JOHN EARLS
For Depeche Mode, the 2010s began in the same way the previous decade ended: on tour, pushing through. Accompanying Sounds Of The Universe, the nine-month Tour Of The Universe was relatively brief by their standards but was beset by bad luck throughout, mainly involving Dave Gahan. Between July and August 2009, shows had been cancelled due to Gahan tearing his calf on stage in Spain; on top of that, he strained his vocal cords so much that he burst a blood vessel in Seattle. Most serious, of course, was Gahan’s cancer diagnosis in May. The fact that the singer had been able to tour at all afterwards was testament to his determination.
Depeche only took 20 days off for Christmas and New Year on Tour Of The Universe, resuming work on January 9, 2010 at Berlin’s O2 World arena. The trip climaxed at the end of February with two shows in Düsseldorf, by which point they were talking ominously about no longer being able to cope with the rigours of a lengthy world tour. The shows themselves were far from downbeat, and had included the joyous reunion with Alan Wilder in February. Playing for the Teenage Cancer Trust at the (relatively) intimate Royal Albert Hall was a worthy cause to get Wilder back on stage, and his piano playing on Somebody was ecstatically received.