My Own Personal Jesus – Depeche Mode, 7th Times The Charm

Today, like pretty much every day this past week and many days since I was about 12 years old has been devoted musically to Depeche Mode. This was the seventh time I have seen them and I think it was the best show.

I first heard DM when I got a K-Tel record featuring the new wave acts of the day including The Human League, Haircut 100, Kim Wilde and more. The song was Dreaming of Me and I loved the synth pop tone and the monotone vocals. Over the years, I have wept to their songs (Blasphemous Rumors), dreamt of true love (Somebody), found passion (I Feel You), found a spoken voice (Waiting for the Night) and was tempted into new forms of passion (Master and Servant).

Tonight was one of those magical experiences. The venue was outside and we were pretty close. I felt surrounded by the cool breeze swaying along to David Gahan’s hip gyrations (the same dance he has done for 20 years with his little tight behind – no sign of past junkie-hood here.) Martin was bespectled in silver sequins still showing off his skinny arms and looking adorable doing it. The close-ups did reveal that age has occurred, but for those us of swooning over them for 20 plus years, who cares?

This was one of the best song lists that I have ever heard. For those of you who prefer the pre-86 band, you would have been disappointed. Mixing up the old and the new, they began with a few songs off their new album Songs of the Universe (In Chains and Wrong). Pulling from the archives to make a full circle of their talents, Question of Time and Fly on the Windscreen and Stripped from Black Celebration and Never Let Me Down Again and Behind the Wheel from Music for the Masses soon followed. Take a few off of Violator (Enjoy the Silence and Policy of Truth), Songs of Faith and Devotion (I Feel You, Walking in My Shoes and In Your Room) and Ultra (It’s No Good and Home) and they covered the 90s in full scale. Add Precious from their 2006 release Playing The Angel and you have a fabulous concert.

Two encores with the first one kicked off with Somebody (I did cry and vow to have that kind of love) and the second punctuated with two favorites, Personal Jesus (a very religious experience) and Waiting for the Night.

I went with my friend Nancy and her sister Bethany and we all danced our asses off. Nancy is 6 months pregnant and took a couple breaks, but I know her little girl will come out shaking her tushy. I sure got quite a workout shaking my hips like a stripper and shimming my spine like a hypnotized asp. Even now I feel the groove grab me.