When they played at Pasadena’s Rose Bowl in 1988, they drew a crowd of over 60,000, proving that a bunch of working class kids from right outside East London can make the world go wild. Do you remember Depeche Mode and its omnipresent, never-fully-defined subculture with such monumental hits as “Enjoy the Silence,” “Personal Jesus” and “Policy of Truth”?
That’s what Strangelove – The Depeche Mode Experience brings to the stage. Cash Box described the phenomenon as “dark, European funk tunes for those who dance with a touch of sadness” that is “very strange, yet appealing.” To many, the band represents the ultimate sound of the ’80s.
The LA-based band formed in 2010, perfecting a pitch perfect performance. They bring stadium shows to smaller stages, but with all the theatricism.
Depeche Mode started in 1980, on a brighter note in the middle of the British new wave. But band members quickly darkened the mood and became, as kings of dark electronic rock, part of the ’80s British post-punk scene and so-called Second British Invasion – this time of synth-pop and new pop in the U.S.
Dave Gahan had the presence, Martin Gore had the lyrics and Andy Fletcher, who died in 2022, had the synchronizers. The name was inspired by Gahan’s pursuing a fashion magazine, Dépêche-mode (the original name of the band was Composition of Sound).
With Gore writing lyrics and Gahan delivering them with magnetism, the effect is mesmerizing – songs often more sensitive and softer than their theatrical delivery, suggesting layers that run deep. Gore (soft-spoken, introspective) wrote about his feelings, and Gahan (troubled youth-turned hypnotic performer, turned-heroin addict, turned-sober) made them sound brooding and industrial.
Songs like “Behind the Wheel” or “Stangelove,” both from the sixth studio album Music for the Masses (1987), were early hits; by 1990, Violator brought the band universal recognition.
There is newer material. Memento Mori, the 15th studio album, was released in 2023, and Gahan lives in Santa Barbara.
Yet they are worthy of a tribute band.
STRANGELOVE – THE DEPECHE MODE EXPERIENCE 8pm Saturday, June 6. Golden State Theatre, 417 Alvarado St., Monterey. $36-$65. (831) 649-1070, goldenstatetheatre.com.