Concert review

[Joe Turner <cutter%umass-boston.csnet@CSNET-RELAY.ARPA>]

DEPECHE MODE / Book of Love / June 1 1986 / Wang Center, Boston MA


Book of Love, a 4-man New York band, opened the show. They played a
whopping six whole songs, most of which were marred by a PITIFUL mix.
They played a semi-interesting synth-dance type of music. Most of the
songs were actually quite melodic, and some of the sounds coming out
of their synths were ear-catching - the band themselves were DEAD for
the first three numbers. The lead singer had her shoes off and was
dancing around, but the other three (three females, or two females and
a real effeminate guy - I couldn't tell) just sort of stood there,
until they finally loosened. The two highlights were their single
release (I assume, from the amount of screaming) called "Boy", which
was good, and "I Touch Roses", where amounts of roses were thrown into
the audience, though the song was a little derivative. To end the set,
they played the most boring song of the evening - introduced as "We're
Book of Love, this song is called Book of Love, from our album Book of
Love". The song was not interesting enough to carry through its
interminable length and choruses of "pages of the book of love" ad
nauseum. Not totally worthless, but not a shining light.

Depeche Mode, on the other hand...

The set was eye-catching, I must admit. Three raised conical platforms
with glowing stripes up the sides, with glowing tent-like structures
in the back. Lighting - intense. Sound mix - quite good.  Performance
- fabulous!  Gore, Fletcher, and Wilder weren't too physical, but who
cares when Dave Gahan is out there bopping and screaming "I think that
God's got a sick sense of humor"? Starting out with "Black
Celebration", they went right into "A Question of Time", "Fly on a
Windscreen - Final", "Shake the Disease", "It's Called a Heart",
"Everything Counts", "It Doesn't Matter Two", "A Question of Lust",
"Blasphemous Rumours", "New Dress", "Stripped", "Something To Do",
"Master and Servant", "Photographic", and "People are People". Coming
back for an encore, they did "Boys Say Go". Coming back for a second
encore, they performed "Just Can't Get Enough" and "More Than a
Party". Gahan's singing was impeccable, as was the band's playing.
Being the first stop of the tour, it was a HOT night for all!

The band will be stopping in Philadelphia, New York, Cleveland,
Rochester, Long Island, Washington DC, Montreal, Toronto, Detroit,
Chicago, St. Paul, Fort Worth, Austin, Houston, Denver, Salt Lake
City, San Fransisco, Seattle, Vancouver, San Diego, Los Angeles, and
Irvine. The tour also extends to the Far East.

The show is DEFINATELY worth it. Energy everywhere! I must have
sweated off MANY pounds from dancing around.

WARNING: TEENYBOPPERS!!! They screamed every time Dave Gahan even
*moved* his hips, much less shook them (which he was doing to excess).
Ick! Someone with me wondered how many of them knew he didn't like
women...  I wonder how many of them know his NAME! Be careful if you
go. 

				"Life in the so-called space age"

				Save your parity bits for big cash prizes!
						Joe

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