Depeche Mode Page 2

Dave Gahan of Depeche Mode live at the O2 Arena, London

Depeche Mode landed in London during the summer European leg of their 2013-2014 world tour in the first of two consecutive concerts at the O2 Arena.

The Basildon synthpop legends, singer Dave Gahan, guitarist Martin Gore and keyboardist Andy Fletcher, took to the stage last night (May 28th 2013) with much zeal after a string of European performances.  They are even performing a second set at the same venue tonight - a rare deal, as a closer look at their touring schedule reveals that they're not as young as they used to be and are taking at least one day off in between gigs. Opening for them last night was pop producer How To Dress Well (aka Tom Krell) while tonight they will be supported by Danish electronic producer Trentemøller. If they are anything like last night, the show will be as captivating as the trio ever have been.

Continue reading: Depeche Mode Give An Electric Performance At London's O2 [Photos]

The two-weekend Austin City Limits festival in Texas has announced a varied line-up for this year's bash, with Depeche Mode, The Cure, Kings Of Leon, Muse, Atoms for Peace, Lionel Richie, Phoenix and Wilco on the bill. It will mark a return to the festival for KOL, though both Depeche Mode and The Cure make debuts.

Other notable acts on the bill for the six-day extravaganza - taking place on Oct 4-6 and 11-13 - include Vampire Weekend, D'Angelo, The National, Queens of the Stone Age, Kendrick Lamar, Passion Pit, Grimes and Bon Iver's new project Shouting Matches. Tickets for the festival go on-sale today at 10am at alcfestival.com. For those less concerned with the marquee acts, the Austin City Limits festival appears to offer plenty of interesting options for festivalgoers this year. Portugal. The Man, Grouplove, Jimmy Eat World, The Black Angels, HAIM, Noah and the Whale, Silversun Pickups and The Joy Formidable are also confirmed to play sets.

Last year's festival saw performances from Red Hot Chili Peppers, Neil Young and Crazy Horse, The Shins, Weezer, Black Keys, Florence + The Machine, Jack White, Iggy and the Stooges, The Roots and Two Door Cinema Club.

Continue reading: Austin City Limits Announces Depeche Mode, The Cure, KOL, Lionel Richie

Albums of note… In 2013, the apparent year of the comeback, Depeche Mode made a mini-one of their own, with their first album in four years Delta Machine. Dave Gahan’s still at the vocal helm and the group still enjoy looking at the darker side of pop. Something they’re still doing with great success according to our writer Dom Gourlay, who surmised “'Delta Machine' is a worthy comeback that while not quite hitting the peaks conquered so magnificently by 'Black Celebration', 'Violator' and 'Songs Of Faith And Devotion' back in the day, still sits comfortably in the upper quartile of Depeche Mode's finest releases to date.”

Another gaining the love of Contactmusic this week is Josh Kumra who released his debut LP Good Things Come To Those Don’t Wait. Give he’s only about 20/21 himself, it seems like he’s taken the title of his album to heart, and this Sony release looks set to make him a star early on in his career. Our man Jim Pusey reckoned “At its heart, Good Things Come To Those Who Don't Wait is a solid singer songwriter effort. It elevates itself beyond that by successfully dabbling in a number of musical styles along the way, while ensuring that Josh doesn't ever sound out of his depth. Certainly one of his strengths is his voice, and he gives himself ample opportunity to showcase that here too.”

Continue reading: A Week In Music, Depeche Mode Back With New Album, The Gaslight Anthem Storm The Boards, Have Coldplay Released The Best Album Ever?

Depeche Mode are annoyed by "some of the bands who have won" a BRIT Award.

The most successful electronic band in music history only have a solitary BRIT Award under their belt yet have sold over 100 million albums and singles worldwide, but they feel let down they have never been given a Lifetime Achievement award, which has been given to bands including Spice Girls and Status Quo in the past.

Multi-instrumentalist Andy Fletcher said: "It annoys us when you see some of the bands who have won it."

Continue reading: Depeche Mode's BRIT Annoyance

Depeche Mode’s return to prominence was set to coincide with an award from The Brits. Not any award, one of those ‘you’ve been a band for ages’ awards. But ITV’s reluctance to pander to DP’s whims has caused a backlash.

“Let me tell you a story,” He told The Sun “I will probably get in trouble, but we were told we were getting a new award this year. Most Influential Band in the Last 20 Years or something? Basically the old b*****d, Lifetime Achievement Award – and we said, 'Yes that's cool.” But it was never going to be that simple, was it? “Then we heard through the grapevine ITV wouldn't broadcast our segment,” the singer continued. “So we said, 'If they won't play us on air, then we're not going to be their most influential band.'” According to Gahan, the band deserved to be given their chance to shine at the Brits. “How may other bands have had as many hits as us worldwide and been around for as long? F**k them then and b*****ks to it."

Still going - Depeche Mode

Continue reading: What Do Depeche Mode Think Of The Brits? “F*cking B**locks” – That’s What

When you’ve got the kind of international clout that Depeche Mode have, you can pretty much say what you want. And, like some maverick actor, uneasy with The Ocscars, Mode have told The Brits where they can stick it.

“Let me tell you a story,” begins singer Dave Gahan, the Contact Music gang huddled round the fire forgetting our marshmallows are burning. “I will probably get someone in trouble, but we were told we were getting a new award this year. Most Influential Band In The Last 20 Years or something? Basically the old bastard, Lifetime Achievement Award — and we said, ‘Yes that’s cool.’ Then we heard through the grapevine ITV wouldn’t broadcast our segment. So we said, ‘If they won’t play us on air, then we’re not going to be their most influential band.” Not many bands can just blow off one of the biggest award ceremonies in Britain, but they can. “How many other bands have had as many hits as us worldwide and been around for as long? F*** them then and b****cks to it,” he adds, emphatically.

Gahan - giving the fans what they want

Continue reading: “F*** The Brits,” Say Depeche Mode - “F*** Them Then And B****cks To It.”

As they prepare to release new album Delta Machine, Depeche Mode have lashed out at the Brits, claiming that they walked away from a Lifetime Achievement Award this year, after learning that ITV would not be broadcasting their live performance. Singer Dave Gahan, never one to mince his words, told The Sun in a recent interview, why he was not enamoured with the awards ceremony after their recent debacle.

“F*** the Brits,” began Gahan’s diatribe. “Let me tell you a story. I will probably get someone in trouble, but we were told we were getting a new award this year. Most Influential Band In The Last 20 Years or something? Basically the old bastard, Lifetime Achievement Award — and we said, ‘Yes that’s cool.’ Then we heard through the grapevine ITV wouldn’t broadcast our segment. So we said, ‘If they won’t play us on air, then we’re not going to be their most influential band.’” In the end, the award was omitted from this year’s ceremony, with the Brits choosing instead to honour the work of the War Child charity and its symbiotic relationship with the music industry. Gahan seemed resolutely miffed about the awards, though, ending his outburst by saying “How many other bands have had as many hits as us worldwide and been around for as long? F*** them then and b****cks to it.

The band’s thirteenth album, Delta Machine, has been well-received by critics as the band continue to forge a progressive musical path, 33 years after their first hit. 

Continue reading: Angry Dave Gahan Claims Depeche Mode Turned Down Brits Lifetime Achievement Award

Ok, so this year's SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas, featured intimate performances from the likes of Prince, Justin Timberlake, the Sound City Players, Depeche Mode, Nick Cave, Green Day and Kendrick Lamar, though one memorable moment from 2013 appears to be making all the headlines. "Drunk bully gets knocked out" is a video that began pulling in the YouTube views midway through the festival, after one attendee captured an incident on the Austin streets on a smartphone. Of course, we don't condone violence, but isn't there something sweet about seeing a drunken bully stumble around hitting innocent bystanders, only to be given a taste of his own medicine? Sure there is.

After reading the video title, you just know what's going to happen. The only thing left to do is try and guess which of the SXSW festivalgoers gives the drunken bully a face full of fist before it actually happens. Eagle eyed watchers will have spotted the guy with the grey t-shirt asking his friend whether he has his back, around 10 seconds into the video. From there, he plans the whole thing out, waits for his moment, and BOOM. 

Continue reading: SXSW Memorable Moments: Drunk Bully Gets Knocked Out (Video)

250 lucky competition winners will get the chance to see Prince perform with a 21-piece band at the SXSW closing party this week. The legendary singer has been confirmed as a performer for one of the Texas' festival's closing shows, before an intimate crowd of contest winners, reports The Guardian.

Electronics giant Samsung will fund Prince's SXSW debut show, in the same way it bankrolled Kanye West's gig at a launch event in 2012. To be eligible for a ticket for the concert on Saturday (March 16, 2013), fans must be either SXSW badge-holders or owners of a Samsung Galaxy phone. The room at La Zona Rosa will be strictly limited to just 250 people, where Prince will perform a career-spanning set with his band. "Prince is a legend and true creative and musical genius who has been pushing the boundaries of music for more than 35 years," Todd Pendleton, Samsung's chief marketing officer, told Mashable. "Having Prince in Austin at his first SXSW show will truly be a one-night-only experience that our Samsung Galaxy owners and friends will remember for years to come."

It's certainly SXSW's biggest draw of the week, though the festival in Austin, Texas, is also scheduled to include performances from the likes of Green Day, Depeche Mode, Justin Timberlake and Dave Grohl's all-star group the Sound City Players. 

Continue reading: Want To See Prince Perform With 21-Piece Band At SXSW?

All the hail the ‘Mode! That’s right, Depeche Mode, the multi-million selling and, recently, credibility-gaining synth-rock group have announced a new tour of the US for the summer and autumn, with their much-hyped appearance at this year’s SXSW just round the corner.

The group will kick off proceedings on August 22, 2013 in Detroit, to start a mighty 19 date-long tour that will run on until October 8^th in Phoenix. In a statement, the band’s Dave Gahan said "I'm really looking forward to getting out there and performing. There are so many die hard Depeche Mode fans who have been with us every step of this journey that I can't wait to see.” The tour is in support of the group’s forthcoming studio LP Delta Machine, and Gahan commented “I also hope that we gain some new fans with the release of Delta Machine, and I look forward to exposing them to a great Depeche Mode live performance.”

Continue reading: Depeche Mode To Follow Up SXSW With Fall US Tour

Dave Gahan and Depeche Mode will make a rare conference appearance at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas, later this month. It will mark the veteran British rock group's very first visit to South by Southwest and one of their first public appearances since signing a high profile deal with Columbia Records last year.

A statement this week confirmed Depeche Mode for an exclusive conversation with KCRW music director Jason Bentley at the Austin Convention Center on March 13, covering the group's past, present and future. There's no word yet on whether the group will perform at SXSW, though.

In a statement issued today, organizers promised the March 13 conversation at the Austin Convention Center would cover Depeche Mode's past, present and future, though there's no word yet on whether Gahan, Martin Gore and Andy Fletcher will perform a concert during the week.

Continue reading: Depeche Mode To Make Rare Appearance At SXSW In Austin, Texas

Albums of Note... Mark Oliver Everett (better known as ‘E’) returns as eels, with new album Wonderful, Glorious. It’s a return to the form that we saw from Eels in the ‘90s. In recent years, Eels albums have been a rather bleak affair, as Everett has had to deal with the death of his parents, his sister and his cousin, all in a relatively short space of time. Wonderful, Glorious sees Eels get some of the fight back – literally, in ‘Kinda Fuzzy,’ in which he snarls “don’t mess with me I’m up for a fight.”“this teeth-grit, eyes ahead attitude is something we've come to expect from Eels, and Wonderful, Glorious is at its best when he's at his growliest… By the end you even sense a form of happiness has fallen upon this most maligned performer…"

Frightened Rabbit have parted ways with Brighton indie label Fat Cat and release their third album Pedestrian Verse on Atlantic Records. With most of the album’s tracks having been written around the time of Scott Hutchinson’s relationship breakup, it can make for a pretty uncomfortable listen at times. With a new producer at the helm the band seem to have developed a more free-flowing musical ideal, even if the emotions contained within are high in intensity.“In summary, 'Pedestrian Verse' can perhaps best be described as the sound of Frightened Rabbit doing what they do best. Just how many more fall outs and break-ups Scott Hutchison can through to continue the cycle remains to be seen, but for now this is up there alongside 'The Midnight Organ Fight' as one of the band's finest collections to date.”

Continue reading: A Week In Music - Eels Back On Form With 'Wonderful, Glorious, Frightened Rabbit Album Uncomfortable Listening, Depeche Mode's Broody New Video

The deluxe edition of the new Depeche Mode album Delta Machine will include four new tracks and a 28 page hardcover book, which will include photos by Anton Corbjin, who has long been a collaborator of the band’s.

Released on March 25th, the album was recorded over the last year in Santa Barbara, California and New York City. Martin Gore and Dave Gahan have both revealed that the creation of Delta Machine was a daunting prospect for them.

“I wanted the sound of this collection to be very modern,” says Gore. “I want people to feel good about listening to this record, to get some kind of peace. It's just got something magical about." Gahan added “With this release we've completely shifted our idea of how to create an album. When we hit a wall where we realise the album is beginning to sound too normal, we'll mess it up and really give it that organic Depeche Mode Sound. Delta Machine is no different, and I can't wait for all of our fans to hear it."

Continue reading: Delta Machine, Deluxe Edition - New Depeche Mode Album Features Anton Corbjin Photos

Albums of Note... Rihanna’s seventh studio album, Unapologetic has been met with a mixed response and our reviewer reckons the Barbadian pop star phoned this one in. As her career becomes more of a marketing cash cow than an artistic endeavour, so her albums impress less and less.

Of course, there is also the ‘elephant’ that seems to appear in every room Rihanna walks into… an elephant known as ‘Chris Brown.’ He makes an appearance on the album, duetting with RhiRhi on a track called ‘Nobody’s Business.’ “Fun: it's something that's lacking a lot in this album, Unapologetic rattling on machine-like but with very little given away to the spirit of enjoyment… She doesn't have to feel apologetic for anything, but what's more concerning is that Rihanna doesn't seem to feel anything anymore, something all too apparent on this turgid LP.”

Continue reading: A Week In Music – Rihanna Disappoints, Cee-Lo Green And The Muppets Get Us In The Festive Spirit, The Rolling Stones And Paul McCartney

Depeche Mode have confirmed that they will be releasing a new album in 2013. It’s confirmed what we all suspected; the band have hardly been secretive about the fact that they’ve been busy writing and recording new music, but this is the first time they’ve given concrete details about the forthcoming longplayer.

The follow-up to 2009’s Sounds of the Universe will reportedly be released in March 2013. Martin Gore and Dave Gahan have done most of the songwriting for this one. Gore has commented “I am very happy with how the album turned out,” Gore commented. “The music has a similar vibe to Violator and Songs of Faith and Devotion and I think there are a few songs on the album that are among some of the very best we’ve done” whilst Dave Gahan was equally positive about the new release, saying “The album has a very organic and direct feel to it. It's not a blues record, but it definitely has a soulful vibe. During the recording process we really tried to get the elements of performing and the live show into the album more.”

In a recent interview with Clash magazine, Dave Gahan explained the secret behind the band’s long-lasting success. “We've been through so much. My band has been through everything together for thirty years. It's the one relationship weirdly enough that's survived… I think it's because we have an understanding, myself, Martin and Fletch, We're like brothers. We have the same quibble fights and the same crap going on that we've had for years. It's definitely a sort of family relationship." 

Continue reading: New Album From Depeche Mode Confirmed For March 2013