Touched By The Hand Of Goth

The last time I saw The Mission was 14 years ago here at The Troc on the Resurection tour,it was only Wayne in the band but I was just happy to be seeing The Mission live.
Despite owing a vinyl copy of their 86 debut album "God's Own Medicine" it was another 15 years b4 i became a full blown "Eskimo"{a nickname Wayne Hussey gave the hardcorp Mission fans back in the day} and in that period I'd collected Mission music on vinyl,cd,Vhs and Dvd as if my life depended on it,I even tracked down a copy of their hard to find book "Names Are For Tombstones Baby"

Since the Resurection tour  there have been three studio albums, a series of final shows in 08 but w/ their 25th anniversary 2 years later alot of "Eskimo's" myself included willed a reunion of anykind....what we couldn't have imagined was 3/4s of the original line up Wayne Hussey,Craig Adams and Simon Hinkler getting back together{not sure what the offical word on drummer Mick Brown non involvement is} but the official word at the start of the year was a tour.....w/ US dates{yea!!!} and a new album.....
After several months of marking the days off my calender Wed Sept 4th arrived and w/ it The Mission's show at The Troc.
The band and their audiance may look alot older and the stetsons are from a bygone era but you know what? the songs sound as good as ever!!!

Opening w/ one of five new songs off the soon to be released "The Brightest Light" Wayne, Craig and Simon and drummer Mike Kelly launched into classic Mission setlist "Beyond The Pale""Serpent's Kiss""Naked & Savage" b4 another new song"The Girl In A Fur Skin Rug",the crowd on hand may have been sparse but made up for it's lack of numbers w/ it's enthusium as Wayne,Craig,Simon and Mike rolled back the years.
"Garden Of Delight""Severina""Butterfly On A Wheel" b4 a cover of Neil Young's "Like A Hurricane" b4 the song that introduced me to them all the way back in 86 "Wasteland"
two more new songs off the soon to be released "The Brightest Light" "Swan Song" and "Drag" b4 another cover"All Along The Watchtower" not a song I'd heard them cover b4.
Talk about leave them wanting more "Deliverence" and "Tower Of Strenght" and the end of their 90 minute 16 song set.

Is this "The Final Chapter"? w/ The Mission you never know,I for one hope not but given the 14 year gap between tours this side of the Atlantic from "Resurrection" to "Brightest Light" it could be....that said we're 3 years shy of a 30th anniversary of "God's Own Medicine" and frankly if I have to get on a plane to London to see that tour I may just have to,long may "The Dance Goes On" one's thing for sure this weekend my live Mission cds will be on heavy rotation on my cd player.....

And I Haven't Felt So Alive In {Fiveteen} Years

First off I need to correct an error I made in saying prior to Fridays  Revel Ballroom in Atlantic City show that this was my first Depeche Mode show in 17 years,I kept thinking the "Singles Tour" was in 96 when in fact it was 98,even so that's still 15 years between tours,too long when you're a big time Depeche Mode fan like yours truly but frankly if I'd known how easy it was to get to Atlantic City via the train I'd have been front and center for the "Exciter" tour in 01, "Playing The Angel" in 05 and "Sounds Of The Universe" in 09 at the House Of Blues trust me!!!
Still eager to make up for lost time I made sure the "Delta Machine" tour did not get by me even if it meant paying an astronomical fee for my ticket,I broke my never paid more than $100 for a ticket rule for this show but frankly it was money well spent....and frankly I wasn't waiting till 2017 for the next Depeche Mode tour!!!!!

I know there'd been some hue and cry on social media over the fact that  the band had said they would not performing anything off of their first four albums  but I wasn't too upset by this.
Don't get me wrong I like "Speak & Spell" "A Broken Frame" "Construction Time Again" and "Some Great Reward" but I saw ALL those tours in 81,82,83 and 84 and personally I think from 86's "Black Celebration" they became a  much better band both on cd and live so it was off to the Jersey shore w/ the hordes of black clad masses to see the "Delta Machine" tour.

Despite having less then great seats and paying a kings ransom for them I was hell bent on having a good time Friday nite and from 9.20pm when "Basildon's Finest" strode on stage for their two hour  twenty one song set I turned the enormous Ovation Hall at the Revel Ballroom into my very own Silk City where DJSC plays a bunch of Depeche Mode each month and danced my arse off after all isn't that listening to Depeche Mode is all about??!!!

Augmented by Peter Gordeno on keyboards and the excellent Christian Eigner on drums Dave, Martin and Andy let rip w/ an amazing show,leaning heavily as you'd expect on the new album {six songs off of "Delta Machine"} they revisited Violator,Black Celebration,Music For The Masses,Ultra and Playing The Angel and threw in a classic off of ''Speak & Spell"  "Just Can't Get Enough" to keep everybody happy.
When I'd heard they were performing "But Not Tonite" I was delighted to hear that but did not expect it to be Martin Gore on the vocals,w/a slowed down arrangement the classic "Black Celebtration" number took on a new sound and didn't sound any the worse for it either.
Granted back in 81 when "Speak & Spell" was unleashed on the music loving public Depeche Mode were considered a "synth pop" band but clearly over the recent years they've developed a much harder sound and dare I say it "Delta Machine's" "Soothe  My Soul" flat out rocked!!!! I'm already on the lookout for bootlegs of this tour for the new version of "But Not Tonite" and "Soothe My Soul" trust me.

When the two hour set came to a close w/ the "hands waving above our heads in unison" "Never Let Me Down Again" I couldn't help but think back to my first Depeche Mode show in November 81 at London's Lyceum on The Strand almost 32 years ago,if you'd told me then I'd still be rocking out to Depeche Mode I may not have believed you but believe me when I say that despite overdoses,nervous brakedowns and members leaving Depeche Mode continue to conqurer all b/4 them and I'm still dancing up a storm to them....long may both continue in my book

Setlist
Welcome To My World
Angel
Walking In My Shoes
Precious
Black Celebration
Policy Of Truth
Should Be Higher
Barrel Of A Gun
The Child Inside
But Not Tonite
Heaven
Soothe My Soul
A Pain That I'm Used To
A Question Of Time
Enjoy The Silence
Personal Jesus
Encore
Home
Halo
Just Can't Get Enough
I Feel You
Never Let Me Down Again