1985-04-12 Nakano Sun Plaza, Tokyo, Japan

Notes

This concert was the last time 'Ice Machine' was played. 'It Doesn't Matter' was played in an acoustic form with piano backing only. The song starts out with the intro ambiance of 'Somebody', then Alan plays piano to accompany Martin's singing. This could be considered the first acoustic performance by Depeche Mode. You can listen to the entire track here: Play

From Alan Wilder's Shunt Q&A (archived):

During a concert in Tokyo (1985) you started to play 'Somebody' but Martin begun singing 'It Doesn't Matter'. What happened? Were there any more such mistakes?

Wilder: I'm sure there were but I'm afraid I can't remember all the individual shows over the years - you view a DM performance from a completely different perspective to me. Each show becomes part of one massive tour experience when you play the same thing night after night over such a long period.

Furthermore, a post on the Home forum by Shinji (aka bongmute) (requires registration to view) in which he asked Alan about any further details he might remember, jogging his memory with an audio recording of the song:

Tokyo, 12 April 1985.
Alan starts to play Somebody but Martin starts singing 'It Doesn't Matter', then Alan adapts his play to be right with Martin.

For the fans, the question always was "what happened?" There was a lot of discussion on the forums about it in the early 2000s!

In 2002, raphMODE and I wrote to "BRAT" to ask who made the mistake and his answer was: "Martin Gore". It didn't stop the discussions on the forums...

Since it was in Japan, I was thinking that Martin maybe had tasted too much sake! :D

Lately I had the opportunity to ask to Alan.

Here is his answer (I copy/paste with his permission).

"Too much sake for sure! But also too much for me because I don't remember anything about it! :) I would like to hear it."

I passed him a file and then he told me:

"I don't remember doing this version at all! – but I doubt whether it was a mistake from Martin.

I think we must have decided to do it this way deliberately, using the 'Somebody' piano sound but singing the different song over it. The clue is that there is a string sound (I think) which comes in during the second verse – a sound we wouldn't have used in 'Somebody'. Fletch must have played that sound because I was on the piano, and he wouldn't have 'ad libbed' it, so it must have been rehearsed. That's my theory."

So? Mystery solved?

There was no support act.

Set list

1. Intro (Master And Servant Voxless)
2. Something To Do
3. Two Minute Warning
4. Puppets
5. If You Want
6. People Are People
7. Leave In Silence
8. New Life
9. Shame
10. Play It Doesn't Matter (*)
11. Ice Machine
12. Lie To Me
13. Blasphemous Rumours
14. Told You So
15. Master And Servant
16. Photographic
17. Everything Counts
18. See You
19. Shout
20. Just Can't Get Enough

Sources

• Source 1 is an okay audience recording.