1980-11-14 Technical College, Southend-On-Sea, Essex, England, UK

Notes

The second earliest genuine recording of Depeche Mode currently circulating. I Sometimes Wish I Was Dead sounds radically different from later live versions and the studio version; you can listen to the entire track on the recording's subpage, linked below.

This is the second of two recordings currently circulating (and available to download) from the 1980 Tour. The other one is 1980-10-30 Bridgehouse, London, England, UK.

Larry Moore, part of the Student Union at Southend College Of Technology, organised a night of live music on this night. He explained in Jonathan Miller's 'Stripped' biography:

"Top of the bill were 'The Leapers', of whom great things were expected and who were regularly featured in the [Basildon] Evening Echo's music column. 'No. 6' was also on the bill somewhere... Depeche Mode was third from the top of the bill; they were by far the best. After the gig, I was handing out the curry takeaway riders in the sports changing room and I asked Dave Gahan if, as they were so good, they would like to come back and do another gig. Gahan glared at me and said that they would, but only if they were the headline act. 'Huh', I snorted, as I turned away. 'You're not THAT good!' Hence, I became the guy who knocked them back as not good enough to headline Southend College. I think I had a point!"

Set list

1. Television Set
2. Addiction
3. Dreaming Of Me
4. Just Can't Get Enough
5. Big Muff
6. I Sometimes Wish I Was Dead
7. Tora! Tora! Tora!
8. Photographic
9. New Life
10. Ice Machine

Sources

• Source 1 is a very good audience recording.