Depeche Mode (support: Hælos)
Zagreb / Arena Zagreb / Croatia
Sunday, 23 July 2023
This year, Depeche Mode came back with a new studio album — their fifteenth. It’s called Memento Mori. A strong achievement! Packed with musical content that is, by now, famously eclectic. And best of all: new poetic power from Martin Gore! The years keep flying, and this album has somehow outrun the legendary torchbearers of ’80s synth-pop and synth-wave — now more often than not verging on ambient alt-rock — even with a brisk six years since the previous album, Spirit (2017).
In 2022, the music world was hit by real shock — a bolt out of the blue — when news broke that founding member Andrew Fletcher had died at just 61. A man without whom the band is simply impossible to imagine. Just like that, Depeche Mode found themselves transformed, without any plan for it, into the duo of Martin Gore / Dave Gahan. Quitting was the last thing on either man’s mind. Quite the opposite — they started writing new material, and the result was the album Memento Mori. An album about transience, about the inevitability of death, which comes for each of us sooner or later. One after another. Their late bandmate is not only the thematic dedication of the new album (title included) — the entire new tour bears that dedication too.
That’s exactly what Depeche Mode set about doing back in late March, across the US — right as the new album officially dropped. After wrapping up that shorter American leg, a month’s break, then back at it in May on European soil. Date: 23 July 2023. Location: Zagreb. And the Arena! This marks Depeche Mode’s fifth visit to the Croatian capital. Another sold-out show. And back at the Arena again — for the third consecutive time. Their last appearance here was just over ten years ago, on the Delta Machine tour. The clock strikes 19:45! Pure euphoria. People streaming from every direction toward the Arena. Those already inside were being warmed up by British trip-hoppers Hælos, serving as the support act. Their set also included a preview of new material destined for their upcoming studio album Where We Bring Our Burdens. But we had other things to attend to, so the band didn’t get our full attention.
At nine in the evening, Depeche Mode finally arrived. The iconic band’s name now carries another layer of symbolism too — the initials DM now stand for Dave/Martin as well. But tonight, it’s the letter M that takes precedence. The stage is defined by M. Double M. The backdrop. Behind the new minimalist stage setup, in front of the projection screens, stands the letter M. It’s always been one of the band’s most captivating tricks — achieving extraordinary symbolic weight through pure minimalism. Memento Mori, then. A dark opening, minimal lighting. A shade of cabaret crimson. The arena goes wild. They’re on stage! Martin Gore, the band’s long-serving live companion Peter Gordeno (while Fletch was in the band, he mostly covered Alan Wilder’s parts, though he also picks up the bass guitar), and drummer Christian Eigner. Shortly after, the unmistakable and irreplaceable Dave Gahan strides onto the stage. The enormous, sprawling catwalk is here again, naturally. The concert opens with the two newest tracks from Memento Mori — the particularly dark My Cosmos Is Mine and the single Wagging Tongue — but the crowd truly comes alive for the first time when Gahan strips off his jacket and Depeche Mode launch into Walking In My Shoes, the hit from Songs of Faith And Devotion (1993). That irresistible chorus pulls the crowd into a kind of trance! Right at the song’s end, Gahan makes his first move onto the catwalk and races to its tip for just a few seconds. He stares dead ahead, closes his eyes for a beat, then flashes a fleeting smile at the front rows, spins around, and bolts back into the depths of the stage. Fourth song up, and the stage finally wakes up with more light. Here comes the beloved Ultra (1997) classic and hit It’s No Good — and with it, whatever brakes remained in the arena finally let go. The energy is extraordinary. Wherever you look: a vast ocean of raised hands, as far as the eye can see. Gahan owns the ceremony. He’s an incredible figure — bursting with energy on stage, the charismatic frontman spinning through little pirouettes, riding the rhythmic pulse of his iconic band’s music, entertaining the crowd with an endless stream of dance poses and moves. He was everywhere — hard left, then hard right across the stage. The crowd was eating out of his hand. And all those cocky, roguish moves? Never absent from his repertoire. That bad-boy character Depeche Mode really embraced with Violator (1990) is still there, clear as ever — and Dave embodies it. The band stayed in the Ultra era, with the surprising inclusion of Sister Is Mine.
The setlist this time was particularly interesting. The band gave more attention to the post-Violator era. Songs of Faith And Devotion — the excellent album marking its 30th anniversary this year — got special focus, and with a total of four songs from it in the show, the band also surprised by including another classic from that record: In Your Room. The ’80s were gently nudged into the background this time. On that front, the band deserves a mild rap on the knuckles — Some Great Reward (1984) went completely unacknowledged, and they didn’t touch People Are People either, which is a bit bold. But that’s your artistic freedom to use as you see fit. What Depeche Mode did do was revive memories of the not-so-distant album eras — Sounds Of The Universe with the monster hit Wrong and Playing The Angel from which they pulled no fewer than three songs (Precious, John The Revelator, and A Pain That I’m Used To).
Still in the first half of the show, the band sent the crowd soaring when they fired off the ultimate Construction Time Again (1983) catalyst Everything Counts — a song you’d normally expect near the tail end of the setlist or in the mandatory encore, as had been the band’s custom going all the way back to the 101 tour days. But there’s never enough time and always too much material to satisfy every appetite and wish.
Martin Gore, like Dave Gahan, keeps his vocal qualities in excellent shape — for his age. Both voices are recognizable from a mile away and genuine opposites, something the band has exploited to great effect since day one. Still holds. What followed was a section where Dave gave his vocal cords a bit of a rest and headed backstage. Gore took the mic and dived into the intimate Ultra classic Home. He stayed up there without Gahan for what came next too. What was next? Was this the first time on the tour? Actually the second. And not exactly a regular presence on the band’s setlists: an acoustic version of the Music For The Masses (1987) hit Strangelove, sung by Gore alone. At the front of the catwalk, acoustic-electric guitar in hand, with Peter Gordeno providing support from behind. The band had played this song only once on the current tour before arriving in Zagreb — at the Berlin show. Whether or not Gore knew what was coming next is beside the point, but he looked genuinely surprised. Somewhat shocked, even. Because Gahan and Eigner brought a birthday cake on stage — the man was turning a round 62 right there in Zagreb. Black balloons. In keeping with the band’s dark aesthetic.
Next up, the bounciest, most musical moment from the Memento Mori album! The lead single Ghosts Again. A brilliant track with top-tier direction from Anton Corbijn in the video, and a new candidate for the evergreens pile. But right on its heels comes the near-impossible-to-top I Feel You, which set off not just the floor but right up into the stands too — all roughly 20,000 of them. Depeche Mode transform into a much more rock-oriented band live. Gore doesn’t just love his collection of vintage guitars — to be more precise — he loves playing them, and for quite a few years now there have been real drums with a real drummer on stage too. I Feel You is exactly that kind of moment where the sheer number of decibels onstage spikes sharply.
A particularly emotional moment arrived with World In My Eyes! Photos of a young Andrew Fletcher filling the massive projections behind the stage. Who this Violator track was dedicated to was unmistakable — something Dave Gahan himself confirmed at the song’s close with a shouted tribute to their late friend! The windscreen wipers click on. Someone turns the car key in the ignition. Yes. The Black Celebration hit Stripped, with a deeply dark backdrop and the whole arena bathed in crimson. A stunning track and a classic that lit up especially the sizeable contingent of over-forty fans who spent their teenage years flipping through Bravo magazine back when this hit was weaving through the music charts of the ’80s. The wave of nostalgia was immense.
As the band moved toward the end of the main set with the incendiary Playing the Angel moment John The Revelator, Dave Gahan once again put on a masterclass in what it means to be a great frontman — working the vast stage with absolute command, whipping the crowd into a frenzy and priming them for the evening’s peak. The atmosphere crackled with electricity right to the edges. And there it is. The long-awaited Enjoy The Silence. In an extended version, with a stretch at the end where drummer Christian Eigner got to display his mastery in the extended instrumental outro. The waves of energy and vibration that poured through the Arena in those moments are simply beyond words. Maybe that says it best. Extraordinary. That’s when you realize what an absolutely colossal song Enjoy the Silence truly is — especially when the goosebumps are crawling all over you.
Then the encore. And right from the opening note, a surprise: an acoustic version of the Songs Of Faith And Devotion classic Condemnation — absent from the main setlist since 2001. Martin Gore and Dave Gahan performed it together at the front of the catwalk. Like a true duo. And in this intimate version of a song known (listen to the original) for its sly flirtation with gospel elements, Dave once again delivered a stunning display of his exceptional, one-of-a-kind vocal ability. The band allowed themselves a rare moment of pure joy with the only number from debut album Speak & Spell (1981). You guessed it. That clever synth-pop earworm built on a rock ‘n’ roll skeleton, Just Can’t Get Enough, is a reminder of the band’s extraordinary songwriting talent right from their earliest days. But that’s still far from the encore’s peak. What follows is one of the most powerful compositions in the band’s entire catalogue. Never Let Me Down Again drives the musical faithful of Zagreb’s Arena into a fresh frenzy — and then Personal Jesus nails it home for the absolute finale of a good two-hour gathering!
After everything seen and lived tonight, one thing remains clear. Dave and Martin — now officially the Depeche Mode duo. They are, and remain, extraordinary. Going by the form, the fire, and the passion on display. This band does not stop fascinating — in their dark nature, built on exceptional rhythm, something we’ve been surrendering to freely for a solid 42 years since their debut album dropped. And the Depeche Mode story isn’t stopping. Not with the form and focus that Dave and Martin and their team showed on this return visit to Zagreb — not for a long time yet.
Authors: Edita Klemen & Aleš Podbrežnik
Photos: Aleš Podbrežnik & Edita Klemen (nos. 41–44)
Setlist:
1. Speak to Me (Outro)
2. My Cosmos Is Mine
3. Wagging Tongue
4. Walking in My Shoes
5. It’s No Good
6. Sister of Night
7. In Your Room (Zephyr Mix)
8. Everything Counts
9. Precious
10. My Favourite Stranger
11. Home
12. Strangelove (acoustic version – Martin Gore on vocals)
13. Ghosts Again
14. I Feel You
15. A Pain That I’m Used To (Jacques Lu Cont Remix)
16. World in My Eyes (dedicated to Andrew Fletcher)
17. Wrong
18. Stripped
19. John the Revelator
20. Enjoy the Silence
—encore—
21. Condemnation (acoustic version)
22. Just Can’t Get Enough
23. Never Let Me Down Again
24. Personal Jesus
