From the Construction Time Again tour programme
[1983. Words: Uncredited.]
Brief introductory piece for the 1983 tour programme. The simplicity of the band's approach to putting themselves across is still painfully evident here: although it describes what the band had been doing in the last twelve months it reads far more like a postcard home to their mothers.
" Just to let you know that we have not been lying around in the sun all year, I'll take a couple of minutes and fill you in on the details of what we've been up to."
Hello everybody - and welcome to the Depeche Mode tour our first in England and Europe since the autumn of last year. Just to let you know that we have not been lying around in the sun all year, I'll take a couple of minutes and fill you in on the details of what we've been up to.
We spent the first couple of months in the studio recording a new single which turned out to be 'Get The Balance Right', and writing songs for a new L.P. which was to be recorded in April and May. Then it was time to pack our bags once again, this time heading East. It was the first time any of us had been to the Far East and we were all looking forward to it immensely. First port of call was North America where we played concerts in New York, Chicago, Toronto, Vancouver, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Then it was overnight on the plane to Japan. We spent seven days in Tokyo doing lots of interviews, T.V. shows and three concerts all of which were sold out in advance. It was our first visit and we were surprised how well known we'd become. Then it was off to Hong Kong, we wandered out into the airport pushing our bags on trolleys when suddenly we were surrounded by hundreds of people who had come to the airport to meet us. It was very frightening but also very flattering. They had to call the police to clear the airport and we finally made it safely to the hotel. After two more sold out shows it was to Bangkok where we played two gigs and spent several days wandering around the temples and generally soaking up the atmosphere. Then we drove seventy miles south to lie on the beach for five days in a place called Pattya. It was like paradise, pure white sandy beaches and clear blue seas with the temperature in the nineties day and night...enough said!
Then it was back home and straight into the dark of the studio for two months to record our new album 'Construction Time Again'. We ended up taking the tapes to Berlin to mix the album and to film the video for 'Everything Counts'. Enough of what we've been up to, now it's down to you to enjoy the concert and hope you like the new album.
