When Martin Gore, one third of Depeche Mode, comes on to the stage, it’s hard not to be blinded by the silver, sequin-encrusted suit he’s wearing. Add on the fact that he also appears to have every inch of his skin covered in sparkling fairy dust, he is one heck of a visual spectacle.
The set that Depeche Mode played at Red Rocks was just that; visually stimulating and excessive in every moment. From staggeringly huge visuals on the screen behind them to the ever-changing lighting that changed as the band went from one song to the next, the fans eyes never left the stage.
The evening started out innocently with opening band Peter, Bjorn and John revving the crowd up. Singer Peter Morén wiggled and bounded his way around the stage in his powder blue pants and suspenders ready to prove that an indie band from Sweden could fill up the massive space. The band didn’t quite succeed in such a large setting, but when their biggest hit, the whistle-infused “Young Folks” started, the crowd screamed in recognition and fueled Morén’s energy, propelling him into the crowd to sing and dance among the overjoyed audience.
The stage then sat empty for a short period of time as fans stared in anticipation. Any movement that suggested the show would begin set the crowd off in a spasm of applause and shrieks. The lights faded in a purple haze and shortly after the crowd was on its feet waiting for any sign of singer Dave Gahan. But Depeche Mode was quite the tease as the band continued to add small details to the stage and with each addition, the crowd never lost it’s enthusiasm for what would be around the corner.
Finally, the lights went down and the rocks echoed with a multitude of strange electronic noises. The show was ready to begin. The band members trickled on until Gahan reached the stage and raised his hands out to the crowd in true rock star fashion. The first notes of new album opener “In Chains” began, Gahan began singing and the crowd went crazy, but there were signs of trouble.
Gahan’s voice sounded weak and powerless. Much more a Bryan Ferry warble than the booming, low voice that fan’s have become accustomed to. Luckily as the night went on, Gahan’s voice acclimated the high altitude surroundings and by the time they played the ominous and sleek “Precious,” his voice was silky and strong.
The band played seamlessly through songs off of their latest album, but their classics from the 1980s and early 90s were the most exciting. As keyboardist Andrew Fletcher started playing the ominous notes to the classic “Enjoy the Silence” off of the band’s 1990 masterpiece “Violator,” fans reminisced back to Depeche Mode’s heyday.
But for a band of men who are approaching 50 years old, they still played like they were in their 20s. Gore waved his hands to the crowd as Fletcher moved to the band’s wonderfully gloomy synthesized beats and Gahan danced–a lot. As Gahan almost literally waltzed with his microphone and shook and swayed his hips wearing nothing but a vest and some very tight black pants (which was honestly very sexy), it was easy to see why the band is still around.
They have been playing music or nearly 30 years and putting sweat and energy into every minute of it, never just falling back on their old hits. They’ve never stopped being Depeche Mode and hopefully Gahan will still be slinking around the stage in tight pants for years to come.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Jenny Gumbert at jenny.gumbert@colorado.edu.
