“At least in dying you don’t have to deal with new wave for a second time.” –Craig Finn
Truer words have never been sung…or talked…while mimed with flailing arm movements, in the case of Craig Finn. I would imagine, at least, as I didn’t really live through new wave.
So here’s my Depeche Mode story. Flash back to April of 2009. The Lollapalooza lineup for that year had just been unveiled, with Depeche Mode in the number one slot. The rumor was that they would be playing at the same time as Kings of Leon, which made me try desperately to like them. I just couldn’t do it. I ended up seeing Kings of Leon, where I stood by some of the most obnoxious people on earth, ended up having to pee really, really bad, couldn’t bring myself to do it in a bottle, then left to find a port-a-pottie. I then bought a cookie and watched Kid Cudi from afar at the DJ stage. And that was my first day at a festival without a parent. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Anyway, I may have gotten a bit side tracked. The point is, to this day, Depeche Mode still annoy me. My favorite part on Violator happens during the track Enjoy the Silence. Just over halfway through the song, David Gahan sings, “enjoy the silence,” which is followed by a few seconds of silence. It is beautiful.
So the minimalistic synths and obnoxious vocals of Depeche Mode remain not for me. I prefer the Johnny Cash cover of Personal Jesus.
Swole Ear 
Leave a Reply