The Depeche Mode concert was only three songs old on Sunday night at the Videotron Center when Dave Gahan waved his microphone stand at arm’s length as if raising a trophy while the crowd enjoyed the latest sheet music from him walk in my shoes.
• Also read: Praise for the new Depeche Mode concert that will take place in Quebec and Montreal in a few days
Was this triumphant gesture his way of telling us that the British formation is more alive than ever a little less than a year after the death of keyboardist and founding member Andrew Fletcher?
Anyway, on this sweet Easter day, which finally ushered in spring in the capital, the only two survivors of the original Depeche Mode lineup, Dave Gahan and Martin Gore, chunked their deaths.
Twenty-two years after their last visit to the Coliseum in Quebec City, the duo put on an electrifying performance that cheered on every level in a packed Videotron Center.
RENE BAILLARGEON / QMI AGENCY
evolution
There was nothing wrong with the energy that Dave Gahan mustered, the game inspired by the most erased Martin Gore, and the careful selection of the songs.
All this without forgetting, of course, the discreet but well-felt tribute to her friend Fletch. He was given a fitting greeting at the end of World In My Eyes as photos showing him in his younger days scrolled across the screen.
For two hours, Depeche Mode basically revised its repertoire without forgetting any era. The hits, the songs of the latest Memento Mori and the lesser-known pieces blended beautifully,
This allowed us to follow the evolution of the band’s sound over time. The contrast is particularly stark when synthpop tracks like Just Can’t Get Enough or Everything Counts, taken from their first albums in the early 1980s, coexist with guitar-driven hits like I Feel You or Personal Jesus.
RENE BAILLARGEON / QMI AGENCY
Introspective
Even though the evening was mostly festive, Depeche Mode still placed a more introspective part halfway through. In particular, we heard a very nice Precious and the meditative Speak To Me, where Gahan seemed to be addressing his late colleague.
Also worth mentioning is the impeccable playing of touring musicians Christian Eigner and Peter Gordeno, those workers in the shadows whose contribution to the show’s success was essential, as well as the impeccable sound system, thanks to which you could clearly hear all the words.
In an amphitheater this is not the rule, you will agree with me.
The highlight of the concert was obviously Enjoy The Silence, delivered in another of those moments of euphoric communion between an artist and his audience that you never get enough of.
Depeche Mode will be at the Bell Center in Montreal on Wednesday.