Depeche Mode Concert Report

Depeche Mode with Bat for Lashes at Molson Amphitheatre September 1

Depeche Mode killed it again! After having seen them in 1998 and 2001 and having heard their excellent new album Delta Machine, I was expecting a good show but Depeche Mode were in exceptionally good form for this concert. Their combination of amped-up renditions of their songs, over-the-top theatrics and crowd participation, combined with a perfectly curated setlist make them an unbeatable live experience.

Bat for Lashes provided a solid and atmospheric appetizer for the main course. Singer Natasha Khan's powerful voice carried throughout the amphitheatre, making her hard to ignore. Their band setup was interesting, with a cello and various unusual forms of percussion. They ended their set with their signature song, "Daniel". Overall, they were very good but their subtle songs and complex arrangements were not an ideal fit for an opening band in such a large venue. I would love to see them play as a headliner in a venue like Massey Hall.

Depeche Mode opened with two songs from Delta Machine and the crowd's reception to the new tracks was very positive. Behind me was a reasonably drunk guy who only seemed to know the new songs and was loudly singing along to the lyrics for only these tracks. It was immediately clear that the band's intensity has only grown in the past decade. Singer Dave Gahan began to disrobe fairly early on in the show and began to work his stripper moves, especially during excellent new track "Should Be Higher". This track ended with a very awkward failed attempt at a sing along. His voice has a booming quality that is ideally suited for a large venue but he has also developed the higher range of his voice recently.

The set continued with a perfect balance of classic tracks like "Walking in my Shoes" and "Black Celebration" with more recent tracks like "Precious" and "A Pain That I'm Used To". Martin Gore showed off his increased guitar skills, while the drummer punished his kit with a surprising number of drum solos.  As it started to rain, lead songwriter Martin Gore took the stage for a beautiful piano and voice rendition of "But Not Tonight" and new track "The Child Inside". While he is not as charismatic as Gahan, his voice is just as powerful with perhaps a greater range and the crowd responded well to his songs.

As the show progressed, the crowd participation increased. Dave Gahan gave the crowd the opportunity to sing the choruses for "A Question of Time", "Enjoy the Silence" and "I Feel You." At the end of Martin Gore's rendition of "Home", the crowd engaged in an impromptu singing of the coda to that song. For the final song, "Never Let Me Down Again", the crowd fully committed to the slightly ridiculous but awesome arm swinging that has become a signature for the song, leaving the crowd completely exhilarated after two hours of greatness.