Following a short break after spending much of 2023 on the road, later this month Depeche Mode kick back into action for what’s being touted as Leg 4 of the tour to support their 15th studio album Memento Mori, released last year. But despite the fact the Basildon synth-rock titans have been playing the world’s biggest arenas and stadia since becoming huge in the mid- 80s, it still takes a gruelling amount of preparation for frontman Dave Gahan ahead of each jaunt.
Speaking to this writer back in 2007, Gahan said his central concern during a period when the band are on the road is the show. Everything he does is geared around it. “It used to be a lot of other things,” said Gahan, who’s been sober since the 90s. “But all I care about now is, how can I do my best performance? I’m old now, there’s a lot of things I have to do.”
Gahan explained that he had a daily routine when on tour. He’d wake up at 9am, drink lots of water, have some foods – eggs, or something similarly protein-based – then begin the long process of getting his head into Flamboyant Frontman mode. “All I’m thinking about is the gig which is coming at 9pm,” he said. “I get my head into that, stretch a bit, do a bit of yoga. You have to be all in. It’s all or nothing.”
The mental prep begins 12 months earlier, he said. “It takes me a year. We’re making a record during that time, writing, recording, but I know the tour is coming. After all these years, all I really want to do is perform to the best of my ability. When I’m on the road and I’m doing this thing with Depeche Mode, all I care about is the show. I put my whole self into that.”
The Memento Mori tour begins again on 22nd January at London’s O2 Arena, calling at Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow and Dublin before the duo and their live band head over to the continent. Almost time for Dave to begin his stretches…
Depeche Mode tour dates 2024
Jan 22: London O2 Arena, UK
Jan 24: Birmingham Utilita Arena, UK
Jan 29: Manchester AO Arena, UK
Jan 31: Glasgow OVO Hydro, UK
Feb 03: Dublin 3Arena, Ireland
Feb 06: Antwerp Sportpaleis, Belgium
Feb 08: Amsterdam Ziggo Dome, Holland
Feb 10: Copenhagen Royal Arena, Denmark
Feb 13: Berlin Mercedes-Benz Arena, Germany
Feb 15: Berlin Mercedes-Benz Arena, Germany
Feb 17: Hamburg Barclays Arena, Germany
Feb 22: Prague O2 Arena, Czech Republic
Feb 24: Prague, CZ O2 Arena, Czech Republic
Feb 27: Lodz Atlas Arena, Poland
Feb 29: Lodz Atlas Arena, Poland
Mar 03; Paris Accor Arena, France
Mar 05; Paris Accor Arena, France
Mar 07: Munich Olympiahalle, Germany, Germany
Mar 12: Madrid Wizink Center, Spain
Mar 14: Madrid Wizink Center, Spain
Mar 16: Barcelona Palau Sant Jordi, Spain
Mar 19: Lisbon Altice Arena, Portugal
Mar 21: Bilbao BEC, Spain
Mar 23: Torino Pala Alpitour, Italy
Mar 26: Budapest MVM Dome, Hungary
Mar 28; Milan Mediolanum Forum, Italy
Mar 30; Milan Mediolanum Forum, Italy
Apr 3: Cologne Lanxess Arena, Germany
Apr 5: Cologne Lanxess Arena, Germany
