re not sure.
At the beginning of your career you mainly used keyboards, then lots of guitars came in. Do you consider yourself as a Rock & Roll band?
Martin: Not really, I started playing the guitar when I was 13. I didn’t see a synthesiser until I was 18, so in a way it was unnatural for me to be a synthesiser player. So when we did our list of songs, in about 80% of them I am playing the guitar because 80% of our songs have a guitar, but there are songs where I play the synthesiser.
Dave: I think for me all my favourite singers and players have always been from rock and roll bands like Mick Jagger, Donny Osmond… people like that.
What about Diesel Christ (that’s a band from Germany / Sweden doing retro covers of DM)?
Martin: I liked the idea of what they did with “Songs Of Faith And Devotion”. They took the album and did it in a way that they thought we should have done it. Had they done it right – it would have been interesting. What’s really nice is that before our Greatest Hits (I hate the term Greatest Hits) comes out, we have got this tribute album which comes out in the summer. You know it’s really interesting, it’s got contemporary bands covering our songs. Finally, there are some good bands who have decided to cover our songs, and it does not originate from Sweden.
Isn’t it a strange feeling that other bands are covering your songs?
Andy: I think you have to look at what records you are making now, and if you make the decision they are good then that’s OK to carry on. We think our last record was one of our best, which is really good.
Dave: As a band we are interested in working with each other and interested in making music and performing it with each other. If anything it is a compliment.
Martin: For a lot of contemporary bands to cover your songs and admit you are an influence – is surely the greatest honour you can have.
Any ideas about supporting bands on this tour?
Dave: We are thinking about it, but not decided or anything. Whoever wants to support us – we decided it should be someone we dislike because they pick up a lot of spare change and they have to wear armour. [1]
Where are you rehearsing for the tour?
Andy: In London. It is harder for Dave as he lives in New York, but London for us, is where our families live. When you go away for 4 months, I think it is important to be as close as possible to them, before we go away.
Martin: It’s also common sense. Two of us live there and there are plenty of rehearsal studios. We could go somewhere else, but common sense dictates.
Which songs did those contemporary bands you mentioned cover?
Andy: Right across the board really, Smashing Pumpkins did “Never Let Me Down Again”, The Cure have covered “World In My Eyes”, Apollo 440 “I Feel You”… it’s not just singles, it’s also album tracks.
How long are you planning on touring the US?
Andy: About two months. We finish before Christmas so it’s a nice package. There are also likely to be a few Eastern European gigs before Helsinki, maybe Russia, which we have never been to.
Anything new on the music side? Something new musically on stage?
Dave: Well – using the drums throughout the whole show is one. It’s something we experienced on the Devotional Tour, and using backing singers, which worked well. A keyboard player, as Alan is not with us any more. And a couple of things we did at the “Ultra” parties. It really did transform the old songs quite a bit. For me it felt more exciting to have a drummer behind.
Have you been working on new songs?
Martin: We have been in the studio for the last two months, finishing off a single. When we get back tonight, the mix should be finished, It was almost finished before we left yesterday. And another couple of new songs that will go on the first singles package. So we have been working on new stuff.
Any plans for a new studio album?
Andy: With this tour being four months, I think we all agreed we had not released as many records as we should have over the last 6-7 years. So it will be good to get an album done as soon as possible, but I can’t tell you when that will be.
Martin: These days it seems traditional – three or four years between albums. I don’t know if it will get quicker. I find it incredible to think we released am album every year of the first seven years of our career. How did we do that???
Is your tour starting in Helsinki?
Andy: We’re thinking about that, we have a lot of fans in Eastern Europe. It would be nice to do a few warm up gigs there. We don’t know where yet.
You insisted on having a drummer and another keyboard player on stage. Do you need to play everything live on stage?
Dave: We always got attacked for years and years for doing that. We were probably the first band to do that and openly admit to doing that. Bands have been doing that for years whether Pink Floyd or Depeche Mode. [2] For us it’s very different to try and perform a lot of the stuff live, but we are using computers on stage. So it is still impossible for us to play everything live as our records are far too complex. We have to run a computer. It’s a fact. Anyone with sense will realise that.
Martin: Not really, I started playing the guitar when I was 13. I didn’t see a synthesiser until I was 18, so in a way it was unnatural for me to be a synthesiser player. So when we did our list of songs, in about 80% of them I am playing the guitar because 80% of our songs have a guitar, but there are songs where I play the synthesiser.
Dave: I think for me all my favourite singers and players have always been from rock and roll bands like Mick Jagger, Donny Osmond… people like that.
What about Diesel Christ (that’s a band from Germany / Sweden doing retro covers of DM)?
Martin: I liked the idea of what they did with “Songs Of Faith And Devotion”. They took the album and did it in a way that they thought we should have done it. Had they done it right – it would have been interesting. What’s really nice is that before our Greatest Hits (I hate the term Greatest Hits) comes out, we have got this tribute album which comes out in the summer. You know it’s really interesting, it’s got contemporary bands covering our songs. Finally, there are some good bands who have decided to cover our songs, and it does not originate from Sweden.
Isn’t it a strange feeling that other bands are covering your songs?
Andy: I think you have to look at what records you are making now, and if you make the decision they are good then that’s OK to carry on. We think our last record was one of our best, which is really good.
Dave: As a band we are interested in working with each other and interested in making music and performing it with each other. If anything it is a compliment.
Martin: For a lot of contemporary bands to cover your songs and admit you are an influence – is surely the greatest honour you can have.
Any ideas about supporting bands on this tour?
Dave: We are thinking about it, but not decided or anything. Whoever wants to support us – we decided it should be someone we dislike because they pick up a lot of spare change and they have to wear armour. [1]
Where are you rehearsing for the tour?
Andy: In London. It is harder for Dave as he lives in New York, but London for us, is where our families live. When you go away for 4 months, I think it is important to be as close as possible to them, before we go away.
Martin: It’s also common sense. Two of us live there and there are plenty of rehearsal studios. We could go somewhere else, but common sense dictates.
Which songs did those contemporary bands you mentioned cover?
Andy: Right across the board really, Smashing Pumpkins did “Never Let Me Down Again”, The Cure have covered “World In My Eyes”, Apollo 440 “I Feel You”… it’s not just singles, it’s also album tracks.
How long are you planning on touring the US?
Andy: About two months. We finish before Christmas so it’s a nice package. There are also likely to be a few Eastern European gigs before Helsinki, maybe Russia, which we have never been to.
Anything new on the music side? Something new musically on stage?
Dave: Well – using the drums throughout the whole show is one. It’s something we experienced on the Devotional Tour, and using backing singers, which worked well. A keyboard player, as Alan is not with us any more. And a couple of things we did at the “Ultra” parties. It really did transform the old songs quite a bit. For me it felt more exciting to have a drummer behind.
Have you been working on new songs?
Martin: We have been in the studio for the last two months, finishing off a single. When we get back tonight, the mix should be finished, It was almost finished before we left yesterday. And another couple of new songs that will go on the first singles package. So we have been working on new stuff.
Any plans for a new studio album?
Andy: With this tour being four months, I think we all agreed we had not released as many records as we should have over the last 6-7 years. So it will be good to get an album done as soon as possible, but I can’t tell you when that will be.
Martin: These days it seems traditional – three or four years between albums. I don’t know if it will get quicker. I find it incredible to think we released am album every year of the first seven years of our career. How did we do that???
Is your tour starting in Helsinki?
Andy: We’re thinking about that, we have a lot of fans in Eastern Europe. It would be nice to do a few warm up gigs there. We don’t know where yet.
You insisted on having a drummer and another keyboard player on stage. Do you need to play everything live on stage?
Dave: We always got attacked for years and years for doing that. We were probably the first band to do that and openly admit to doing that. Bands have been doing that for years whether Pink Floyd or Depeche Mode. [2] For us it’s very different to try and perform a lot of the stuff live, but we are using computers on stage. So it is still impossible for us to play everything live as our records are far too complex. We have to run a computer. It’s a fact. Anyone with sense will realise that.
MUSINGS FOR THE MASSES CONVENTION
[From Bong 36, June 1998. Words: "Red".]
After a restless, worry filled night, the morning of April 2nd was finally here, too late for last minute panic attacks now, ah well, never mind… it wouldn’t matter if many people didn’t turn up, we’d still have a good night. After all what more could we want? We were getting together again for a night filled with our favourite music, a live band performing for us and plenty of alcohol to help the evening flow… more Mode fans to share the experience that’s what!!! Billy Bob and I now understood how Tony, Rob and Kerry from Mode Evolution must have felt at their first convention – scared to death!!! This time was easier for us though because it was a joint effort with us organising the event and Mode Evolution in charge of the DJ equipment. There was no admission fee charged – more than half the cost of the night was paid for by the money paid by the people who buy our fanzine “Musings For The Masses”. We wanted to say “thank you” to those who’d involved themselves by writing articles, sending photos / drawings or just by buying it – a convention seemed the best way to achieve this. The rest of the money we paid between us all. We arrived at The Foundry at just gone 5pm. Monochrome (Steven Heath, Jeff Hitchings and Michael Mar) who I’d nagged to play for us were already there unloading their gear. Poor lads, this was their first gig. They’d never even played outside of the bedroom before let alone in public, plus they’d only had four weeks in which to prepare… and we thought we were nervous?! To top it all they weren’t being paid to play, in fact they contributed towards paying for the night, such was the enthusiasm we felt about having a night with fellow DM fans. Having previously heard Monochrome’ own material and just the unfinished DM covers demo we had total faith in their abilities and knew they’d be fine.
We put the posters up (thanks to Marc) while Monochrome set up their equipment and everyone else buggered off to the nearest pub. Myself and Billy Bob stayed behind to give the band some moral support. We could’ve murdered a drink at this stage as our own butterflies were beginning to return. The sound check went well and before we knew it ‘our lot’ returned from the pub and people started to arrive. We can’t remember who arrived first, but earlier when we had a mad dash to the shop for all the essential camera batteries and fags we came across a rather lost looking Ultra T-shirt and his friend. We explained directions for The Foundry and they found themselves an ale house in which to pass the time, so technically David and Karl from Tyne and Wear were the first I suppose. Everything happened so fast, before we knew it the place was filling quite nicely. The night started off with Christmas Island and a varied mix of Depeche Mode and Recoil was played from all time eras, from the very early stuff through to “Insight”. I even remember Compulsion being played, such was the diversity and variety chosen. Our most vivid memories of the night are of listening to everyone’s opinions on Depeche Mode and their music. It’s always so rewarding when you realise others feel just as passionately as you do, even if they look at things from a different point of view. It was really nice for us to put faces to the names of those people who subscribe to Musings. Many were surprised to find out Red and Billy Bob are women!!!
We didn’t stand still for one minute, we ran round making sure all attendees had competition sheets. I went round the room dragging people up to dance, I didn’t have many refusals and the dance floor proved to be a good place for introducing people to each other. One lad, James from Birmingham, had heard about the night via his friend in the USA!!! He hadn’t been to a DM related event before and wasn’t sure whether to turn up or not, but was so glad he did. He told us: “It’s been wonderful, I’ve made lots of new friends, it’s like finding a family I never knew I had.” We were so touched by his comments we could’ve cried, this was one of the special things that made the night so worthwhile.
When we collected the competition entries we knew we needed somewhere quiet and private to do the marking, we opted for the ladies’ toilets – it was a good choice too, we didn’t get any interruptions.
At 9:30pm the time came for Monochrome to take centre stage. Talk about a baptism of fire – doing DM covers to an audience of DM fans – you won’t get a truer opinion, if you “kill” their precious music they’ll soon let you know. They kicked in with “World In My Eyes” and Steve’s nerves were evident. At the beginning his vocals were tense and ‘ropey’. It brought to mind DM’s “TFI Friday” performance. Fortunately Steve followed Dave’s example, and he also quickly got over the difficult start and soon settled in. Next came “Walking In My Shoes” followed by “Behind The Wheel” with Jeff giving an energetic and enthusiastic lead vocal performance. For “Barrel Of A Gun” Steve took up the mike again, by now his growing confidence was clear to see and hear. Then came “Policy Of Truth” and “It’s No Good”. The set was completed with an excellent “Enjoy The Silence” by which time all traces of nerves had vanished, there were even a few smiles to be seen. What a shame it was the end. Monochrome suddenly seemed as if they could go on all night. Tak looked cool as a cucumber behind the keyboard and appeared to be totally relaxed throughout every song. There were one or two obvious mistakes heard, but very few when you consider this was their first effort. The mistakes just proved that the whole thing really was live. Most important of all was that every song retained its overall ‘feel’. The set was video taped and Monochrome have watched it over and over being very self critical. It was a good learning process, they now know where they want to make improvements. They’ve also gained the invaluable confidence they need to get out there doing their own material. There were compliments galore on the night, and we’ve had letters and e-mails since, giving Monochrome the highest praise. Many people said that their performance was the highlight of the convention for them. Well done lads – we knew you could do it!!!
By now, time was marching on, Christ it went so fast… we couldn’t believe it was nearly over. We still had the competition winners to announce yet! We had a large number of prizes – signed drumsticks from the “Devotional Tour”, a Recoil T-Shirt, promo CDs, other signed items and lots more. The top three prizes went to: 1st – Tony Lewis (Peterborough), 2nd – Rob Lewis (Daventry) and 3rd – Paul Hindle (Birmingham). The last half hour we stopped running around and danced non-stop. We had a wonderful time and would like to say a huge ‘thank you’ to everyone who was there. Our only regret was having drunk too much vodka and being so busy that we didn’t take as many photos as we’d intended. We plan to hold the same event around the same time next year. We learnt a lot from this one, so the next should be even bigger and better. We’ll give ourselves plenty of time to promote the event instead of the very rushed few weeks we had this time. Also, and perhaps most important for the night LESS ALCOHOL (well, maybe…)
Red “Musings For The Masses”
Ashton-Under-Lyne, England
[From Bong 36, June 1998. Words: "Red".]
After a restless, worry filled night, the morning of April 2nd was finally here, too late for last minute panic attacks now, ah well, never mind… it wouldn’t matter if many people didn’t turn up, we’d still have a good night. After all what more could we want? We were getting together again for a night filled with our favourite music, a live band performing for us and plenty of alcohol to help the evening flow… more Mode fans to share the experience that’s what!!! Billy Bob and I now understood how Tony, Rob and Kerry from Mode Evolution must have felt at their first convention – scared to death!!! This time was easier for us though because it was a joint effort with us organising the event and Mode Evolution in charge of the DJ equipment. There was no admission fee charged – more than half the cost of the night was paid for by the money paid by the people who buy our fanzine “Musings For The Masses”. We wanted to say “thank you” to those who’d involved themselves by writing articles, sending photos / drawings or just by buying it – a convention seemed the best way to achieve this. The rest of the money we paid between us all. We arrived at The Foundry at just gone 5pm. Monochrome (Steven Heath, Jeff Hitchings and Michael Mar) who I’d nagged to play for us were already there unloading their gear. Poor lads, this was their first gig. They’d never even played outside of the bedroom before let alone in public, plus they’d only had four weeks in which to prepare… and we thought we were nervous?! To top it all they weren’t being paid to play, in fact they contributed towards paying for the night, such was the enthusiasm we felt about having a night with fellow DM fans. Having previously heard Monochrome’ own material and just the unfinished DM covers demo we had total faith in their abilities and knew they’d be fine.
We put the posters up (thanks to Marc) while Monochrome set up their equipment and everyone else buggered off to the nearest pub. Myself and Billy Bob stayed behind to give the band some moral support. We could’ve murdered a drink at this stage as our own butterflies were beginning to return. The sound check went well and before we knew it ‘our lot’ returned from the pub and people started to arrive. We can’t remember who arrived first, but earlier when we had a mad dash to the shop for all the essential camera batteries and fags we came across a rather lost looking Ultra T-shirt and his friend. We explained directions for The Foundry and they found themselves an ale house in which to pass the time, so technically David and Karl from Tyne and Wear were the first I suppose. Everything happened so fast, before we knew it the place was filling quite nicely. The night started off with Christmas Island and a varied mix of Depeche Mode and Recoil was played from all time eras, from the very early stuff through to “Insight”. I even remember Compulsion being played, such was the diversity and variety chosen. Our most vivid memories of the night are of listening to everyone’s opinions on Depeche Mode and their music. It’s always so rewarding when you realise others feel just as passionately as you do, even if they look at things from a different point of view. It was really nice for us to put faces to the names of those people who subscribe to Musings. Many were surprised to find out Red and Billy Bob are women!!!
We didn’t stand still for one minute, we ran round making sure all attendees had competition sheets. I went round the room dragging people up to dance, I didn’t have many refusals and the dance floor proved to be a good place for introducing people to each other. One lad, James from Birmingham, had heard about the night via his friend in the USA!!! He hadn’t been to a DM related event before and wasn’t sure whether to turn up or not, but was so glad he did. He told us: “It’s been wonderful, I’ve made lots of new friends, it’s like finding a family I never knew I had.” We were so touched by his comments we could’ve cried, this was one of the special things that made the night so worthwhile.
When we collected the competition entries we knew we needed somewhere quiet and private to do the marking, we opted for the ladies’ toilets – it was a good choice too, we didn’t get any interruptions.
At 9:30pm the time came for Monochrome to take centre stage. Talk about a baptism of fire – doing DM covers to an audience of DM fans – you won’t get a truer opinion, if you “kill” their precious music they’ll soon let you know. They kicked in with “World In My Eyes” and Steve’s nerves were evident. At the beginning his vocals were tense and ‘ropey’. It brought to mind DM’s “TFI Friday” performance. Fortunately Steve followed Dave’s example, and he also quickly got over the difficult start and soon settled in. Next came “Walking In My Shoes” followed by “Behind The Wheel” with Jeff giving an energetic and enthusiastic lead vocal performance. For “Barrel Of A Gun” Steve took up the mike again, by now his growing confidence was clear to see and hear. Then came “Policy Of Truth” and “It’s No Good”. The set was completed with an excellent “Enjoy The Silence” by which time all traces of nerves had vanished, there were even a few smiles to be seen. What a shame it was the end. Monochrome suddenly seemed as if they could go on all night. Tak looked cool as a cucumber behind the keyboard and appeared to be totally relaxed throughout every song. There were one or two obvious mistakes heard, but very few when you consider this was their first effort. The mistakes just proved that the whole thing really was live. Most important of all was that every song retained its overall ‘feel’. The set was video taped and Monochrome have watched it over and over being very self critical. It was a good learning process, they now know where they want to make improvements. They’ve also gained the invaluable confidence they need to get out there doing their own material. There were compliments galore on the night, and we’ve had letters and e-mails since, giving Monochrome the highest praise. Many people said that their performance was the highlight of the convention for them. Well done lads – we knew you could do it!!!
By now, time was marching on, Christ it went so fast… we couldn’t believe it was nearly over. We still had the competition winners to announce yet! We had a large number of prizes – signed drumsticks from the “Devotional Tour”, a Recoil T-Shirt, promo CDs, other signed items and lots more. The top three prizes went to: 1st – Tony Lewis (Peterborough), 2nd – Rob Lewis (Daventry) and 3rd – Paul Hindle (Birmingham). The last half hour we stopped running around and danced non-stop. We had a wonderful time and would like to say a huge ‘thank you’ to everyone who was there. Our only regret was having drunk too much vodka and being so busy that we didn’t take as many photos as we’d intended. We plan to hold the same event around the same time next year. We learnt a lot from this one, so the next should be even bigger and better. We’ll give ourselves plenty of time to promote the event instead of the very rushed few weeks we had this time. Also, and perhaps most important for the night LESS ALCOHOL (well, maybe…)
Red “Musings For The Masses”
Ashton-Under-Lyne, England
FOR THE MASSES
[From Bong 36, June 1998.]
We thought it would be interesting to take a deeper look into this project and conduct a short interview comprising of questions asked by you in your letters. So we asked Philip Blaine, one of the heads at 1500 Records who has been involved in this project since the very beginning…
1 - When was the first time the idea of releasing such a tribute album crossed your mind and was it you who came up with this project?
The first band on our label was God Lives Underwater and they used to play “Stripped” in their live show. They always thought it would be great to get other bands to do covers and put out a tribute record. So 1500 staff went to work soliciting bands. It has taken over two years.
2 - Why have you decided to produce a tribute for Depeche Mode and not some other band?
First, I have always been a big fan and they write amazing songs with unique electronic production that blends perfectly with traditional instruments. Since in the music business I have worked mostly with electronic acts like Underworld, Prodigy, Chemical Brothers, Orbital, Massive Attack etc. but have always loved more lyrical bands like Radiohead, Garbage, and The Beatles. I think Depeche Mode are masters at combining these elements.
3 - What was the key in choosing the tracks and the bands for this compilation?
We approached artists that we thought would be interested and / or would do a proper interpretation. Choosing the tracks came out from a discussion with the artists. We would make suggestions unless they had their heart set on a particular track. For example Biggi from Gus Gus said: “I couldn’t see myself adding to tracks like ‘Everything Counts’ and ‘People Are People’ so by choosing ‘Monument’, a low profile track on the second album and definitely one of my favourites, I thought we could add something to the Depeche Mode Saga.” No one could do a song if it was already done, however.
4 - How much have Depeche Mode been involved in this project? Were you discussing your plans and ideas with the individual members of the Band, in order to choose the right songs and the right bands?
I have been friends with Jonathan, their manager, for many years and through him I have been able to promote events for the band in the past. During the LA Ultra party I asked Dave who he thought would be good for the record and he mentioned Marilyn Manson. Besides that I was sending songs to the band members’ houses whenever we got a few tracks done, but they never told us who should do what.
5 - How wide was the variety of tracks you had to choose from for actual inclusion on the album?
When we approached an artist we would fax them the list of ALL of the songs and started from there. We also got a lot of unsolicited submissions, but unfortunately none of those made the record.
6 - What other bands did you approach for the album, but couldn’t make it, for one reason or another?
Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson were artists who we really wanted on the record. [1] Both of them wanted to do it and a few times it looked like they were going to do so, but time did not permit. The Foo Fighters also had an interest but scheduling problems got in the way.
The Worldwide release date of the Depeche Mode tribute album “For The Masses” has been set for August 4th 1998 and will be available on CD, cassette and double vinyl under the following catalogue number: 31454 0919-2/4/1. 1500 Records have no plans, as yet, to release a single or video, but they do expect the covers by The Smashing Pumpkins and The Cure to be hot favourites on most radio stations.
The artwork for the album was done by Martyn Atkins, who was the art director on many of Depeche Mode’s early album covers. The entire package is quite unique and its overall look is consistent with the band’s past albums.
The tracklisting on this album has slightly changed since the last up-date, including a few new acts (see below) which have only recently been confirmed.
The Smashing Pumpkins – “Never Let Me Down Again”
God Lives Underwater – “Fly On The Windscreen”
Failure – “Enjoy The Silence”
The Cure – “World In My Eyes”
Dishwalla – “Policy Of Truth”
Veruca Salt – “Somebody”
Meat Beat Manifesto – “Everything Counts”
Hooverphonic – “Shake The Disease”
Locust – “Master And Servant”
Self – “Shame”
Monster Magnet – “Black Celebration”
Rabbit In The Moon – “Waiting For The Night”
Apollo 440 – “I Feel You”
Gus Gus – “Monument”
Deftones – “To Have And To Hold”
Rammstein – “Stripped”
[From Bong 36, June 1998.]
We thought it would be interesting to take a deeper look into this project and conduct a short interview comprising of questions asked by you in your letters. So we asked Philip Blaine, one of the heads at 1500 Records who has been involved in this project since the very beginning…
1 - When was the first time the idea of releasing such a tribute album crossed your mind and was it you who came up with this project?
The first band on our label was God Lives Underwater and they used to play “Stripped” in their live show. They always thought it would be great to get other bands to do covers and put out a tribute record. So 1500 staff went to work soliciting bands. It has taken over two years.
2 - Why have you decided to produce a tribute for Depeche Mode and not some other band?
First, I have always been a big fan and they write amazing songs with unique electronic production that blends perfectly with traditional instruments. Since in the music business I have worked mostly with electronic acts like Underworld, Prodigy, Chemical Brothers, Orbital, Massive Attack etc. but have always loved more lyrical bands like Radiohead, Garbage, and The Beatles. I think Depeche Mode are masters at combining these elements.
3 - What was the key in choosing the tracks and the bands for this compilation?
We approached artists that we thought would be interested and / or would do a proper interpretation. Choosing the tracks came out from a discussion with the artists. We would make suggestions unless they had their heart set on a particular track. For example Biggi from Gus Gus said: “I couldn’t see myself adding to tracks like ‘Everything Counts’ and ‘People Are People’ so by choosing ‘Monument’, a low profile track on the second album and definitely one of my favourites, I thought we could add something to the Depeche Mode Saga.” No one could do a song if it was already done, however.
4 - How much have Depeche Mode been involved in this project? Were you discussing your plans and ideas with the individual members of the Band, in order to choose the right songs and the right bands?
I have been friends with Jonathan, their manager, for many years and through him I have been able to promote events for the band in the past. During the LA Ultra party I asked Dave who he thought would be good for the record and he mentioned Marilyn Manson. Besides that I was sending songs to the band members’ houses whenever we got a few tracks done, but they never told us who should do what.
5 - How wide was the variety of tracks you had to choose from for actual inclusion on the album?
When we approached an artist we would fax them the list of ALL of the songs and started from there. We also got a lot of unsolicited submissions, but unfortunately none of those made the record.
6 - What other bands did you approach for the album, but couldn’t make it, for one reason or another?
Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson were artists who we really wanted on the record. [1] Both of them wanted to do it and a few times it looked like they were going to do so, but time did not permit. The Foo Fighters also had an interest but scheduling problems got in the way.
The Worldwide release date of the Depeche Mode tribute album “For The Masses” has been set for August 4th 1998 and will be available on CD, cassette and double vinyl under the following catalogue number: 31454 0919-2/4/1. 1500 Records have no plans, as yet, to release a single or video, but they do expect the covers by The Smashing Pumpkins and The Cure to be hot favourites on most radio stations.
The artwork for the album was done by Martyn Atkins, who was the art director on many of Depeche Mode’s early album covers. The entire package is quite unique and its overall look is consistent with the band’s past albums.
The tracklisting on this album has slightly changed since the last up-date, including a few new acts (see below) which have only recently been confirmed.
The Smashing Pumpkins – “Never Let Me Down Again”
God Lives Underwater – “Fly On The Windscreen”
Failure – “Enjoy The Silence”
The Cure – “World In My Eyes”
Dishwalla – “Policy Of Truth”
Veruca Salt – “Somebody”
Meat Beat Manifesto – “Everything Counts”
Hooverphonic – “Shake The Disease”
Locust – “Master And Servant”
Self – “Shame”
Monster Magnet – “Black Celebration”
Rabbit In The Moon – “Waiting For The Night”
Apollo 440 – “I Feel You”
Gus Gus – “Monument”
Deftones – “To Have And To Hold”
Rammstein – “Stripped”