”Before I joined Depeche Mode, I didn’t know the first thing about electronic music” ALAN WILDER
Depeche Mode had no time to hang around. Their first ever trip to America was looming large on the horizon. Less than two months after Vince Clarke’s departure was announced, the band were due to play two nights in New York in January, at Seymour Stein’s instigation, to help pave the way for the US release of Speak & Spell. They knew they had to fill that Vince-sized hole onstage – and fast.
Gahan, Gore, and Fletcher placed a small ad in the back of Melody Maker, the traditional port of call for UK bands in search of musical reinforcements. It was short, and to the point: