i don't want to start any blasphemous rumors but i think david gahan is a cunt. we just got back from seeing depeche mode at the staples center. i was glad to go to the staples center, not that i like stadium concerts because you know that i hate them, but i've been wanting to check out what it's like since it seems to be a big deal. and you know what? it's not half bad. it's pretty darn nice actually. i'm not a big depeche mode fan but they are one of those bands where you like just enough of the songs and you have to see them once.

beyond the staples center you can see america

the place was packed. i don't think i've ever been to a concert for a single band (not a festival) where there were so many people. of course we totally had nosebleed seats and were somewhat behind the stage but it was still not bad because we were close enough to be able to see, unlike those who had center seats but were so far back they had to rent binoculars. the bad thing about our seats were that they were so high up. i felt nervous like i was gonna fall down. it seemed steep, though not as steep as the stadium in the latest harry potter film. even still, i was more nervous walking up to my seat than when i bungy jumped!

a sold out crowd

so maybe we couldn't actually see the front of the stage, but being in the back gave us one advantage that most probably don't want to know about: dave gahan uses lyric assistance! i don't think we paid to see to see a karaoke show! we came for some live shit so bring it! sure dave ran around the stage, but he tended to do so when he didn't have to sing and always returned dead center to be in front of the lyric monitor. so if you're wondering why he was always perfectly centered, now you know. and not just during the new songs, but the old ones as well. excuse me, but you've been singing these songs for how many damn years now? don't you know the words yet! martin gore used it too when he sang. it seems that dave knew the words for at least 3 of their big hits, but otherwise, i think he's really just a karaoke singer. yes, even the encores were programmed into the vocal guide. even from my nosebleed seats, i could tell when a song was ending and a new one beginning just by the monitor. i will give them this though, the lighting was pretty cool--i just wish i had been able to get a frontal view of it. the cunts next to us who were talking during the entire concert can piss off. the opening band, the raveonettes, plain sucked. some post-shoegazer crap. they started out with some cover that i can't think of who sings the original. pretty much everyone cheered when they finally left the stage because they were that boring.

a fuzzy glimpse of our view of the stage

setlist: (generic tour setlist taken from depechemode.com but i think it's accurate for our show too)
intro
a pain that i'm used to
john the revelator
a question of time
policy of truth
precious
walking in my shoes
suffer well
damaged people
home
i want it all
the sinner in me
i feel you
behind the wheel
world in my eyes
personal jesus
enjoy the silence

encore:
somebody
just can't get enough
everything counts

encore 2:
never let me down again
goodnight lovers