Oxford Dons
[Melody Maker, 11th February 1984. Words: Simon Scott. Picture: Uncredited.]
OXFORD DONS
As the final minutes ticked away before the live “Oxford Road Show” broadcast, Peter Powell concisely shattered a few illusions as he led the audience in several rehearsals of BBC audience hysteria lest the actual arrival of Depeche Mode on stage failed to provide the necessary decibel level (heaven forbid!).
Manfully ignoring the Walkmans being flagrantly waved under his nose, Peter gave us the lowdown on what we had to do in order to appear suitably spontaneous as the cameras rolled, beaming Depeche Mode and the attendant hordes into millions of homes. Gasp! The excitement was almost too much to bear and suddenly we were “on the air”, as they say, and Depeche Mode were there, on stage, doing it, large as life and twice as electronic.
In spite of (because of?) the extra lights, and burly cameramen following their every move, the Mode turned into a far more lively and physical performance than usual. [1] David Gahan had obviously spent some time studying Michael Jackson videos, and has adapted at least one of his dance steps. It’s a pity he negated its skill by much flagrant overuse, still I’m all for a little originality – you just can’t Beat It. In contrast, Andy Fletcher and Alan Wilder stood still and concentrated hard, while Martin Gore stared moodily through made-up eyes under his punky barnet.
As the plinks and plonks of “Just Can’t Get Enough” stuttered out of the PA, Gahan continued his solitary crowd rousing tactic, namely raising his arms above his head and yelling “Come on!” until his voice grew hoarse with effort. Never quite sure if the live broadcast had finished or not, the audience responded with unbridled enthusiasm, spurred on, no doubt, by the possibility of waving to the folks at home, as well as maintaining the artificially high atmosphere. [2]
Naturally, any Depeche Mode fan worth his salt would bluster that all Depeche Mode gigs are this exciting, but I doubt that. In spite of occasional sparks of life in the singles charts, Mode remain one-finger merchants, sticking rigidly to the simplistic melody lines of their songs, with nary a hint of a solo to vary the sonorous rhythm of the material. They may be top of their tree, but when you examine the competition, that’s really not saying much.
After an apparent move forward with the excellent “Construction Time Again” album, it’s sad to report that Depeche Mode remain firmly rooted in the stagecraft they’ve used since their inception. A couple of robot lighting towers, a hip swivel here and a hand-clap there do not a decent live gig make. They really can’t rely on chestnuts like “New Life” and “See You” to maintain the excitement level for ever.
Peter Powell reckons Depeche Mode are one of the most underrated live bands around. I reckon Peter is being professionally nice as well as a good crowd pleaser, and Depeche Mode’s average rating is just about right.
[Melody Maker, 11th February 1984. Words: Simon Scott. Picture: Uncredited.]
OXFORD DONS
As the final minutes ticked away before the live “Oxford Road Show” broadcast, Peter Powell concisely shattered a few illusions as he led the audience in several rehearsals of BBC audience hysteria lest the actual arrival of Depeche Mode on stage failed to provide the necessary decibel level (heaven forbid!).
Manfully ignoring the Walkmans being flagrantly waved under his nose, Peter gave us the lowdown on what we had to do in order to appear suitably spontaneous as the cameras rolled, beaming Depeche Mode and the attendant hordes into millions of homes. Gasp! The excitement was almost too much to bear and suddenly we were “on the air”, as they say, and Depeche Mode were there, on stage, doing it, large as life and twice as electronic.
In spite of (because of?) the extra lights, and burly cameramen following their every move, the Mode turned into a far more lively and physical performance than usual. [1] David Gahan had obviously spent some time studying Michael Jackson videos, and has adapted at least one of his dance steps. It’s a pity he negated its skill by much flagrant overuse, still I’m all for a little originality – you just can’t Beat It. In contrast, Andy Fletcher and Alan Wilder stood still and concentrated hard, while Martin Gore stared moodily through made-up eyes under his punky barnet.
As the plinks and plonks of “Just Can’t Get Enough” stuttered out of the PA, Gahan continued his solitary crowd rousing tactic, namely raising his arms above his head and yelling “Come on!” until his voice grew hoarse with effort. Never quite sure if the live broadcast had finished or not, the audience responded with unbridled enthusiasm, spurred on, no doubt, by the possibility of waving to the folks at home, as well as maintaining the artificially high atmosphere. [2]
Naturally, any Depeche Mode fan worth his salt would bluster that all Depeche Mode gigs are this exciting, but I doubt that. In spite of occasional sparks of life in the singles charts, Mode remain one-finger merchants, sticking rigidly to the simplistic melody lines of their songs, with nary a hint of a solo to vary the sonorous rhythm of the material. They may be top of their tree, but when you examine the competition, that’s really not saying much.
After an apparent move forward with the excellent “Construction Time Again” album, it’s sad to report that Depeche Mode remain firmly rooted in the stagecraft they’ve used since their inception. A couple of robot lighting towers, a hip swivel here and a hand-clap there do not a decent live gig make. They really can’t rely on chestnuts like “New Life” and “See You” to maintain the excitement level for ever.
Peter Powell reckons Depeche Mode are one of the most underrated live bands around. I reckon Peter is being professionally nice as well as a good crowd pleaser, and Depeche Mode’s average rating is just about right.
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