| Depeche Mode - Tour Of The Universe at MSG |
[Aug. 4th, 2009|05:08 pm] |
So, last night I witnessed the 2009 Tour of the Universe at MSG. How was it?
It's easy to know that I've seen this band more than any other major act in my lifetime, and last night wasn't the greatest I've seen the boys from Basildon. Whether it was age, previous sickess and injury for Dave, or weak material on "Sounds of the Universe" I still haven't figure out yet. What I do know is that I have definitely seen better from them, and they left me with some interesting signs of becoming a true stadium act.
My term for "Stadium Act" reads as this: long-standing, major-label band, likely with several decades of a career behind them. They are often in what can be considered the latter stages of their lifespan, with new albums being released that offer little, if any, worthwhile additions to their body of work. The band's lineup is very likely not the one that existed during its peak. When the tour comes around to your town in the local sports arena, the production is top notch, there is no wanting for elaborate set designs and video screens, the tickets are priced through the roof, and the band comes out and pretty much relies on its previous successes throughout its 2-hour plus set. The tour is a complete success because for those 2 hours, the fans, who are of course getting older with the band and it's music, are treated to a brief escape into their youth for a while, so to escape their modern-day adult lives. And will pay through the nose to do so, so strong is that concept.
Now, who am I describing in the above paragraph? Bruce Spingsteen? The Stones? AC/DC? Obviously these concerts have been happily leeching off of baby-boomers for quite a while now for the above reasons. I thought Paul McCartney would have been the same thing last month, and was surprised to hear that was not the case by many who went. Did I think I'd ever see Depeche Mode in the above light? Well, let's see...
The band definitely look a lot older than they used to, yet still trigger the same reaction as hearthrobs to the female species. I'd always thought it funny that no matter how old women get, that they can still have the same teenage reaction to their teenage idols. I simply chalk that up to my lack of understanding of women and have long since accepted that part of being at a DM show. I've also accepted that Dave has his little crutches to fall back on if he feels the crowd needs to be stiumlated - the hip thrust, mic stand twirl, the well-placed pleas to see those hands, etc. I also accept Martin's effeminite outfits and demeanor, and that Fletch will playfully acknowledge that everyone knows he's not playing a darn thing on his synth while doing his goofy one-arm-in-the-air dance.
Somehow, though, last night, the whole thing just seemed tired and played-out to me. I admit a certain bias against the band's later career though. As any male fan of the band during their heyday, for me it wasn't about the style or good looks or anything else that helped them with their mostly-female fan base, but that I heard album upon album of well-written songs on top of some of the most cutting-edge musical production of the time. This of course was one of the primary reasons I was inspired to start my own project in the first place. Of course, the majority of the sonic innovation and creativity was all the product of Alan Wilder, and the band's never been the same since in my eyes. While I never truly hated any of the albums post-Alan I find they don't really stick with me the way Music for the Masses or Violator did, nor do I take any inspiration from them. I bought Universe the day it came out, as I loyally have any other DM record. I can honestly say the album was played about once all the way through. Nothing on it really grabbed me at all, which hasn't happened since Exciter. Back to the show though...
I really did feel like this time around, the band crossed a threshold in my mind. Maybe it's because I don't want to feel "old", going to a nostalgic concert. This was the sixth time I've seen them, catching them every time through here since 1994's Devotional show. This show, rather than create some of the energy and magic I've experienced at several of them, instead tried to bottle it and re-create it for an ever aging audience. They didn't really play that many songs from their new album, and the ones that were played ended up with the softest reaction from the crowd. Not surprisingly, they played them all pretty much early on and then going right on to the "hits".
Now, does this suggest that I had a miserable time? I did mostly enjoy it. (Well, save for the girl who kept blocking my view and never sat down, but that was more of my seat location on the MSG floor than anything else.) My "date" for the night was my friend Rachel who was at her first DM show ever and she loved it. It's still great to hear your favorite songs being sung by thousands of others around you, who love this band as much as you do. I was also impressed by the inclusion of "Strangelove" and "Master and Servant", which they haven't done in quite a long time. Definitely not since I've been seeing them, anyway.
My ultimate conclusions though are that I may think twice in the future about possibly investing in seeing them again, as this points to the notion that they might just tour without any album anymore, and just keep cranking out their hits to awaiting stadiums (a la Pink Floyd or Steve Miller). I overheard two guys in the men's room before the show saying to each other that they'll be taking their wives to see them until they're out in wheelchairs. Hey, if Aerosmith can do it, why not right? I'd hate to think of DM tours as being nostalgia fests though, as their influence on music (not the least of which mine) can't be estimated. I'm just left today wondering if their period of relevance might have finally past?
Anyway, I jotted down the set list as always:
- Sounds of the Universe Intro / In Chains
- Wrong
- Hole To Feed
- Walking In My Shoes
- It's No Good
- A Question Of Time
- Precious
- Fly On The Windscreen
- Little Soul (unplugged - only Martin)
- Home (only Martin and Peter on keys)
- Come Back
- Policy Of Truth
- In Your Room
- Enjoy The Silence
- Never Let Me Down Again
Encores:
- Stripped
- Master And Servant
- Strangelove
- Personal Jesus
- Waiting For The Night
The band, as always: Dave on vocals, Martin on guitar and vocals, Fletch on something or other, Peter Mannino on Alan's old keyboard duties, and Christian Eigner on drums. |
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