Last March, dark synth trailblazers Depeche Mode got political, taking aim at “patriotic junkies” in Spirit, the band’s 14th studio album. The 12-track tirade serves as a blisteringly direct release valve after Trump’s election and Brexit, angry and unrelenting in it pulsing rhythms and grandiose dynamics. (The irony that white supremacist Richard Spencer cites DM as his favorite band isn’t lost.) The trio of Dave Gahan, Martin Gore and Andy Fletcher has been channeling that righteous fury in their current international tour, starting in the United States before veering into Europe before hitting Central and South America. Paste visited their show last weekend at Madison Square Garden, where Gahan prowled in leather vest to a setlist that spanned the bulk of a career ignited in 1980. Openers Warpaint gave a lively set in support of their third LP, Heads Up. Check out pictures in photographer DeShaun Craddock’s gallery above.
Song Highlights
“Backwards”
“Enjoy the Silence”
“Heroes” (David Bowie Cover)
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Depeche Mode at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, 9/9/2017
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Depeche Mode at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, 9/9/2017
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Depeche Mode at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, 9/9/2017
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Depeche Mode at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, 9/9/2017
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Depeche Mode at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, 9/9/2017
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Depeche Mode at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, 9/9/2017
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Depeche Mode at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, 9/9/2017
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Depeche Mode at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, 9/9/2017
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Depeche Mode at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, 9/9/2017
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Depeche Mode at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, 9/9/2017