by Amanda

My extent of Depeche Mode shows this tour may be over, but my blogging is not. Writing this blog has been fun, and if there are people out there that enjoy reading my banter, bonus. If not, at least I've an entertaining outlet for myself. LOL I've had a few ideas for DM-related topics to write on that aren't exactly related to a particular gig (see "How TOTU is not Cursed and Dave Gahan is Not Old") so I plan on continuing to write here. Hopefully Tara will poke her head in now and again, too!

With that, I've decided a bit of a facelift is in order, so I've redesigned the layout. After TOTU has completed, I hope to continue writing and will consider renaming the blog at that point as well. For now, I'm keeping it as is and will brainstorm where to go from there. :)

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by Amanda

Last night, Depeche Mode completed their last North American show in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. A week has passed since my last show for the Tour of the Universe. What a wild ride this tour has been, spanning two continents, seven cities and many hours in planes, trains and automobiles. There were friends new and old, secrets untold, and experiences to behold. What follows is a summary of my adventure, so some things may be familiar.

The come-down was harsh at first. I spent the better part of the day or two after carrying an unshakable bittersweet sadness. I was grateful for and amazed by the memories I wouldn't trade for the world, but sad knowing it had come to an end. Dangerous, the way it leaves one wanting more. ;) I've even investigated whether I could afford going to London next year, after my vacation resets. I could, if only just, but it would not be pragmatic. It's a very good thing I don't have any credit cards, let's just say that right now. Hah!

The Tour has been full of amazing highs and lows. First, there were those nail-biting days of May, spent concerned about not only our shows around the corner, but more importantly the health and well-being of Dave. Hearing his warm croons float through the air during the soundcheck in Leipzig seemed to melt all our worries away. Welcoming the band back from yet another brink of uncertainty, we reveled in the presence of some of the best musicians and performers of our time, as well as our friends and fellows in the crowd. The Battle for Front of Stage was intense, but the European crowds were more so. From the moment "DM" scrolled across the sphere to the last wave goodbye at every show, there was dancing, singing, chanting and collectivity the likes of which I hadn't experienced before. Old songs thrilled and tender moments chilled. Though I was ill during the days in Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich, for two hours each night it didn't matter that my legs were not fully responding to my desire to jump and dance. It didn't matter that singing my heart out made me cough on the contents from my sinuses. In fact, if it weren't for the cough and wobbly knees, my adrenaline was pumping so strongly I would have forgotten I was sick at all (there were times when I did).

When Dave tore a calf muscle in Bilbao, then strained his vocals in Seattle, more shows were cancelled. Emotions ran high and threads on fan forums turned into war zones yet again. I am not ashamed to say I partook in some of those battles, because I felt it was only right to stand up for what I believed in, and I believe in David Gahan and Depeche Mode. I believe not only in their creativity and their artistry, but in their humanity foremost. How anyone could consider themselves a fan of an artist and yet put their own sense of entitlement before the health of said artist is beyond me. Have some empathy - a little kindness goes a long way.

After a week of misfortune, the experience in Vegas was that much sweeter. My "hometown" gig, San Francisco, was cancelled, my office was robbed and my iPhone and wallet stolen only days before I was due to fly out. Though the day of the show was wrought with frazzled nerves and queuing Hell, it turned out to be my most personally memorable show this tour. We were sung to and blown kisses in Leipzig, and it was something special to welcome Dave and the band back. Berlin was epic and electrifying. But Vegas was the night when practically anything a fan could reasonably want in a concert experience happened, short of an aftershow pass or hanging with the band at a pub. I had front row without having to pay a broker. I was teased and sang to (I'm not the one curdling blood with my screams, for the record, but I am screaming and those are my braceleted hands). Furthermore, I was given Dave's setlist - I'll never see honey the same way again after all the horrible innuendo that followed. Additionally, I met and chatted with numerous fan friends I'd been wanting to meet. To top it all off, by a stroke of luck, I met Mr. Martin L. Gore at the Palms. The priceless moment was his reaction when I handed over the packets that contained the fanbooks, with a Sounds of the Universe-inspired artprint on top. The genuine grace with which he thanked me for them once I explained was touching. Perhaps it's melodramatic of me, but as an artist it's amazing to be able to return feelings in the form of art to someone who inspires you; to have that recognized, even if it's only the tiniest sliver compared to the bigger picture. Additionally, knowing the books went from my hands to a band member's is the best way I could hope to ensure all the guys would get their copies (I gave Martin Dave and Andy's copies, too).

From there, my last two shows were entirely about sharing the best of times with the best of folks. I was welcomed like an old friend. We had an amazing tailgate with a great turnout of BONG Mailing List subscribers. Red Rocks was a beautiful venue, and despite the drunk/stoned crowd, it proved to be a great show. Due to the kindness of a fellow DMMB member, I was able to purchase 3rd row tickets at face value, which made for a night my friend and hostess would never forget after years of missing DM tours due to circumstances. The intimacy and the "bug/frog incident" made for a unique and memorable 10th DM show, ever. Yes, that's why I was wearing a tiara.

Dallas then, provided a chance to share the love with DM concert virgins and my fellow Homies across the world as I relayed the setlist and atmosphere live through text message. After the show, we partied into the morning hours, enjoying our last bit of time together for a while. Though my heart wrenched as my journey came to an end, I've since reflected on all the amazing things I saw, the people I met and the laughs I had. It's these feelings I choose to hold on to as I move into the future, looking forward to three years time when I hope to do it all over again. Thank you, Depeche Mode, for all the wonderful memories, good friends and new experiences. May the rest of the tour be blessed and may your hearts be happy.


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by Amanda


Photos | Videos | Date: August 29, 2009

A week overdue, I've finally recovered from my trips (and more or less, the post-tour blues) and returned to write about the Dallas show. My seats for this gig were the furthest back I've ever had for a Depeche Mode concert, but turned out to be not so bad after all! I bought four tickets because I was going to Texas to visit some friends of mine who had never experienced the band live. One of them is one of my very closest friends who knows all about my passion, but not a lot about the band. It was worth sitting in the upper section to be able to share the experience with them (because we all know one can never purchase four consecutive seats in the first section at face value these days). To watch them laugh and sing, taking in the full experience that is a Depeche Mode concert was moving. I was also able observe the crowd and take in the stage and band from a new perspective, which proved quite fun.

The band put on a fantastic show, and Martin even branched out by playing Judas, despite not having practiced! He made a mistake in the beginning and had to start over, but he handled it with humor like a good pro. I was SO happy to hear this song live. They didn't play it at any of my gigs in 2006, and being that Songs of Faith and Devotion is my favorite album, getting the opportunity to hear it in Dallas was bliss.

What impressed me most about this show was the crowd. Maybe it was because I was further back, I was less absorbed in every detail of the band and more aware of my surroundings. I wasn't sure what to expect from the crowd, but I was pleasantly surprised. Some of the sing-a-longs could have been better, but boy were they moving! 90% of the bodies around me were grooving, even if ever so subtly. There were times when the screams and cheers rang in my ears. Between encores, the audience even banged on chairs to make a ruckus, eventually they even started beating out a rhythmic pattern. The joy in that amphitheater was overpowering.

It was a very bittersweet night full of many laughs and tears - my last show of the tour. Once again I found myself bawling through the entirety of "Waiting for the Night," soaking in the notes and sweet vocals of Dave and Martin live for the last time. After the houselights went up, we made our way down to the front to meet with Tara and crew so we could make our way to the afterparty at Barcadia. Many friends old and new gathered there, but we eventually moved to another club after Barcadia closed at 2am. One of my local friends graciously agreed to be my designated driver so I could stay and party the night away with several friends I probably won't see for another three or four years. We reveled in the joy of the best music in the world and I stepped back to reflect on all I had done this tour. Several of my friends' still had distance left in their journeys, but mine had come to an end. It was time to say goodbye to the many wonderful people I'd met along the way. My good friend told me, "When one journey ends, another begins." I don't know what the future may hold until then, but these goodbyes are only temporary. We'll be ready do it all again next tour!

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by Amanda

Photos | Videos | Date: August 27, 2009

I'm in the Denver airport now, waiting for my flight to Dallas. Last night's show was in a truly unique venue, beautiful.. The crowd, however left a bit to be desired. Pretty casual for the most part and took a few songs to warm up, which is expected, but there was A LOT of pot smoke (legal to carry 1oz in Colorado) and people were coming and going for beer the whole show. There were no aisles, so people kept having to walk past us in our row, which was rather annoying.

This wasn't just during Mart's solos, either. I had and excellent view right of stage, nearly no obstructions other than the occassional hand. I hadn't seen the full stage in it's entrirety yet because I've only been to GA gigs so far. It was great to be able to have a clear and close view of all the lads in one scene and the stage atmosphere.

The show was very enjoyable, the band was having a lot of fun, especially toward the end when Dave spotted some sort of bug or frog on stage and started fussing over it like a 10 year old boy - too cute. Inbetween songs, He even got the crowd in by saying "Hey, we've got this little guy here, and he's like this *Dave imitates mantis/frog-like pose.* hope somebody got video! Fletch and Peter were even donning bug spray in the breaks of the first few songs.

I was excited to get a varied setlist, hearing "Somebody" and "Behind the Wheel" for the first time this tour. "Somebody" was moving and beautiful. It's not really my favorite of Martin's solos, but he gave and amazing delivery. I loved the conviction of the nonlyrical vocals at the end. I enjoyed the racing patterns on the screens for BtW - teal/blue-green is fitting for that song (dunno why). I was also happy to hear Home for a second time as it's one of my favorites of Martin's. Dave was full of praise for Martin all night, calling him Marty Fresh once again.

"Waiting for the Night" moved me to tears again, not only for the simple beauty of it, but because I felt almost as if I was saying goodbye for now. This show was my second to last for this tour, and the last I'll be up close and personal. My seats in Dallas are up in the second tier since I'm taking some friends to the show (couldn't pull any better for four people). I couldn't really get good pics but I took a few nice videos, including one of Mart and Dave headbanging during IFY. Also, there was a long, dramatic pause in WFTN that I didn't notice at other gigs. It's neat to hear how songs are evolving through the tour, namely the chilling echos added to IYR, the crazy breakdown in ETS, and now the new lights and pause WFTN.

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by Amanda

Taken by Daniel Barassi for DepecheMode.com

No photos or videos from me for this gig - I opted to attend camera-free.

After waiting around and playing slots outside the venue all day, I managed score front row rail, despite a security misscommunication. At first I thought we were going to be far from Dave, but then the split the difference of the half circle between Dave and Mart: Dave was quite close and to my left. Super small stage and a great intimate venue. Read more...

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