Depeche Mode: 101

I've watched my copy of 'Depeche Mode 101' so many times I've had to replace my videotape at least twice. All of the band members look their rip-rocking best, but if any of the members could give David Gahan a sizable competition for 'Best-Looking Musician In A Band,' that title would have to go to their former keyboardist Alan Wilder since he's the most striking mixture of rock-and-roll decadence and postmodern beauty I've ever seen on screen and in concert. Incidentally, I've seen Depeche Mode in concert three times and I still try to outvoice their lead singer! I wouldn't hesitate to recommend '101' or any of their other concert videos. And one more thing: check out how sexy Alan looks in that leather bomber jacket and jeans and put him side by side with David and see which one you think looks the better in your opinion. And as for the tour bus double-bed scene, that is one of the funniest outtakes of the movie.

This is a great documentary of the band in their prime. This is probably where the creators of the Real World got their idea for the show. They take some major fans and allow the access to a tour bus and a ton of concerts and they film the whole thing along with the rigors of touring as Depeche Mode. It is a must see for any fan or anyone else interested in seeing a great behind the scenes take on a band at the height of their career.

I think this film is great as a documentary and as a musical event but for me one of the BIGGEST selling points PERIOD is that David Gahan, DM's lead singer, is at his absolute HOTTEST in this movie. Not only is he looking incredible in those white jeans and black leather jacket, but his singing performances are all-out awesome, especially when you consider that most people think of DM as leaning heavily on electronics, when in fact's Gahan's voice has been one of the main carrying forces. If you're a DM fan, especially if you were one during this particluar late 80s time period, you MUST see this!

I was one of the screaming fans on that awesome day at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena back in 1988. As a high school student, your life revolves around music, movies and school. So when Depeche Mode, along with OMD, Thomas Dolby, and Wire, came to town, my friend and I immediately got ourselves tickets. As it turned out, the concert was a blast, with strong performances by all, especially OMD and Depeche Mode.

101 captures pretty much the atmosphere and energy of the concert that day in true form. It really transports me back to that day. I also like the extraneous stuff like backstage interviews and such contained in the videos. Cool.

As "Depeche Mode 101" (1989 release; 118 ,in) opens, the guys in Depeche Mode drive into the Rose Bowl in a convertible, to announce that on June 18, 1988, they will play the very last show of their "Music For the Masses" world tour at the Pasadena venue. We then go back in time as the band is in the US leg of the tour... At this point we are 10 minutes into the movie.

Couple of comments: this film is co-directed by none other than D. A. Pennebacker himself. I've had the live album of the same name (taped entirely at the Pasadena show) in my extensive CD collection for many years, but as crazy as it sounds, I had never seen the documentary of the same name. Imagine my surprise that the documentary was very different from what I expected. I thought it would be a straight-forward rendering of the Pasadena show, but as it turns out, the Pasadena show is not featured much at all. Instead we get a road movie of what life is like for a band fast on the rise as DM was back then. Even more fascinating, it shows a time capsule of what the US was like back then in the late 80s, more than 30 years ago. As to Depeche Mode, they look so incredibly young, but you can also see what this could lead to. One of the reviewers here terms this "Depeche Mode At Their Height" and I will respectfully disagree with that. After "Music For The Masses", DM truly became a global phenom with albums like 1990's "Violator" and 1993's "Songs of Faith and Devotion". It is in fact on that 1993-94 "Devotional" tour that the band reached its absolute peak in creativity and live prowess (but that's just my opinion, of course).

"Depeche Mode" is currently streaming on Showtime, where I caught it the other night, among many other music documentaries available there. If you are a fan of Depeche Mode and, like me, you know the 101 album but had never seen the movie, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.