Depeche Mode11.03.23
Montreal, QC
I'll call this the second domino to fall in my Mount Rushmore of 80s alternative bands. The first being The Cure earlier this year. And now I've got Depeche Mode under my belt!
Armed with their pleasantly surprising new album, Memento Mori, they rocked Montreal's Bell Centre for a good couple hours. DIIV opened; interesting choice for an opener there, with DIIV being much newer to the scene, but certainly talented in their own right.
I was seated near the back of the floor section, which unsuprisingly consisted solely of chairs, but luckily the crowd was on their feet the whole time. A little bit more spry than the crowd at The Cure, I'd say. Dave Gahan's engrossing stage presence certainly helped here. Constantly gesturing to and engaging with the crowd, he had the audience in the palm of his hand the whole time. Martin Gore's approach, more conservative in the showmanship, created for a nice balance, especially when the spotlight came to him for a performance of "A Question of Lust".
A band like Depeche Mode is going to have such a deep discography that some tough decisions will need to be made regarding the setlist, but they did well with their selections here. I believe this is the second time they've played Montreal this year, so hopefully fans that attended both got a bit of variance in the setlist. Really appreciated the inclusion of some of their mid-career hits, like "It's No Good" and "Precious", and of course their classics from Violator. Wouldn't have minded a bit more representation from Music for the Masses though.
