The greatest frontman alive and the only foreign band that can attract such crowd at Kiev Olympic Stadium. DM means desire, passion, devotion, sex. DM means love forever.

When they visited Ukraine first time in February 2010, it was a dream come true for thousands of Depeche fans. Older generation had already hopped around half of the world following their favorite band, younger generation was just preparing to, but nobody could think that DM will perform virtually at one’s doorstep.

That was the only time when Kiev Palace of Sport was sold out completely. It was impossible to find a ticket on the day of the show. Fans began to swarm outside at noon, in freezing weather. And when the doors were finally opened, the stampede was so massive that doors’ glass started to crack and pop out.

Depeche Mode has returned in June 2013 to repeat that mass madness, this time on a grander scale at Olympic Stadium.

Organization was adequate, but not excellent. Among the best points — polite and sympathetic stewards and security, and Kiev Metro trains’ working hours, which were extended specially for the show. On the other hand, there was crowd congestion at entrances caused by faulty ticket scanners, and long queues at food stalls — you had to wait 15 minutes in order to buy a cup of water.

The sound was as clear as it was possible. Sure, seated viewers can disagree, but echo and hum are common things for stands, regardless of stadium — be it Kiev Olympic or Camp Nou.

Weather did not disappoint. Forecast was menacing — heavy rain and thunderstorm — but pure intentions and sincere faith of Depeche fans do work miracles: clouds that were hovering all day have simply disappeared.

Warm-up act was American electronic artist Matthew Dear with his live band. Just the right background. Some rhythms, some melodies, nothing catchy, distracting or annoying.

Depeche Mode had started 10 minutes early. While people were still entering fan zones, it was already obvious that Kiev Olympic Stadium have seen so many people neither at the Red Hot Chili Peppers + Kasabian or at the Madonna show.

Crowd went wild from delight when stars of the evening started to enter the stage, accompanied by grinding synth sounds. It could not get any louder, it would seem. But when lead singer Dave Gahan appeared on stage, and did a couple of dance moves on his way to the mic, massive Olympic Stadium audience simply went mad.

It’s astonishing how a 51-year-old man can have enough charisma to make thousands of people go ecstatic with just one wave of his hand, when his past includes pounds of heroin, overdose, cancer and thirty years of exhausting touring. Dave Gahan is the greatest frontman alive, that’s beyond any doubt.

“Welcome to my world,” singer starts his first lines, enchanting the audience. This is the voice that many generations have grown up with. Voice that became an era, a driving force that is always recognizable and powerful.

In the left part of the stage — with his guitar and synthesizers — stands, abstracted, Martin Gore, band’s songwriter and soul. In the back there’s keyboardist Peter Gordeno who handles most of live instrumentation, drummer Christian Eigner who creates the pulse essential to band’s drive, and there’s also Andy Fletcher who seemed to keep himself busy with something.

The show started with a couple of tracks from 2013 album “Delta Machine”, building up both tempo and caliber. New songs went largely unnoticed, most of them lacked energy for the live show.

“Heaven” and “Goodbye” were used as breathers, and “Angel” along with “Secret to the End” faded in comparison to classics such as “Walking in My Shoes” and “A Question of Time”. But there is one track on the new album that really turns the crowd on when performed live. It’s impossible to resist energetic beat and catchy chorus of “Soothe My Soul”.

“Should Be Higher” turned out to be especially spectacular thanks to marvelous video backdrop that featured fountains of burning sparks, which was directed by band’s longtime visual director Anton Corbijn. This song was written by Dave Gahan with his collaborator Kurt Uenala, and Dave really tests the limits of his voice here, taking notes that seemed impossibly high for him. Audience was thrilled with those falsetto parts.

“A Pain That I’m Used To”, a lively song originally, is performed on current tour in Stuart Price’s remix, which detracts most of song’s punch. But melancholic version of “Halo”, based on Goldfrapp’s remix, sounded with heavenly lightness. At the end of the song Dave have once again showcased his new vocal abilities with high notes. It was both unexpected and goose-bumpy.

Kiev was very fortunate to be in the first leg of “Delta Machine Tour” — the band was not exhausted yet, and Dave was full of energy. It was obvious that he actually enjoyed performing on stage rather than just going through the motions. And when Martin Gore was crooning, “I haven’t felt so alive in years,” with a smile on his face, it was more than just a refrain. It was a confession, a declaration of Depeche Mode’s current state. They really haven’t been in such an excellent shape for a long time.

Songs sung by Martin became highlights of the evening, just as expected. Dave brings arena scale and unrestrained passion to DM plate, while Martin can turn the largest venue into cozy refuge for lost souls, and pour out most sincere and delicate emotions. Dave makes you move, desire, shout and lose your head. Martin is the one who looks you in the eye emphatically and says, “I’m here with you, I understand you.” These two parts of the whole are Depeche Mode.

Martin’s voice during “Higher Love” and “Home” reached deeply inside everyone, and especially so during “But Not Tonight”. This song is more than 25 years old, it was not played live until 2013, and Kiev witnessed its fifth performance on tour. It was a fragile moment — grown men had tears in their eyes from pure bliss.

The stars in the sky
Bring tears to my eyes,
They're lighting my way
Tonight.

It’s great that Ukrainian public actively attends concerts of this kind. But frankly, quality of this public is somewhat disappointing. Many of these people love Depeche Mode so much that they don’t know how to spell band’s name or how to pronounce lead singer’s surname, and they don’t know a single line from hits that whole world have been singing for decades.

Audience couldn’t get itself to sing properly at the end of “Home”. Martin repeatedly raised his hands, wishing to conduct a harmonious choir, but not so many people responded, others were just screaming. Dave pointed the microphone to the audience during refrain of “A Question of Time” and “Just Can’t Get Enough”, similarly to no avail.

Nevertheless, our people can roar and welcome a band with scream so loudly that foreign fans that follow DM around the world were truly surprised. Our photographer said that is was louder than Wembley Stadium crowd on The Killers. We can still rank high in sheer decibels, at least.

No concert is complete without golden classics, and the crowd shouted most devotedly during “the best” songs. Gleeful smiles on “Enjoy the Silence”, dancing and shouting during “Personal Jesus”, wild electricity of “I Feel You” and regular massive hand-waves during “Never Let Me Down Again” — most breathtaking moment of every DM show and climax of this unforgettable Kiev night.

What other international stars can fill up Kiev Olympic Stadium? The Rolling Stones? Not in this life. Paul McCartney? Only if he hadn’t done free show at Maidan Nezalezhnosti. U2? Only if they team up with Svyatoslav Vakarchuk from Okean Elzy. Muse, Coldplay, Foo Fighters? They hardly can beat RHCP’s numbers. Depeche Mode are one of a kind. They became distinguished favorites in Ukraine, Russia and Germany long ago. Announced additional 2014 shows in Moscow and Saint Petersburg prove that even more. Perhaps, we also will not have to wait three years to see Depeche Mode again.

Because on our lands DM is more than just music. It is a way of thinking and feeling, a manifesto of one’s life. Desire, passion, devotion, sex. Love forever. We thank them for this.

Sergey Cane
Photos by Alina Kuchma
Translated by Oleg Podchashynsky

Depeche Mode in Kiev, 29.06.2013, Kiev Olympic Stadium. Setlist:

1.    Welcome to My World
2.    Angel
3.    Walking in My Shoes
4.    Precious
5.    Black Celebration
6.    Policy of Truth
7.    Should Be Higher
8.    Barrel of a Gun
9.    Higher Love (Martin)
10.    But Not Tonight (Acoustic) (Martin)
11.    Heaven
12.    Soothe My Soul
13.    A Pain That I'm Used To (Jacques Lu Cont's Remix)
14.    A Question of Time
15.    Secret to the End
16.    Enjoy the Silence
17.    Personal Jesus
18.    Goodbye

19.    Home (Acoustic)
20.    Halo (Goldfrapp Remix)
21.    Just Can't Get Enough
22.    I Feel You
23.    Never Let Me Down Again