Das Schiff

Last night I went to Basel with Roger for a "Depeche Mode" party on a boat docked on the Rhine. Why did I think it would be fun!? Well, Roger is a great guy and I always laugh when we hang out. He is fun. But Depeche Mode? Come on....

The party was a promotion for the new CD to be released next week and for their upcoming tour. The are playing in Zurich and Geneva. The concert is sold out in Zurich but I'm not sure about Geneva. Anyway, last night they were giving away the new CD, some vinyls, and the grand prize- tickets to the concert, a DVD, and the new CD. Wow! I could hardly contain myself waiting for them to read the name of the winner.

But come on, what gives? Depeche Mode is like 40 now! Their music is really lame yet young kids, probably not even born until 1985 were at the show dressed in black and trying to look "New Wave". There was also the older crowd of fans who probably knew Depeche Mode from the 1980's. This group is likely nostalgic for the 80's and the day's of their youth. It was hilarious to see how the dancing style ubiquitous with The Cure and The Depeche Mode penetrated the younger crowd while the older people moved with a jerky familiarity. I was laughing a lot but the music remained extremely cheesy.

Was there something about the 1990's that required bands to tour with black gospel back-up singers? U2 and Pink Floyd did it. I'm sure many other rock bands did it too. Well, Depeche Mode was no exception. At the party they had a screen showing concert highlights and videos from the early 1990's; maybe 1993. And sure enough, on stage with the band were two gospel singers in big robes accompanying the strung out lead singer of Depeche Mode. And then what really cracked me up was when the camera cut from the gospel singers to a close up shot of Martin Gore's (the lead singer thank you Wikipedia)ass as he provocatively shook it in and out.

I still don't understand the crowd of people at Das Schiff. It's just amusing to me when people, in 2005, are stuck in 1986. Even kids who were probably barely born in 1986 are looking like teenagers from 1986. I really felt like I was in a John Cusack moving and I was probably "better off dead!"