A lot has happened since Depeche Mode last visited Boston five years ago — both in the world at large and to the synth-pop icons themselves, with the most jarring being the unexpected death last year of keyboardist Andy Fletcher. Many wondered if the group would continue in the wake of the passing of “Fletch,” who was roundly considered to be either the glue who kept the group together or, at the very least, the buffer between fellow co-founders in frontman Dave Gahan and guitarist/primary songwriter Martin Gore over their more than four decades of existence.
Yet carried on they have, leaning into the concept of loss with a fantastic new album in Memento Mori which was released this past spring. Rare is it for any artist to drop an LP of serious merit at this stage of a career, let alone one where fans are genuinely excited about it, but one listen to the singles “Ghosts Again” and “Wagging Tongues” shows Depeche Mode have a ways to go before enjoying the silence. Further proof can be found in last week’s performance of the latter song on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon where Gahan slinked and spun about with nary a step missed while somehow making wearing an all-black suit look positively celebratory.
Gahan and Gore, along with longtime Depeche Mode contributing musicians Christian Eigner on drums and Peter Gordeno on keyboards and bass, are in full world tour mode right now, including a stop at TD Garden tonight (October 31). This one’s been circled on the calendar for a while.
Seeing tracks live like “It’s No Good,” “Never Let Me Down Again” and “Stripped” from a band who have never been afraid of the dark promises to make for one of the least lame mid-week Halloweens ever. We’re being told Depeche Mode will be taking the stage around 8:45 p.m., so don’t be late. Openers are Brooklyn guitar rock outfit DIIV, providing one more reason to show up early and dressed to impress all your fellow Boston ghouls and goblins.
DEPECHE MODE + DIIV :: Monday, October 31 at TD Garden :: 100 Legends Way in Boston, MA :: 7:30 p.m., all ages, $51.50 to $405.50 :: Event info :: Advance tickets
