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It's a Monday night in Wembley and Depeche Mode are playing another sell out date as part of their worldwide tour for their latest album release 'Playing the Angel'.
The gig saw U.S electro-rockers The Bravery supporting, and even though unfortunately I arrived late and missed most of their set, it is refreshing to see a support act complement the main band so much. I did arrive just in time to catch them finishing off their set with 'Fearless' an infectious track from their debut album.
As Depeche Mode emerge on stage, they open their set with the opening track from 'Playing the Angel', 'A Pain That I'm Used To'. The audience, mostly a range of people in their twenties and thirties go wild, and it soon becomes apparent that the band are not going to give any less than a flawless performance. Lead singer Dave Gahan is brimming with energy, he strides on stage in a tailored black suit and heeled shoes, grabs the mic and begins to swing it round effortlessly and dance across the stage like a true pro. There is such presence in his performance, and vocally he never misses a beat. I could have watched him dance all night. The rest of the band are also musically perfect, there is still so much energy and excitement around them despite being together for over twenty years. Whilst some bands get tired after a while and relationships become forced or they lack in new decent material, Depeche Mode are true masters at what they do, never disappointing.
Throughout the evening the band play out a decent concoction of tracks from the new album as well as many of their classic hits. From 'Policy of Truth' to the more recent single 'Precious', to the beautiful anthems of 'Personal Jesus', 'Enjoy the Silence' and 'Shake the Disease', Depeche Mode pour their souls into a set list that made for an unforgettable show. It was a truly beautiful evening from a legendary group.