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TORONTO - Like child actors who flame out early and become fodder for episodes of E! True Hollywood Story, it's not easy making the bumpy transition from seminal '80s band to '00s arena draw.
And yet Depeche Mode has not only defied the odds, they've made it look easy. Ridiculously easy.
Like last night at the ACC. Forget that they've put out four studio albums since 1990's much-loved Violator, or that the single Precious from last year's Playing The Angel gets heavy radio play. On paper, Depeche Mode shouldn't still work.
Aren't these guys supposed to be in retirement homes? Or at least playing regional fairs as an opening act for Loverboy?
Fortunately, the answer is no. David Gahan, Martin Gore and Andy Fletcher, assisted by a pair of solid and seamless backup musicians, proved once again that they're not ready to be relegated to the ghetto of 20th century novelty act.
The klaxon-like wail of opening song A Pain That I'm Used To brought the surprisingly young crowd to its feet, and the follow-up A Question Of Time saw Gahan in pure rock-god mode, whirling like a tornado that happened to sweep a microphone stand into its vortex.
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Though he shed the odd article of clothing, Gahan never lost his connection with the adoring horde, calling upon them to fill in choruses of songs like Walking In My Shoes and Personal Jesus, to which they ecstatically obliged. What small amount of vocal precision the band lacked in the early going, they made up for with Gahan's unflagging energy.
Guitarist and principal songwriter Gore, looking downright restrained save for silver make-up and the mohawk wig that temporarily covered his blond locks, took over from Gahan for a handful of sweet and slow songs like Home and Shake The Disease. While Gore can't match his bandmate's theatrics, his voice was as stirring as it has ever been.
The band bounced back and forth between Playing The Angel and their deep back catalogue, with the audience's screams growing loudest for classics like 1987's Behind The Wheel and 1990's Enjoy The Silence. (And for the tattooed Gahan finally doffing his vest and going bare-chested.)
While it's inevitable that a quarter-century career means not everyone's favourite songs are going to make it into a 100-minute concert, it's safe to say no one went home dissatisfied. And E! will have to keep looking elsewhere.
Before Depeche Mode took the stage, you could have mistaken opening act She Wants Revenge for a 1980s supergroup made up of members of Bauhaus, the Psychedelic Furs, Joy Division (though singer Justin Warfield is no Ian Curtis reincarnation) and, well, Depeche Mode.
The band's dark-but-not-despairing vibe and Warfield's prim posturing were a nice appetizer to Depeche Mode's main course, but they teetered between paying respects to early '80s post-punk and slavishly copying it.