2009-10-31 Kopi Arena, Oberhausen, Germany
Notes
Here is the diary entry for Depeche Mode's official tour blog:
Back in Europe for the opening night of the final leg. Lots of jet-lagged and/or sleepy faces round here tonight. During soundcheck Martin and Peter spent the better part of an hour rehearsing a song that we've yet to hear on this tour. Hopefully the video of that will be up soon, when it's less spoilerific.
Dan The Man and his catering team cooked up an amazing chicken curry tonight, that literally brought tears to my eyes. Had a bit of a run in with a chili that just pushed me over the edge. Nothing quite like weeping like a little girl over food. Curry 1 - Blogger 0. Lovely. I did kick the cheese cakes' ass though, so I feel vindicated.
Before the show Mute and EMI Germany presented the band, JK and Marek with platinum awards for sales of "Sounds Of The Universe". There's a snap or two from that occasion attached.
The completely sold out show was really good, and everyone seemed to be having a good time - on and off stage. "Freelove" was played for the first time this tour, and "Somebody" and "Behind The Wheel" were performed for the first time in Europe this tour.
Another first... Martin rocking a feathery halo backstage after the show. Halloween a la Mode.
author: Peter
Soulsavers was the support act, starting on this night. For the August 2012 issue of German 'Interview' magazine, Rich Machin revealed to Dave Gahan (translated):
Rich Machin: ['The Dead The Light See'] was nearly never there, because in the beginning [of when Soulsavers toured along with DM], everything went wrong. We were really screwed, the guys and I. On the evening when we were about to head off onto the road and close off our world tour, we realised that our tour bus was gone, stolen. We were standing on the street, right at the location where it was supposed to be standing. At night, somewhere at the border of Manchester. It was raining. But the damn bus was gone, simply gone. So we were standing there, two o’clock in the morning, fully packed with amplifiers, keyboards, clothes – and the fucking bus is not there. And we had to be in Germany the next day, to rehearse for the first time with the entire band. I rang my manager and asked him to pick us up, but he just said “Get yourself a new bus.” That sounds easier than it is – at night at two A.M., somewhere near Manchester…
Dave Gahan: Thank the Lord your instruments weren’t in the bus.
Rich Machin: That’s right. And yet I was thinking the whole time: Fuck this, let’s cancel it. It’s simply not easy to open for bands like Depeche Mode. On Halloween! In front of 18.000 people! Without even a rehearsal. In front of German Depeche Mode fans, who are in my view the toughest ones in the world. I’d rather improvise in a small club and not in front of 18.000 hardcore fans, who only tolerate you for just 30 minutes, because Dave Gahan has selected you as an opening act. Thank God we’re English. When so many shit is being thrown at you, you can only make it bearable with humour, and simply laugh away the chaos. That’s what the guys and I did. Despite that, this will be the kind of story that one will remember 30 years from now.
Set list
- In Chains
- Wrong
- Hole To Feed
- Walking In My Shoes
- It's No Good
- A Question Of Time
- Precious
- Fly On The Windscreen
- Freelove (*)
- Home (*)
- Miles Away / The Truth Is
- Policy Of Truth
- In Your Room
- I Feel You
- Enjoy The Silence
- Never Let Me Down Again
- Somebody (*)
- Stripped
- Behind The Wheel
- Personal Jesus
Set list info obtained from the Home forum.
