http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYjdFZzWhlg&feature=related

Being in the front row is not as glamorous as it sounds. Photographers, press, crew, and security walk by and stare at you the entire show.  Then there are 2 cameras on a dolly (one is covered up in this shot) which are directly in front of Dave, who is another 4-5 feet up and back from that.  This was taken pre-show.  I ended up on Martin's side for the show front/center of Martin and the cameras blocked my view of Dave the entire time since he spends 80% of the concert center stage.



I got handed this 96 page book after the show.  At the time I thought it was religious propaganda based on Depeche (whatever that means), but apparently it's a self-published bio of DM, in German.  Strange.




Leipzig After Party




Me & Christian (fellow Devotee) around 4am. 
Christian generously let me wear his Mr. Feathers hat. 


This pictures cracks me up, look at the guy's expression on the right.  It pretty much sums up my state of mind at this point.


Mart made some new friends.

Munich, Germany

Spent 3 days in lovely Bavaria before the Berlin gig.  I learned more about The Third Reich than I ever wanted to know.  Had to stop and take this picture by a German drugstore because.....
 I am just that juvenile!



Playing w/ chocolate cookies pre-show at age 37.   
The "thumbs up" is my tribute to "The Inbetweeners". 
"Old friend...football friend...don't forget the thumbs up!"




BERLIN, Germany
6/10/09



Me outside Olympiastadion.  Very impressive and historic.



Pre-Show.  In the world of DM, these cups are like fucking GOLD.  I now have a dozen in my cupboard.



Yeah, I only bring disposal cameras with me having broken and/or lost multiple digitals in my life.  Same pattern applies to my Ipods actually, I'm on Ipod #5 currently. 


IT'S THE GERMAN ROSEBOWL.  THIS STILL GIVES ME CHILLS:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-Fr9KSKf0Q





And the Berlin after party



Martin, Oliver and Me.  Oliver brought me a Violator rose.
XO to O.P. and Hamburg DM Fans!




 
Dancing w/ a DG impersonator. 
Kisses to Jan for playing along. 
And to Gregor A.- 
"Es war schon sie kennen zu lernen.  Es war vollkommen."



The USA needs stuff like this:


CHICAGO, Illinois
Lollapalooza
 8/7/09









It poured in Chicago all day so by the time we got there around 7pm, it was a gigantic mud pit. 
That's the stage DM played on in the background. 







Mid show I turned to my right and Jack Gahan was next to me, squatting in the mud taking pictures of his Dad.  He was all smiles in his black leather jacket and it was absolutely heartwarming.  Also, ETS started and the video screen messed up so mid-song Dave stops and says...."Hold that thought..."
until the screen was fixed.  Cute.







LAS VEGAS, Nevada
8/22/09

The BEST DM show EVER! 
Since this venue only holds about 2,500, the show was unbelievably intimate, almost like a private performance.  I was in the 2nd row pit, (Me sitting 2 hours before show below).  I was so close to the stage I could literally count Dave's teeth.  Best song - "I Feel You", wickedly intense.  I got swept up in the moment at the beginning of ETS and threw my pom-poms at Dave which made it to youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XBLU92ut74

My fave part of the Vegas show was Martin blushing and trying to conceal a smile during A Question Of Lust when he realized his fans sound better (and louder!) than Peter G.

My view (taken w/ my crappy camera):

   

The coolest DM Fan ever, pre-show:
 





And the asp @ Beauty Bar.  The taxi line after the concert was hundreds of people long so I was so psyched to hear Daniel yell, "Room in our Limo to the Beauty Bar!".  My savior since I was dripping w/ sweat and couldn't stand for another second. 

Great meeting DMMB people- Kristin, Don, Marc, Lisa, Jenn, Sam, Casey, Jason, Adolpho, Michael, Micki, Roxanne, Marta, and everyone else who's name I'm missing!



Kristin and I with a very bad "fake Dave" at Beauty Bar:



And me (not drunk) with war-injury hose and sweated down witch's hair from the show:





TAMPA, Florida
9/4/09



I took my 65 year old Mom to her first DM show!



Pom Pom Alert!  Bottom Left Hand Corner. 
(BTW, the whole "Depeche Mode In Space" thing is so cheezy.
What was Anton thinking?  Even Dave looks disgusted!)

My sincerest apologies to those who get stuck sitting behind me,
like the person who took this video during Personal Jesus:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXRZTVNLw6k

(FYI - I do respect my fellow DM concert go-ers so I clear
it w/ everyone seated near me first, and then really
only use the pom pom during In Chains, Wrong and I Feel You.


And my DM partner in crime, Sam

And my Cousin, also a DM Fan:

  

The after party, thanks to Jason for letting us cut in line!





FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida
9/5/09



2nd Row Center Dave, love the DM photographer behind me.






"My Little One"



My Dave Moment- During NLMDA I held up an Hourglass shirt, which merited eye contact, a grin, tongue wiggle and point.  I would say 8/10 DM Fans that go to multiple shows get some sort of "Dave Moment" that will stay in our memories for a lifetime and thanks to youtube etc, we can now document it.  Long lost are the "Dave Moments" before everyone would go to a concert w/out seeing it thru a camera!
Thanks Dave for the recognition and we'll both remember in the 90's when u hesitated it wasn't on camera..."i've met you before."






 


Oh, and I also got a mention in a review under "Random Detail"  LOL!

http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/crossfade/2009/09/depeche_mode_review_bankatlantic_center_sunrise_september_5-2009.php

Sam and I mid-show taken by fellow Moder Tara:



And the after party in Miami Beach.  Thanks to Adrian and Barbara for giving us a ride!  Oh, and Bjorn was SO DRUNK I think he maybe actually DJ'd for 3 songs.



Sidenote: We broke the sink in the men's bathroom this night.
Tee-hee.  ;)

And super cool Kristin with our table bottle of Absolut on ice:




OBERHAUSEN, Germany
10/31/09

The Oberhausen gig kicked off the Fans of the Universe Tour - DM solo travelers from all over the world met together to share our mutual addiction. 
This was one of the most amazing events of my life.  Seriously.

XOXO to Cristian, Akis, Andrea, Paul, Oliver, Ela, Jan, Nicole, Mandy, Alex, Lee, Markus R and Markus W., Celine, Harvey, Frank, Karsten, Sam, Marcio, Miriam, Jurgen, Kai, Jon, Wayne, Troy, Katrina, Fredrik, Andy P. and Andy M., Nigel, Monika, Judith, Guy, Hilde and Ulla and everyone else who I met along the way!




Original Set List- Thanks DM Sound Techs!






BREMEN, Germany
11/1/09







I only captured the one video on my camera
during "Precious" (and it's shitty...) but it is the only song
the band doesn't really move around.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3-P1FqvS40

And our group w/ the signs during NLMDA:











HANNOVER, Germany
11/3/09



The first DM show I have EVER
arrived 4 hours early to wait in line. With stolen towels from
the hotel to keep me warm.

 

So being me, I brought Gatorade in red and blue...with Vodka.  Sad to say, but:


I lost my shit and my ID and spent half
the show drunk and feeling sorry for myself.
It passed and I went on to the ASP, as the DM addict I am.



And the best part of Hannover:




It was so nice to wake up to the next days front page news!


The days off between gigs were spent in (Fuck yes!) Amsterdam.
This is where the concept of our FOTU banner commenced - 
while high.  Here's the original design, notice the spelling of "Germany".  

 


MANNHEIM, Germany
11/7/09

STUTTGART, Germany
11/8/09



At some point during this show I ended up backstage and thought it was cool to hang out with the equipment.
Lame, I know.

"Shackled and Bound...In Chains!"





SEE YOU NEXT TIME IN 2010 BERLIN!