Sponsored link
Saturday, February 15, 2025

Sponsored link

Arts + CultureMusicLive Shots: With glittering skull, Depeche Mode urged Chase...

Live Shots: With glittering skull, Depeche Mode urged Chase Center to ‘Enjoy the Silence’

For their Momento Mori tour, the synth-rock legends returned with death (and dancing) not far from their minds.

Depeche Mode returned to the Bay Area for their Momento Mori World Tour, after a triumphant appearance in San Jose in March. On December 3, a Chase Center packed with myriad variations of black sartorial choices—and a few contrasting angel wings in honor of the cover art for Depeche Mode’s 15th studio album—was on its feet for the entire show.

A huge “M” dominated the stage as the concert started. Brush strokes slowly filled it in: M for Mode, M for Momento, M for Mori. As the show progressed, images were sometimes projected through the M. Other times projected imagery buried the M into the screen behind it. But the M was ever-present.

Memento Mori—both the album and a reminder of our shared fate (“remember you must die”) aptly titles the band’s tour without core member Andy Fletcher, who passed away unexpectedly in 2022. A touching visual tribute during “World in My Eyes” depicted a young Fletcher with a focus on his eyes both bespectacled and bare.

Remaining DM members Dave Gahan and Martin Gore presented the audience with reminders that ultimately we all meet the same end, including a glittering skull emblazoned with “ENJOY” during, of course, “Enjoy the Silence.” Gahan and Gore note that we all must die, but they also prod us to consider how we spend the time that we have left.

During the nearly two-hour set Gahan strutted, gyrated, danced across the stage. His slow moments included yogi-worthy back bends and hand flourishes befitting a flamenco dancer. His athleticism testifies that he’s not giving up the ghost just yet.

The extensive show covered Depeche Mode’s newer work and old standards (here’s the set list). Midway through the show, Gahan left the stage while Gore offered stripped down versions of “A Question of Lust” and “Strangelove” to counterbalance the previous energy-intensive pieces. Christian Eigner on drums and Peter Gordeno on keys, bass and backup vocals rounded out the sound.

Gahan’s and Gore’s voices have matured with age, but their enthusiasm for the oeuvre remains, as does the fan fervor. At several points, Gahan told the audience to “sing it” and they happily complied. During the encore, he even said, “We still got it.” And they do.

Scottish band Young Fathers started the night out with a huge percussive sound. Drums, xylophone, synths, and vocals that sometimes verge on chanting meld into a unique sound that leans into a more analog version of trance, coupled with a mesmerizing onstage aloofness. —Patty Riek

48 Hills welcomes comments in the form of letters to the editor, which you can submit here. We also invite you to join the conversation on our FacebookTwitter, and Instagram

Sponsored link

Sponsored link
Sponsored link

Featured

Heartfelt dispatches from an imaginary Swiss art school

Dan Levenson's 'Artifacts from the SKZ' conjures a movement that might have been, in surprisingly affecting ways.

Trump announces first season of plays at his new performing arts center

All the classics you know and love—but huger, greater, bigger, more beautiful, and much better.

You could win tickets to Noise Pop

We've got pairs of tickets to some of the huge indie fest's coolest shows—subscribe to our daily newsletter to see how to win.

More by this author

Live Shots: ‘The Lost Inn’ envelops audience in noir faerie intrigue

Site-specific production at The SF Mint makes it clear why immersive events are having a moment.

Live Shots: Circus Something dove into the solstice with ‘The Longest Night’

Tantalizing sword dancing, angelic striptease, aerial artwork filled a monochromatic tribute to the season with color.

Live Shots: Loads of cheer (and hot spiced mead) at the Great Dickens Fair

Victorian holiday spirit and other seasonal shenanigans fill Cow Palace for the return of this only in SF extravaganza.

You might also likeRELATED