Depeche Mode in Milan, January 27 or "the beautiful sound of Mr. Martin L. Gore"

My journey to Milan started with a very good day before the concert.

I was with my doctor, did the last vaccinations for the upcoming journey to South America.

Then in the office a had a job interview because I want to change the department within my firm.

It is an opportunity for advancement for me and later at the day I became the commitment for the new job. 

So I was really happy  as I met two friends for dinner in one of my favorite vegan restaurants in Cologne, Maki Maki Sushi. With one of them, Dani from Munster, I flew the next morning very early to Milan.

We arrived to early in Milan to move into our hotel, so we started with a great breakfast in a small pasticcheria near by our hotel, where we tried typical italian biscuits they made specially for the carnival time, they called "Chiacchere", what is an italian word for conversation.
I know this kund of biscuit from my hometown Cologne, we have the same in the carnival time, it is called "Mutzen".

 Then walked through Milan, visited the Castello Sforzesco, the Parc Sempione included a ride on the Branco Tower ( an extraordinary steel tower with an amazing view over Milan) and the Arch of Peace ( made of marble and built to honor Napoleon) and had a very good italian lunch.

Then we rested a while in our nice and stylish Ibis Hotel.

Later we took the tube to the Forum in Assago, where Depeche Mode played every winter tour.

Meanwhile you can go with the tube to the Forum, a few years ago there was only a bus and it was always a problem to going back to the city.

In the tube we spoke about Dave's chicken dance because he danced as intensively as a chicken at the last concerts. I said " soon he will lay an egg".

And then we arrived in Assago, left the tube and the first thing we saw was a bird nest with an egg ( it layed on a trash can)..... Please tell me, why happened things like this ?

We had a beer in the Forum Food Court, met a few of our friends and went all together in the very good filled arena, where we found a place near the catwalk on the right side. 15 minutes later Depeche Mode came on stage.

Dave looked amazing, he wore a new blue waistcoat and I could see that he had great expectations of the Milanese. After the last tour, he said in an interview that he particularly loves concerts in Milan.

It was a very good concert but not in my top ten list. Setlist like always.

"Cover me" was a highlight, before his break Dave managed the audience to get up.

Martin sang " Insight" and " Home" and like in summer the Milanese started singing after " Home". And they sang a long time after Martin ended. The typical "ohohohooooo". Tears ran from my eyes, I didn't know why but it touched me deeply.

Dave said " the beautiful sound of Mr. Martin L. Gore" and yes, so true.

No further surprises. I watched a lot to Mr. Fletcher this evening. He looks so good, has lost a lot weight, and always makes funny typical slightly arrhythmic moves. Andy, I have to say, you won my heart on this tour.

Dave wore after the break a new golden vest. Shopping paradise Milan, funny.

I saw a few tiny details like the gaze of Dave to Martin when Dave sang to him " let me show you the world in my eyes" or later how he showed us his golden shoes at " Walking in my shoes".

Every evening I asked me, how could he turn all this pirouettes? I would not be able to.

We have heard new rumors about his alleged return to alcohol. Okay, you little storytellers..... try to put on a show like Dave does every night and then drink a bar empty. Good luck.

After the concert we made a picture together because for my friends Manuel and Sabine was Milan the last concert until summer. They cancelled the rest of the shows until the summer. I was sad about this.

In our nice hotel we drank a good bottle of wine together.I love the red wine of the Piemont, you can buy it in Milan for a small money in every supermarket.Our hotel had a big lobby with many nice places to seat and so we sat a while together before we went happy about this perfect day into our beds.

Depeche Mode in Nuremberg, January 21 or " a love that is growing"

Sometimes you didn't expect anything and that's how it was with the concert in Nuremberg.
I didn't want to go to Nuremberg ( a small city in Franconia, well known for his christmas markets) because I have only day left after the Berlin concerts. One day left at home for do the laundry, do the shopping and many other bits and bobs.
Reward was an evening and dinner with my son.
But I went to Nuremberg because friends said, come on, you can't miss it. And so Sunday morning  the train was coming again....

But first I went to Bamberg, a small wonderful city near Bamberg where two very good friends of mine living. We spent a wonderful afternoon together before I take the local train to Nuremberg.
It is the best side effect of this tour to meet friends all over the world.
An important word to describe one aspect of this tour : friendship
New friendship, old friendship, to make friends, to lost friends, go through thick and thin, testing limits, laugh together, wrangle together, to be offended, to be happy, together, alone, expectations, joy.

You lern a lot about life if you be such a long time on tour mostly with the same people.
As I arrived in Nuremberg we met as a group of five friends ( my base travel group Arkadi, Isa, Michael and Ohst) for dinner. We had dinner in a nice Ceylon restaurant where all of us got a perfect meal, no matter what food we prefer.

Then directly to the Arena Nuremberg, a small arena for nearly 11000 people.
Actually I had a seating place in the upper rows but my friends found a way to get me into the standing area, which was very well filled, it was so hot inside.

Yes and the concert started in time, I say it again, we expected nothing.
But the concert was from the beginning one of the best. All people in this small arena are standing from " Going backwards". The applause was enormous.
And as one hand washes the other Dave and the band played a great show.

After the third song Dave greeted the fans with " Good evening Nuremberg".
Dave is a creature of habit. He likes it do the same things again and again. He always greeted the fans after the second song, but in this winter tour he started to say " Good evening" after the third song.
I understand why.
He builded up a tension with the first 3 songs:
The opener ( Going backwards) invites us with the words " there is nothing inside" and we can ask ourselves " do we feel nothing inside" while we celebrate together with Dave, Depeche Mode and our friends.

Then Dave proclaimed " I'm going to take my time.... I have all the time of the world" ( It's no good) and started to spin his crazy pirouettes.
To " Barrel of the gun" he began his soul striptease and he shouted at us:
" What do you expect of me? What is it you want?" and he looked really like he wants to know.
Then he gave us " The message" : "Don't push me 'cause I'm close to the edge, I'm trying not to lose my head, it's like a jungle sometimes, it makes me wonder how I keep from goin' under".
Then he laughed in this strange cool way and swept away imaginary dirt from his shoulder.
 This is a perfect moment to welcome the audience and to breathe deeply.
( In Berlin 2 he greeted the audience only after the 4. song but now he is back in the track).

It was an extraordinary good mood there in this small arena, really hilarious. We danced totally happy together to our favorite songs and I did my very special own way to  treat myself: I screech  like  a hysterical teenager, and sometimes I said " Oh my god", " David".
I know my friends laughing a little bit about me, but I can not help it, it is my way doing the concert and handle my feelings for Dave.

It was a special evening, we noticed, that Mr. gore looked really good and relaxed this evening. It was remarkable.
At " Never let me down"  the T shirt of Dave's gun flew  close past my head and popped again the ring fence. A guy picked up the t-shirt and I asked him for a picture with this t-shirt, because it was the first time I saw anybody catching the t-shirt. But he didn't want to it to me.
While I discussed with him the band left the stage and Martin came back.
I thought Martin will sing his normal song " Strangelove" but then I realized .....oh wow... there happened a very very rare moment. I needed a time to recognize the song and he really sang :

"I want you now
Tomorrow won't do
There's a yearning inside
And it's showing through
Reach out your hands
And accept my love
We've waited for too long
Enough is enough
I want you now"

I heard this song the last time in the 90ties live. Unbelievable.......
We couldn't believe that this happened really.

Dave performed like an mad man " Question of time", I like this moment when he thrown away his microphone stand. And  like always " Personal Jesus"....the show ended with the best song.
Then as the band left the stage Dave rested a long time alone on stage. He unbuttoned his vest and showed us his chest and stomach, but kept his vest on. But a big step forward for a coveted moment of all female fans. I 'm sure he will do it soon......

We left the arena very quick because Ohst and I went back by car to Frankfurt where he live and I stood there for the night and take the train next morning back to Cologne.

Yes and now after 5 work days I'm in Milan.
Dave said on the last tour, Milan is his favorite Concert city. What will happen tonight or on Monday. Will they play something special? Maybe " Just can't get enough" which the Italians demanded after the second Turin concert?

Depeche Mode in Berlin, January 19 or " Where is the revolution?"

I spent two lazy days in Berlin with running, sauna, friends and very good vegan food.
It is always a pleasure to be in Berlin.

Many friends came to the second Berlin concert, a Friday is a very good date for a concert.
And from the first minute you could notice that the mood is radical better as the first show.

The first show was really good but the second much more.
No setlist changes until Martin's part, he sang " Sister of night".
But the arena was heated up all the time, less space, everyone stood close to each other, all were dancing and singing!

As Dave came back after " Home" the audience celebrated a long time the typical sing-along.
Dave was really surprised and said " So much better than the last show".  Later he spoke German " Dankeschön" and "eins, zwei, drei, vier!"
He showed the audience with smiling and posing how much he like the show.
He fell back to his "chicken dance" from the beginning of this tour. It looked really funny, he was waggling with his upper arms, looked like chicken wings....lol.

I didn't like it at the beginning of the tour but meanwhile I'm so addicted, I'm not able to criticize  him, not able to dissociate from him.
I think Dave is now in his best form, but me, too. He could sing now no matter what, I'd like it. For example the children song "Little Hans", the most important thing is, he is there.

So this time I show you a lot of pictures of Dave, because I had great moments at the catwalk.
You have to try it one time, standing near the catwalk, the moments when he is coming to the end of it, are so unbelievable.....

Then a shock: they played " Policy of truth" for "Where is the revolution?"
Another "Spirit " song was kicked off. But " Policy of truth" worked very good. A real surprise, but this easy going song is well known.
I don't like " Where is the revolution?" and  so it was a very good alternative for me.
Another unbelievable sing-along after " Everything counts". Maybe the best "second concert" of the tour. Friday in Berlin is a better day for a concert  than Wednesday in Berlin.
A friend of mine said as she heard  the first notes of " Stripped": " Stripped, oh wow, I escalate."
This statement brings to the point how the mood in Berlin was!

Martin sang " Judas" and Dave changed" I feel you" for " Question of time".
Though I like " Question of time" more, because Dave's crazy performance to this song, I like it to hear " I feel you" again from time to time.
We made videos of  " I feel you" for our friend Manuel, who has cancelled the whole tour because Depeche Mode kicked off " I feel you".

With  a wild " Personal Jesus" the concert was ending, it blew me away, great ending for three wonderful days in Berlin.

It was time for the first Goodbyes, because a few of my friends came first back in summer to the Waldbuhne concerts. I hate it to say "Goodbye", because we all spent so many time together and I will miss each of them.
We experienced so much together and now I have to wait until July to see them again.

But I'm really happy that I have the chance to see Depeche Mode still many times in the next month.
What a luck!

#depechemode #globalspirittour #devotee #davegahan #berlin