Depeche Mode Delta Machine Tour Reports

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Blog #15: The California Shows (Part 1)

The California Shows (Part 1)
author: Daniel Barassi
date posted: September 28th, 2013

Webmaster Daniel brought his camera to the shows in San Diego, Santa Barbara and Mountain View. Here is what he saw...

 

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Blog #16: The California Shows (Part 2)

The California Shows (Part 2)
author: Daniel Barassi
date posted: October 4th, 2103

Webmaster Daniel (and Robb Schiltz, where noted) took some more pictures, this time at the three shows at The Staples Center in Los Angeles.

 

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Blog #17: The Vegas Show Blog (with a buffet of puns)

The Vegas Show Blog (with a buffet of puns)
author: Sean Salo
date posted: October 8th, 2013

Blog 6: author: Sean Salo | posted: October 8th, 2013 | Las Vegas

"The Vegas Show Blog (with a buffet of puns)

Depeche Mode has hit dozens of amphitheaters, arenas and even festivals on the North American leg of the Delta Machine Tour thus far, but none on this leg has been as intimate as Sunday's show. Las Vegas is an entertainment and tourist mecca, and for the roughly 2,500 fans who made the pilgrimage to the Pearl Concert Theater, this was a chance to see DM in an intimate theater while meeting and/or reconnecting with other devotees from around the world.

Unsurprisingly for a destination show, the audience was made up of Canadians, Germans, Panamanians, Poles, Dominicans, Brits, Mexicans, French, Aussies... and a few Americans for good measure. With one of this leg's few GA options on the floor of the venue and seating semi-circling the smaller-scale stage, the performance was as big as if it were at a stadium. The boys seem incapable of disappointing.

What the crowd lacked in sheer numbers, it made up for in ferocity! The audience responded to the stellar sound in the venue with some of the most faithful and loud sing-alongs on this leg of the Delta Machine Tour. As the band winds down its conquering of this continent, it's clear those fans who trekked to Vegas came to win, as well.

Martin's "But Not Tonight" rendition, with Peter backing on keys, had the crowd at a fever pitch. "Home" saw Martin holding the note on "from my first breeeeath" for what seemed like a blissful eternity, echoing throughout the room. The crowd responded in kind and faithfully serenaded him as the song ended. Martin paced stage right-to-stage left and back again, playfully conducting us with a smile the size of the Vegas Strip.

Dave looked like he'd hit a jackpot just before taking the stage, responding to both the intimacy and the fervor of the audience with a killer performance and enough energy to power the casino. He always gives 101% on stage, but it's clear he enjoys performing tracks like "Heaven", "Angel" and "Should Be Higher" just as much as he does any of those they've crafted over the decades.

If you'd bet Christian would have toned down his performance for the smaller venue, you'd have lost!

Dave, Fletch and Martin dealt the lucky few at Sunday's show a winning hand. What happened in Vegas, was crazed in Vegas!

The buses rolled into Phoenix for the next show before rounding out this leg at Austin City Limits festival on Friday evening.

-Sean Salo"

Photos by Daniel Barassi.

 

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Blog #18: Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi
author: Alex
date posted: November 3rd, 2013

 

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Blog #19: London

London
author: Peter Neill
date posted: November 19th, 2013

 

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Blog #20: A Look Back At The UK And Ireland Shows

A Look Back At The UK And Ireland Shows
author: Peter
date posted: November 22nd, 2013

Blog 7: author: PeterToo | posted: November 21st, 2013 | Germany

"A Look Back At The UK And Ireland Shows

We're now about two weeks into the winter leg of The Delta Machine Tour, and currently in Germany for the first show of the leg in mainland Europe. Not quite how it was planned, but more on that later.

After a few days and an incredible show in Abu Dhabi, the tour found it's way to more familiar grounds with two weeks touring the UK and Ireland.

With eight shows already done, and another to come in Birmingham, this is the band's most extensive UK/Ireland tour since 1987.

And that included stops in Belfast, a city where they haven't played since the Black Celebration Tour in 1986; and Leeds, which hasn't hosted a Depeche Mode show in over 30 years apparently!

Admittedly yours truly missed out on the Belfast stop, but we were back in full effect in time for Dublin. The O2 there is a fantastic venue (quite surreal with the purple lighting everywhere) and the crowd was fantastic. I seem to remember the Dublin show was also one of the stand outs on the last tour.

After that it was off to Scotland for a gig in Glasgow. The band spent the day rehearsing a few songs that have yet to make it into the set list, but fingers crossed they'll show up soon. It was really interesting seeing how they rework classic tracks on the fly.

Then we were off to Leeds for another cracking show. Rereading my notes from the night, I seem to have jotted down that the band haven't played there in 48 years... maths' -- apparently -- not my strong suit. Not a lot of lingering after the show, as everyone was straight off to Manchester for a day off.

Anton Corbijn came out for the Manchester show to take some photos. Always nice to see the tall Dutchman in action -- I feel like cordoning off the area and putting up a "Genius At Work" sign whenever he's around, but was told to not pursue that idea further.

Then the Lille show was cancelled -- a frustrating situation for all involved. Conditions at the venue were simply not safe, with (literally) freezing temperatures INSIDE on show day. So everyone flew back to the UK, and that brings us up to the London show.

London is always mental -- especially backstage -- with friends and families all coming out in force to see their boys in action. A lovely atmosphere, but quite hectic.

And that about brings us up to date. The string of German dates, including two dates in Berlin, should be fun.

We're putting up a few pictures from the UK/Ireland shows here, with more hitting the Tumblr page in the coming days.

I'll update you all again soon enough I expect.

Peter"

 

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Blog #21 Herning

Herning
author: Peter
date posted: November 29th, 2013
A collection of black & white (and a little red...) photos from the show in Herning, Denmark on November 29, 2013, courtesy of Peter from Home.

 

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Blog #22: Gothenburg

Gothenburg
author: Petra Rõnnholm
date posted: December 11th, 2013
All photos: Petra Rõnnholm.

 

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Blog #23 The Delta Machine Tour...So Far

The Delta Machine Tour...So Far
author: Alex
date posted: December 18th, 2013

Blog 8: author: ? | posted: December 18th, 2013

"The Delta Machine Tour… So Far

This past weekend saw Depeche Mode wrap the 2013 part of The Delta Machine Tour with a show in Helsinki, Finland.

Since starting the tour on the French Riviera back in May, the band has performed more than 80 shows in over 30 countries across three continents. Over two million people have seen the band this year -- and that's not counting those tuning in to one of the shows that were webcast during the tour so far.

From Abu Dhabi to Helsinki; Tel Aviv to Mountain View, the tour has gone far and wide. The trucks and tour busses have traversed the globe, putting roughly 57.000 km of road behind them -- that's about 35.000 miles or around the world one and a half times. And we're not quite done yet.

Thank you all for coming out, and for following the blog. It's been a blast, and we're looking very much forward to 2014.

Below you'll find little over a handful shots that cover pretty much the extent of the tour so far -- starting in Nice back in May, all the way up to the recent Scandinavian dates in December.

Happy holidays and new year!"

 

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Blog #24: Madrid

Madrid
author: Alex
date posted: January 17th, 2014
Madrid tonight. Band's-Eye View. See you again tomorrow...