Depeche Mode Bong 44 (2000-06)
- Thread starter demoderus
- Start date
Bong 44 (June 2000)
Articles:
Fletch in Prague by Michaela Olexova
Diary of the Bong Convention by Michaela Olexova
Dave Gahan Personal File
I Met That Bloke From Depeche Mode Once by Vincent Legros
Pictures:
page 1 page 2 from "Fletch in Prague"
page 3 Convention prize winners
page 4 promotional shot of Dave from the Personal File
Articles:
Fletch in Prague by Michaela Olexova
Diary of the Bong Convention by Michaela Olexova
Dave Gahan Personal File
I Met That Bloke From Depeche Mode Once by Vincent Legros
Pictures:
page 1 page 2 from "Fletch in Prague"
page 3 Convention prize winners
page 4 promotional shot of Dave from the Personal File
Attachments
FLETCH IN PRAGUE
[From Bong 44, June 2000. Words: Michaela Olexova.]
It is not very often you receive an e-mail that Fletch is coming to Prague and would like you to call him at his hotel. It is usually for a photo session, tour, promotion or football match when Chelsea is playing but this time was different. And so you cancel all your previous appointments (which were not that important anyway) and you dial the number…
Me: “Hi Andy, it’s me. How is life?”
Andy: “Oh, hello! It’s good to hear you.”
Me: “When did you arrive? How long are you here for?”
Andy: “Well, it’s just for three days. I am here with my friend, Rob. Do you think it would be possible for you to meet us and show us around the city?”
Me: “Yes, why not. I’ll see you in about half an hour.”
“Hello Prague! This is Andy Fletcher from Depeche Mode! Let’s rock’n’roll!” It seems that this is going to be yet another exciting experience. We take it easy and head for the city centre where all the historical sights and buildings are situated. There is no way we miss the opportunity to have morning coffee at the art nouveau café to discuss plans for later on in the day.
There is always time to do a bit of shopping in between coffee breaks. It’s a bit chilly today but that doesn’t stop us from going to The Old Town of Prague and wandering around the tiny streets, which offer just about everything that tourists like Andy and Rob might be looking for, including wooden puppets and famous green coloured drink Absint. The Russian wooden dolls are also very popular, although they have nothing in common with Czech history. But these days you can get them dressed / painted up as politicians or football players, that’s probably the reason for Andy’s interest.
Spending about an hour walking around the centre, we start to think about having some lunch. I suggest several places where we can eat and the choice is made. Andy seems quite happy with it as well…
There is nothing better than a Czech beer in a traditional Czech pub with a brewery just round your table. Yes, believe me! Not many Czechs come here as it is always packed up with tourists and this was, in fact, my very first visit too. If you are not a vegetarian you feel like you’re in heaven and so I suggest Andy to go for a roast duck and dumplings. There is enough time to talk about the recording of the new material and Basildon Convention while we are waiting for our food. It is funny how many memories you can recall when you need to…
We are full up and ready to hit the road again. I haven’t done so much walking in ages, at least in the last few months – I think Andy and Rob feel the same! There is no way I let them leave Prague without crossing the famous Charles Bridge, which provides a spectacular view of Prague’s castle and most of the other hot spots. I am sure Andy hasn’t been here since the photo shoot with Anton Corbijn back in 1988 for the “Strangers” book. It is late afternoon and has started drizzling. So Andy decides to call it off and meet later on in the evening for dinner – after we’ve all had a much needed rest.
George of the local Mute office organises dinner at 8pm, so I meet him, Andy and Rob in a nice and cosy restaurant with a selection of international food. Andy announces this to be a “men’s night” and so I have to suffer some “men’s jokes”. Other than that, we talk about music, new albums, love, football and life in general.. A night club is suggested when we are finishing our desserts and so we grab a cab and make our way to Radost, which is the club Depeche visited after their show in Prague, during the Devotional Tour. As we have the dancefloor to ourselves… a few more drinks then we say “good night” to each other. What a day that was!!!
[From Bong 44, June 2000. Words: Michaela Olexova.]
It is not very often you receive an e-mail that Fletch is coming to Prague and would like you to call him at his hotel. It is usually for a photo session, tour, promotion or football match when Chelsea is playing but this time was different. And so you cancel all your previous appointments (which were not that important anyway) and you dial the number…
Me: “Hi Andy, it’s me. How is life?”
Andy: “Oh, hello! It’s good to hear you.”
Me: “When did you arrive? How long are you here for?”
Andy: “Well, it’s just for three days. I am here with my friend, Rob. Do you think it would be possible for you to meet us and show us around the city?”
Me: “Yes, why not. I’ll see you in about half an hour.”
“Hello Prague! This is Andy Fletcher from Depeche Mode! Let’s rock’n’roll!” It seems that this is going to be yet another exciting experience. We take it easy and head for the city centre where all the historical sights and buildings are situated. There is no way we miss the opportunity to have morning coffee at the art nouveau café to discuss plans for later on in the day.
There is always time to do a bit of shopping in between coffee breaks. It’s a bit chilly today but that doesn’t stop us from going to The Old Town of Prague and wandering around the tiny streets, which offer just about everything that tourists like Andy and Rob might be looking for, including wooden puppets and famous green coloured drink Absint. The Russian wooden dolls are also very popular, although they have nothing in common with Czech history. But these days you can get them dressed / painted up as politicians or football players, that’s probably the reason for Andy’s interest.
Spending about an hour walking around the centre, we start to think about having some lunch. I suggest several places where we can eat and the choice is made. Andy seems quite happy with it as well…
There is nothing better than a Czech beer in a traditional Czech pub with a brewery just round your table. Yes, believe me! Not many Czechs come here as it is always packed up with tourists and this was, in fact, my very first visit too. If you are not a vegetarian you feel like you’re in heaven and so I suggest Andy to go for a roast duck and dumplings. There is enough time to talk about the recording of the new material and Basildon Convention while we are waiting for our food. It is funny how many memories you can recall when you need to…
We are full up and ready to hit the road again. I haven’t done so much walking in ages, at least in the last few months – I think Andy and Rob feel the same! There is no way I let them leave Prague without crossing the famous Charles Bridge, which provides a spectacular view of Prague’s castle and most of the other hot spots. I am sure Andy hasn’t been here since the photo shoot with Anton Corbijn back in 1988 for the “Strangers” book. It is late afternoon and has started drizzling. So Andy decides to call it off and meet later on in the evening for dinner – after we’ve all had a much needed rest.
George of the local Mute office organises dinner at 8pm, so I meet him, Andy and Rob in a nice and cosy restaurant with a selection of international food. Andy announces this to be a “men’s night” and so I have to suffer some “men’s jokes”. Other than that, we talk about music, new albums, love, football and life in general.. A night club is suggested when we are finishing our desserts and so we grab a cab and make our way to Radost, which is the club Depeche visited after their show in Prague, during the Devotional Tour. As we have the dancefloor to ourselves… a few more drinks then we say “good night” to each other. What a day that was!!!
DIARY OF THE BONG CONVENTION
[From Bong 44, June 2000. Words - Michaela Olexova.]
Why Basildon?
I really cannot recall when we actually started to think about having another Bong Convention, but it must have been quite some time ago… is my memory that bad?! Although I am quite curious as to who originally suggested Basildon for this one. We are always playing with different ideas and you know how it is… once something really good has been mentioned, you can’t get it off your mind. As we were going to celebrate 20 years of Depeche Mode, the most natural and obvious choice was Basildon – the place where it all began…
Nearly there…
… that’s what Lynn and I were thinking after spending almost six months trying to put this convention together. Almost all of her conversations began with the words: “I am up to my neck in hotel stuff, invoices, tickets, train time-tables, tube and local maps…” – these all needed to be sent out in time and we had to make sure everything ran to plan. Once this was all sorted out, we tackled the easier tasks such as the programme of events, trivia questions for the mastermind quiz, and office stock clearance for all the fabulous prizes to be won. Last but not least, we hoped to get Dave, Fletch and Martin to record a personal message for this special event. We also needed them to help us with “some places of interest” around Basildon – realising later, that Basildon has changed quite a bit over the last 20 years, with old buildings being pulled down, replaced and renamed. Fletch told us that even their old school had been moved and renamed. So after much deliberation we decided not to go for A Depeche Mystery Tour – although some devotees did organise a mini-tour of their own. [1]
One more coffee, please
Imagine it is three days prior to a big event and there are still tons of things to do. What would you do? Yes, ask for one more coffee and pray for more time. That’s how we felt on the Wednesday night, while we were trying to fill over 250 welcome bags and envelopes with freebies, instructions, wristbands, competition entry forms, raffle tickets, etc. We must have played every Depeche Mode album that night and we slowly started to get excited. There were so many free promo CDs, T-shirts and DM badges, we were able to give everyone who attended a little something to keep as a memory. It already felt very special, but there were still some hours of non-stop work ahead of us. Thursday’s tasks were much the same – and once the last tape with Dave’s message had arrived from New York, we packed the boxes and waited for the van transporting everything from the office to Basildon, ready for the next day (Friday). No turning back now…
Welcome Basildon!
…we arrived at the hotel, situated in Basildon’s Festival Leisure Park, and met the hotel staff to discuss our ideas and plans for the weekend ahead. We were so relieved after this meeting, as they were all so helpful and understanding to all our needs and requirements. The duty manager and receptionists eventually became indispensable. We set up our little check-in desk, as the boxes with our stuff had already arrived – there were already some devotees wandering around reception and the hotel bar. All was set… and eventually after more than six hours, several drinks, coffees and sandwiches, we ticked the last name off Friday’s accommodation list. Time to go to our rooms and get ready for a night out, we were open to any ideas, but the night club just around the corner from the hotel seemed to be favourite. Unfortunately not for everyone, as there was a strict dress code and some of us couldn’t get in. This included me and my jeans, so I returned to the hotel with Gavin and Tom (my mates and big helpers) and joined other fans who’d decided to spend the evening in the bar. That night was really funny, we all played really stupid games and Trivial Pursuit!!! Do you know the colour of the Central Line on London’s underground? Or do you know how many parts of the human body hide in the lyrics of Depeche songs etc., the more we drank, the funnier it got!!
Let’s have a black celebration
I woke up on Saturday morning and I could already feel butterflies in my stomach. The day we’d talked about for so long was finally here, and I was just thinking and hoping that everything would go off OK. A quick shower and breakfast, then back behind our check-in desk ready for the last of the arrivals. Pete and Tim, our DJs, turned up on time to set up their gear in the hall, while I got Tom to help me fix my small photo exhibition to the walls, which featured a selection of the Band’s photographs from various occasions. Everyone warned me the pictures wouldn’t stay there until the end of the night, but I hoped they would survive the first two hours at least – but they didn’t. I would like to say that the next time you take anything from the walls, please don’t leave the blue-tac behind, it doesn’t look nice. It was only lunchtime and there were already some eager fans trying to sneak in. We had just finished our sandwiches, when the hotel manager arrived on duty – we then went through some more details for the night. We also had to sort out the special Depeche Mode mixed drinks that I came up with and give the bar staff the instructions and promotion stands. They were so sweet and ready to do anything for us! One final meeting with Tim and Pete about the programme of the night and we were all set. The light-check in the hall looked really impressive. When I returned to our desk, quite a few fans had just returned from their own little excursion to where DM used to hang out, plus a quick detour to their former childhood homes. That’s devotion!
[From Bong 44, June 2000. Words - Michaela Olexova.]
Why Basildon?
I really cannot recall when we actually started to think about having another Bong Convention, but it must have been quite some time ago… is my memory that bad?! Although I am quite curious as to who originally suggested Basildon for this one. We are always playing with different ideas and you know how it is… once something really good has been mentioned, you can’t get it off your mind. As we were going to celebrate 20 years of Depeche Mode, the most natural and obvious choice was Basildon – the place where it all began…
Nearly there…
… that’s what Lynn and I were thinking after spending almost six months trying to put this convention together. Almost all of her conversations began with the words: “I am up to my neck in hotel stuff, invoices, tickets, train time-tables, tube and local maps…” – these all needed to be sent out in time and we had to make sure everything ran to plan. Once this was all sorted out, we tackled the easier tasks such as the programme of events, trivia questions for the mastermind quiz, and office stock clearance for all the fabulous prizes to be won. Last but not least, we hoped to get Dave, Fletch and Martin to record a personal message for this special event. We also needed them to help us with “some places of interest” around Basildon – realising later, that Basildon has changed quite a bit over the last 20 years, with old buildings being pulled down, replaced and renamed. Fletch told us that even their old school had been moved and renamed. So after much deliberation we decided not to go for A Depeche Mystery Tour – although some devotees did organise a mini-tour of their own. [1]
One more coffee, please
Imagine it is three days prior to a big event and there are still tons of things to do. What would you do? Yes, ask for one more coffee and pray for more time. That’s how we felt on the Wednesday night, while we were trying to fill over 250 welcome bags and envelopes with freebies, instructions, wristbands, competition entry forms, raffle tickets, etc. We must have played every Depeche Mode album that night and we slowly started to get excited. There were so many free promo CDs, T-shirts and DM badges, we were able to give everyone who attended a little something to keep as a memory. It already felt very special, but there were still some hours of non-stop work ahead of us. Thursday’s tasks were much the same – and once the last tape with Dave’s message had arrived from New York, we packed the boxes and waited for the van transporting everything from the office to Basildon, ready for the next day (Friday). No turning back now…
Welcome Basildon!
…we arrived at the hotel, situated in Basildon’s Festival Leisure Park, and met the hotel staff to discuss our ideas and plans for the weekend ahead. We were so relieved after this meeting, as they were all so helpful and understanding to all our needs and requirements. The duty manager and receptionists eventually became indispensable. We set up our little check-in desk, as the boxes with our stuff had already arrived – there were already some devotees wandering around reception and the hotel bar. All was set… and eventually after more than six hours, several drinks, coffees and sandwiches, we ticked the last name off Friday’s accommodation list. Time to go to our rooms and get ready for a night out, we were open to any ideas, but the night club just around the corner from the hotel seemed to be favourite. Unfortunately not for everyone, as there was a strict dress code and some of us couldn’t get in. This included me and my jeans, so I returned to the hotel with Gavin and Tom (my mates and big helpers) and joined other fans who’d decided to spend the evening in the bar. That night was really funny, we all played really stupid games and Trivial Pursuit!!! Do you know the colour of the Central Line on London’s underground? Or do you know how many parts of the human body hide in the lyrics of Depeche songs etc., the more we drank, the funnier it got!!
Let’s have a black celebration
I woke up on Saturday morning and I could already feel butterflies in my stomach. The day we’d talked about for so long was finally here, and I was just thinking and hoping that everything would go off OK. A quick shower and breakfast, then back behind our check-in desk ready for the last of the arrivals. Pete and Tim, our DJs, turned up on time to set up their gear in the hall, while I got Tom to help me fix my small photo exhibition to the walls, which featured a selection of the Band’s photographs from various occasions. Everyone warned me the pictures wouldn’t stay there until the end of the night, but I hoped they would survive the first two hours at least – but they didn’t. I would like to say that the next time you take anything from the walls, please don’t leave the blue-tac behind, it doesn’t look nice. It was only lunchtime and there were already some eager fans trying to sneak in. We had just finished our sandwiches, when the hotel manager arrived on duty – we then went through some more details for the night. We also had to sort out the special Depeche Mode mixed drinks that I came up with and give the bar staff the instructions and promotion stands. They were so sweet and ready to do anything for us! One final meeting with Tim and Pete about the programme of the night and we were all set. The light-check in the hall looked really impressive. When I returned to our desk, quite a few fans had just returned from their own little excursion to where DM used to hang out, plus a quick detour to their former childhood homes. That’s devotion!
Time really flies
At about 5 o’clock I realised we have about half an hour before the convention kicks off. Great!!! Would I have enough time to get changed at all? Lynn rushed to her room and had about ten minutes to get ready before I did the same. Thank God we had our “bouncers” Darren and Mark at door to keep everything under control. The lobby was fully packed with devotees who just couldn’t wait to get in and we opened the doors right on time at 5.30. There was nothing to stop us and I had a quick drink to loosen up a bit before I got on stage with my welcome speech… It wasn’t that bad after all. One song followed another and we gave away some prizes in the first of many raffle draws of the night. A quarter of an hour later I announced the Depeche Mode Lookalike Contest, which we all found really amusing. Although he didn’t win, I thought 6 year old Thomas from England was the sweetest Fletch-alike of all… and I wasn’t the only one. After we had filled our empty stomachs with the fantastic buffet, which was included in the tickets, we continued with another raffle draw and Mastermind competition. There were ten contestants who made it to round two, however the final five questions proved to be so difficult, that no-one got more than 3 correct, so we had to pick three winners from round one. Like to try your luck? Read on. At about 10 o’clock we played the last message, which was from Martin. I have to tell you the atmosphere amongst the crowd, as each one of them played, was extraordinary. You could feel the electricity and it went so silent each time we put a tape on. By this time I’d started to think that I must have gone mad making the schedule so busy and including all those contests in the programme. I was running around like a lunatic and every spare second I found in between was so precious to me. But I somehow found it enjoyable… am I weird or what?!? As always, the ever-popular Karaoke didn’t let us down, and our four judges had a hard time deciding who should win. We had to ask the audience in the end, whose choice was clear enough… Right after that, the devotees got our lovely DJs busy with their music requests and it wasn’t until one hour later when we announced another contest. This time the fans had to guess the names of six songs, excerpts of which were mixed together. A hard task but not for the die-hard fans. There was just enough time to play a few more numbers before the final “Everything Counts” sung by each and everyone, like one big choir – which was a very touching end to a very special night.
Just Can’t Get Enough
It was 1 o’clock in the morning and we were leaving the hall, making our way to the hotel bar for a goodnight drink. It was hard to believe it was all over. I was trying to gather my emotions, while everyone kept telling us how much they enjoyed themselves. We were all up for some more fun at the bar, when the fire alarm went off. Was someone playing a joke? We were asked to leave the hotel building, go into the car park and wait for the fire brigade to arrive. Eventually they discovered it was a false alarm, and the crowd presented them with a very loud acoustic version of “Everything Counts” as they departed from the Leisure Park.
See you next time…
The following morning gave us all one last chance to see everyone and say our goodbyes – to old and new friends. A late brunch was organised, just for our convention party, in the same hall as the convention the night before. The atmosphere was charged and you could still feel the spirit lingering… See for yourself next time!!
PS – We would like to thank Dave, Fletch and Martin for their enthusiasm, help and co-operation in getting their personal messages to us in time, also for providing us with some of the fantastic prizes. A special thanks also goes to the Band’s manager Jonathan Kessler and JD Fanger from the London office, for their support and help with this event. Last but not least we would like to thank BRAT our web master, for the karaoke CDs and Michael Lopatis of Mute Records for supplying us with some prizes.
Band’s Messages
First played in Basildon
(also available in audio format on
David: “Hi, this is Dave, and I’m sitting in a café in New York, and I just wanted to say Hi to all of you over there in Basildon, at the convention. I hope you’re having a great time. Hopefully, by the end of this year we’ll have finished a new record. We’re going to start recording in June. Martin’s written some great songs already, and I just wanted to say Hi. And we’ll see you all again next year, when hopefully we’ll be out on the road. All right. See you, bye.”
Fletch: “Good evening Basildon. Good evening the DM convention. This is Andy Fletcher, the best one-fingered keyboard player in the world – probably. Got a bit of a sore throat. Chelsea are doing very well so I’ve been doing a lot of singing and cheering. Have a good time, and don’t waste Basildon. See you soon.”
Martin: (Bass line in the background) “Hello this is Martin. I’d like to welcome you all to wonderful Basildon. Sorry I can’t be there, but as you can hear I’m in the studio at the moment, working on some new stuff with Gareth, and one of my friends Paul. I hope you all have a great time, and I’m sure you’ve got lots to do. I don’t know if you’ve seen the sights yet – all those wonderful sights there are in Basildon – all those historic places. Anyway, have a great time and see you soon. Bye.”
At about 5 o’clock I realised we have about half an hour before the convention kicks off. Great!!! Would I have enough time to get changed at all? Lynn rushed to her room and had about ten minutes to get ready before I did the same. Thank God we had our “bouncers” Darren and Mark at door to keep everything under control. The lobby was fully packed with devotees who just couldn’t wait to get in and we opened the doors right on time at 5.30. There was nothing to stop us and I had a quick drink to loosen up a bit before I got on stage with my welcome speech… It wasn’t that bad after all. One song followed another and we gave away some prizes in the first of many raffle draws of the night. A quarter of an hour later I announced the Depeche Mode Lookalike Contest, which we all found really amusing. Although he didn’t win, I thought 6 year old Thomas from England was the sweetest Fletch-alike of all… and I wasn’t the only one. After we had filled our empty stomachs with the fantastic buffet, which was included in the tickets, we continued with another raffle draw and Mastermind competition. There were ten contestants who made it to round two, however the final five questions proved to be so difficult, that no-one got more than 3 correct, so we had to pick three winners from round one. Like to try your luck? Read on. At about 10 o’clock we played the last message, which was from Martin. I have to tell you the atmosphere amongst the crowd, as each one of them played, was extraordinary. You could feel the electricity and it went so silent each time we put a tape on. By this time I’d started to think that I must have gone mad making the schedule so busy and including all those contests in the programme. I was running around like a lunatic and every spare second I found in between was so precious to me. But I somehow found it enjoyable… am I weird or what?!? As always, the ever-popular Karaoke didn’t let us down, and our four judges had a hard time deciding who should win. We had to ask the audience in the end, whose choice was clear enough… Right after that, the devotees got our lovely DJs busy with their music requests and it wasn’t until one hour later when we announced another contest. This time the fans had to guess the names of six songs, excerpts of which were mixed together. A hard task but not for the die-hard fans. There was just enough time to play a few more numbers before the final “Everything Counts” sung by each and everyone, like one big choir – which was a very touching end to a very special night.
Just Can’t Get Enough
It was 1 o’clock in the morning and we were leaving the hall, making our way to the hotel bar for a goodnight drink. It was hard to believe it was all over. I was trying to gather my emotions, while everyone kept telling us how much they enjoyed themselves. We were all up for some more fun at the bar, when the fire alarm went off. Was someone playing a joke? We were asked to leave the hotel building, go into the car park and wait for the fire brigade to arrive. Eventually they discovered it was a false alarm, and the crowd presented them with a very loud acoustic version of “Everything Counts” as they departed from the Leisure Park.
See you next time…
The following morning gave us all one last chance to see everyone and say our goodbyes – to old and new friends. A late brunch was organised, just for our convention party, in the same hall as the convention the night before. The atmosphere was charged and you could still feel the spirit lingering… See for yourself next time!!
PS – We would like to thank Dave, Fletch and Martin for their enthusiasm, help and co-operation in getting their personal messages to us in time, also for providing us with some of the fantastic prizes. A special thanks also goes to the Band’s manager Jonathan Kessler and JD Fanger from the London office, for their support and help with this event. Last but not least we would like to thank BRAT our web master, for the karaoke CDs and Michael Lopatis of Mute Records for supplying us with some prizes.
Band’s Messages
First played in Basildon
(also available in audio format on
You must be registered for see links
)David: “Hi, this is Dave, and I’m sitting in a café in New York, and I just wanted to say Hi to all of you over there in Basildon, at the convention. I hope you’re having a great time. Hopefully, by the end of this year we’ll have finished a new record. We’re going to start recording in June. Martin’s written some great songs already, and I just wanted to say Hi. And we’ll see you all again next year, when hopefully we’ll be out on the road. All right. See you, bye.”
Fletch: “Good evening Basildon. Good evening the DM convention. This is Andy Fletcher, the best one-fingered keyboard player in the world – probably. Got a bit of a sore throat. Chelsea are doing very well so I’ve been doing a lot of singing and cheering. Have a good time, and don’t waste Basildon. See you soon.”
Martin: (Bass line in the background) “Hello this is Martin. I’d like to welcome you all to wonderful Basildon. Sorry I can’t be there, but as you can hear I’m in the studio at the moment, working on some new stuff with Gareth, and one of my friends Paul. I hope you all have a great time, and I’m sure you’ve got lots to do. I don’t know if you’ve seen the sights yet – all those wonderful sights there are in Basildon – all those historic places. Anyway, have a great time and see you soon. Bye.”
DAVE GAHAN PERSONAL FILE
[From Bong 44, June 2000.]
Full Name: David Gahan
Date of birth: 9th May 1962
Place of birth: Epping
Star Sign: Taurus
Colour of eyes: Green
Colour of hair: Brown
Height: 5’ 11” [1]
Family details: Wife: Jennifer, Sons: Jack & Jimmy, Daughter: Stella Rose [2]
Hobbies / Interests: Painting and Skydiving
Previous job: Landscape labourer / Paperboy (Basildon Evening Echo)
Previous bands: The Vermin (infamous for drummer who played biscuit tins)
Favourite cities: New York City
Favourite country: Italy
Favourite food: Malaysian
Favourite drink: Espresso
Favourite part of your body: Knees
Favourite sport: Cross country running
Favourite colour: Green
Favourite perfume: Hai Karate
Favourite designer: Katherine Hamnett
Favourite film: The Jerk: Steve Martin
Favourite book: The Metamorphosis – Franz Kafka
Favourite TV station: Comedy Central
Favourite radio station: 104.3 FM & 88.3 FM (New York)
Favourite magazine / papers: Q Magazine / The New York Times
Favourite song: What’s Going On – Marvin Gaye
Favourite DM song: Condemnation
Favourite album: Too numerous to mention, but: Led Zeppelin 1/ Dark Side Of The Moon / London Calling / Sticky Fingers (See also Favourite song)
Favourite DM album: Songs Of Faith And Devotion
Favourite video: Sabotage – Beastie Boys
Favourite DM video: Walking In My Shoes – Anton Corbijn
Favourite DM Remix: Useless – Escape From Wherever: Parts 1 & 2! By Barry Adamson
Favourite DM lyrics: Sister Of Night / Condemnation
Favourite singer / band: Marvin Gaye / Iggy Pop / Chris Cornell / Billie Holiday / Gavin Friday / Rolling Stones (See also Favourite albums)
Biggest niggle: Waiting at airports
What do you like best about being in the band? Performing live
What do you like least about being in the band? That we don’t explore new musical directions as much as we could, with live musicians, as well as electronics. [3]
If you could be any famous historical figure, who would it be and why? Hieronymus Bosch (15th century painter) [4]
Is there anyone (artist) who you would like to work with in the future? John Frusciante / Victor Endrizzio
What one thing would you take if you were stranded on a desert island? A helicopter
[From Bong 44, June 2000.]
Full Name: David Gahan
Date of birth: 9th May 1962
Place of birth: Epping
Star Sign: Taurus
Colour of eyes: Green
Colour of hair: Brown
Height: 5’ 11” [1]
Family details: Wife: Jennifer, Sons: Jack & Jimmy, Daughter: Stella Rose [2]
Hobbies / Interests: Painting and Skydiving
Previous job: Landscape labourer / Paperboy (Basildon Evening Echo)
Previous bands: The Vermin (infamous for drummer who played biscuit tins)
Favourite cities: New York City
Favourite country: Italy
Favourite food: Malaysian
Favourite drink: Espresso
Favourite part of your body: Knees
Favourite sport: Cross country running
Favourite colour: Green
Favourite perfume: Hai Karate
Favourite designer: Katherine Hamnett
Favourite film: The Jerk: Steve Martin
Favourite book: The Metamorphosis – Franz Kafka
Favourite TV station: Comedy Central
Favourite radio station: 104.3 FM & 88.3 FM (New York)
Favourite magazine / papers: Q Magazine / The New York Times
Favourite song: What’s Going On – Marvin Gaye
Favourite DM song: Condemnation
Favourite album: Too numerous to mention, but: Led Zeppelin 1/ Dark Side Of The Moon / London Calling / Sticky Fingers (See also Favourite song)
Favourite DM album: Songs Of Faith And Devotion
Favourite video: Sabotage – Beastie Boys
Favourite DM video: Walking In My Shoes – Anton Corbijn
Favourite DM Remix: Useless – Escape From Wherever: Parts 1 & 2! By Barry Adamson
Favourite DM lyrics: Sister Of Night / Condemnation
Favourite singer / band: Marvin Gaye / Iggy Pop / Chris Cornell / Billie Holiday / Gavin Friday / Rolling Stones (See also Favourite albums)
Biggest niggle: Waiting at airports
What do you like best about being in the band? Performing live
What do you like least about being in the band? That we don’t explore new musical directions as much as we could, with live musicians, as well as electronics. [3]
If you could be any famous historical figure, who would it be and why? Hieronymus Bosch (15th century painter) [4]
Is there anyone (artist) who you would like to work with in the future? John Frusciante / Victor Endrizzio
What one thing would you take if you were stranded on a desert island? A helicopter
I MET THAT BLOKE FROM DEPECHE MODE ONCE
[From Bong 44, June 2000. Words: Vincent Legros.]
I am now 32 years old and I have been a very big Depeche Mode fan since 1984. Very few can say they have a copy of all 42 Bong Issues and even the newsletters published by the Depeche Mode Information Service before Bong was born, can they? I had a chance to meet the band three times. During the “Devotional Tour”, right after the amazing show Depeche Mode performed at the Forest National Hall in Brussels, Belgium on May 25, 1993, I went to the Conrad Hotel where the Band were staying. Some fifteen fans were already waiting there. Anton Corbijn was the first one who arrived. He was taking pictures during the whole evening. Then two black Mercedes arrived at midnight. Martin and Alan ran quickly into the main lobby without a word. Fletch and Dave stopped by the fans and both kindly signed autographs to everyone. Dave seemed a bit exhausted but was very happy with his performance and the reaction of the Belgian crowd that night. Just before another Devotional concert at the Sporthalle in Cologne, Germany on July 22, 1993, I decided to go in front of the Hyatt Regency Hotel. I couldn’t see Dave, but Fletch, Alan, Martin and Daniel Miller, who was there for Martin’s birthday celebration the following day, arrived at 6pm. They left one hour later and headed for the venue. All four of them were very kind and signed autographs to the fans. I took about twenty pictures of the guys in Brussels and Cologne, but there wasn’t one featuring myself with the Band. But most importantly, I managed to get the most valuable item for my DM record collection, which contains 600 records now – a UK promo sample of “Enjoy The Silence” autographed by all four members, Anton Corbijn and Daniel Miller!! During “The Singles Tour 86-98”, I was the lucky winner of a competition organised by a Belgian radio station called Radio 21. My best friend Charles and myself received the meet and greet passes to meet the Band prior to the show at the Forest National Hall on September 22, 1998 – my tenth Depeche Mode concert since 1985. At 7:30pm, ten lucky winners of various competitions were invited to enter the hall by staff members of the record company that distributes DM records in Belgium. After several security checkpoints, we went into the VIP bar where we had a drink or two. At 8pm, Fletch, Martin and Dave entered the bar. Martin and Fletch were in a very good mood, shook hands and talked to everyone. The official photographer took pictures of this event, which remains one of the most fabulous souvenirs in my life.
Vincent Legros
Spa, Belgium
[From Bong 44, June 2000. Words: Vincent Legros.]
I am now 32 years old and I have been a very big Depeche Mode fan since 1984. Very few can say they have a copy of all 42 Bong Issues and even the newsletters published by the Depeche Mode Information Service before Bong was born, can they? I had a chance to meet the band three times. During the “Devotional Tour”, right after the amazing show Depeche Mode performed at the Forest National Hall in Brussels, Belgium on May 25, 1993, I went to the Conrad Hotel where the Band were staying. Some fifteen fans were already waiting there. Anton Corbijn was the first one who arrived. He was taking pictures during the whole evening. Then two black Mercedes arrived at midnight. Martin and Alan ran quickly into the main lobby without a word. Fletch and Dave stopped by the fans and both kindly signed autographs to everyone. Dave seemed a bit exhausted but was very happy with his performance and the reaction of the Belgian crowd that night. Just before another Devotional concert at the Sporthalle in Cologne, Germany on July 22, 1993, I decided to go in front of the Hyatt Regency Hotel. I couldn’t see Dave, but Fletch, Alan, Martin and Daniel Miller, who was there for Martin’s birthday celebration the following day, arrived at 6pm. They left one hour later and headed for the venue. All four of them were very kind and signed autographs to the fans. I took about twenty pictures of the guys in Brussels and Cologne, but there wasn’t one featuring myself with the Band. But most importantly, I managed to get the most valuable item for my DM record collection, which contains 600 records now – a UK promo sample of “Enjoy The Silence” autographed by all four members, Anton Corbijn and Daniel Miller!! During “The Singles Tour 86-98”, I was the lucky winner of a competition organised by a Belgian radio station called Radio 21. My best friend Charles and myself received the meet and greet passes to meet the Band prior to the show at the Forest National Hall on September 22, 1998 – my tenth Depeche Mode concert since 1985. At 7:30pm, ten lucky winners of various competitions were invited to enter the hall by staff members of the record company that distributes DM records in Belgium. After several security checkpoints, we went into the VIP bar where we had a drink or two. At 8pm, Fletch, Martin and Dave entered the bar. Martin and Fletch were in a very good mood, shook hands and talked to everyone. The official photographer took pictures of this event, which remains one of the most fabulous souvenirs in my life.
Vincent Legros
Spa, Belgium