Touring The Angel
[Metro, 6th October 2006. Words: Andrzej Lubowski / Iain Nussey.]
For all their success, Depeche Mode never quite entered the REM / US alt.rock mega-league and, with the best will in the world, Touring The Angel is a fair indicator as to why. Shot at the Milan date of the tour supporting last year’s underwhelming Playing The Angel album, there’s something quite perfunctory about the whole endeavour. Filmed inside a big black arena, and without even a “grazie” from Dave Gahan, it doesn’t feel like the band were captured on a special night. A fair smattering of new material gradually gives way to a predictable greatest hits set, which wouldn’t be a problem at all if only the Mode would do something interesting with their old songs. Gahan may exhort the crowd like a pro but Martin Gore, Andrew Fletcher and their backing band churn out the likes of Enjoy The Silence and Never Let Me Down Again with methodical detachment.
Extras: Documentary, bonus songs, audio CD.
[Metro, 6th October 2006. Words: Andrzej Lubowski / Iain Nussey.]
For all their success, Depeche Mode never quite entered the REM / US alt.rock mega-league and, with the best will in the world, Touring The Angel is a fair indicator as to why. Shot at the Milan date of the tour supporting last year’s underwhelming Playing The Angel album, there’s something quite perfunctory about the whole endeavour. Filmed inside a big black arena, and without even a “grazie” from Dave Gahan, it doesn’t feel like the band were captured on a special night. A fair smattering of new material gradually gives way to a predictable greatest hits set, which wouldn’t be a problem at all if only the Mode would do something interesting with their old songs. Gahan may exhort the crowd like a pro but Martin Gore, Andrew Fletcher and their backing band churn out the likes of Enjoy The Silence and Never Let Me Down Again with methodical detachment.
Extras: Documentary, bonus songs, audio CD.
