Depeche Mode

Amazon.com

Depeche Mode 101 is a fascinating documentary codirected by the esteemed D.A. Pennebaker (The War Room, Down from the Mountain), focusing on backstage realities of art and business during the British synthesizer band's 1988 American tour. We see managers worrying over slow ticket sales for a stand at the Rose Bowl, observe sound checks at concert sites, get a tour of the group's multiple keyboard banks, and listen with some alarm to singer David Gahane describe his steroid-based throat treatments. There are plenty of performance clips, but for music alone, disc 2 in this package contains the uninterrupted Rose Bowl show, including the plaintive "Blasphemous Rumours," the exultant drama of "Stripped," and the dreamy "Somebody." Pennebaker's promotional video "Everything Counts" is also here, but don't miss the director's recent, touching, and informative interviews with the now 40-something, individual members of Depeche Mode. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Most watched Docu-movie.......2007-07-17

My best friend introduced me to DM in the late 80s early 90s. I have been addicted ever since and didn't even realize after listening to some songs that I was an unknowing fan.

She had a copy of 101 and after the first viewing we watched it repeatedly. Weekends were spent enjoying the music and wishing we were the fans having one heck of a road trip.

I eventually got to go to one of their concerts and I have to say that this DVD touched base on what it was like to be there. It was amazing the electricity and excitement DM could put into a show run with 3 Keyboards and some sound machines but it will always be one of the greatest concert experiences of my life.

If you like Great music, entertainment, and a look at your favorite band then this is one of the best DVDs you can add to your collection. LOVE the band and music!

I love this so much, I bought the t-shirt.......2006-07-30

Seriously.

Perhaps it's because it reminds me of the summer after I graduated from high school. When I saw the 101 tour I was in a complete state of limbo - utterly free to be in the moment with not a care in the world. That's what this show reminds me of - careless freedom.

Last time I saw this it was on VHS and I had forgotten about all of the awesome kids that were on the tour. Wonder where they are now?

Anyways it's probably obvious that I love this dvd for nostalgic reasons. I enjoyed the concert footage with all of its strobe-light glory. I marvelled at how young the DM guys were and it was great to see that particular line-up again.

I think it was marketing genius that they brought the kids on the bus. Where else but from a pool of DM fans could you get such an interesting, bitchy bunch? I loved when one of the goth-lite guys told his "girlfriend" he wouldn't date her anymore if she stopped bleaching her hair. Pure eighties genius.

All in all, a pleasant trip down the best of the eighties memories lane.

memory lane.......2006-06-23

this was strange for me to watch. being a child of the 80ies, I had forgotten about those geeky hairstyles and that yuppie fashion. both depeche mode and their audience look pretty funny (and silly) to me here. the times when depeche mode looked like a teenie band and were purely electronic. great music, really, and a lot of fun to watch.
the bonus film that comes with it is kind of silly thow, I think.

J.STEDMAN READ THIS.......2006-01-28

Faded in faded out what are you talking about?
you should appreciate if you are a real DM fan that there`s a Dvd
for their concerts. are you a producer or a fan?
take care and enjoy.

Song List (albeit incomplete).......2005-07-21

[...]
Here is the list of songs included in the "uninterupted" concert (Only 12 of 20 songs on the CDs) in order of appearance: Master and Servant, Pimpf, Behind the Wheel, Strangelove (missing the middle verse - ouch), Blaspemous Rumours, Stripped, Somebody, Black Celebration (end faded out), Pleasure Little Treasure (beginning faded in), Just Can't get Enough (end faded out), Everything Counts (beginning faded in), and Never Let Me Down Again (beginning quickly faded in). The total play time not including credits is 51:36.

My expectations were set artificially high and unfortunately not met. The rest of the reviews cover everything else you need to know.

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