Depeche Mode's new concert film connects soul with song: 'A strange, spiritual experience'
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NEW YORK – The connection between death and music is real.
At least in the vision of Fernando Frías.
The director behind the new documentary "Depeche Mode: M" links the cultural significance of the Mexican holiday celebrating the Day of the Dead with the music of the electro-synth-pop band, which is indisputably a New Wave pioneer.
It's an ambiguous concept, but also an intriguing one.
At the June 5 world premiere of "M" at BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center, Frías was joined by Depeche Mode's David Gahan and Martin Gore for a boisterous screening of the 95-minute film that often felt as much like a live concert as the one(s) depicted on screen.
"One of the things about a Depeche Mode concert is it's a communal experience," Gahan said during a Tribeca Film Festival panel after the showing. "Watching ourselves (perform) is kind of painful, to be honest … I can't explain what happens when you perform. It's a strange, spiritual experience communicated through music."
More: Billy Joel's documentary digs deep into past with poignancy – but he's 'not finished yet'
Depeche Mode's music connects to Day of the Dead
That experience was filmed during a three-night stand at Mexico City's Foro Sol Stadium in 2023, where a total of more than 200,000 fans pilgrimaged to watch the sleek, massive production that showcased Gahan twirling around the stage like Stevie Nicks in a three-piece suit, Gore sharing his keyboard and guitar skills as well as his angelic voice and songs from four decades of synth-drenched creativity.
Frías' arty approach toggled between black and white and color video and many of his camera shots – a closeup of the heel of Gahan's boot, the quick cut to a cluster of fans waving white-gloved hands during "Never Let Me Down Again," as per tradition – confirmed how much he wanted this documentary to be different.
In between songs including the moody "My Cosmos is Mine" and "Don't Say You Love Me," both from 2023's "Memento Mori" album ("remember, you will die"), voiceovers from fans and lines from poetry are presented in Spanish.
The serene scene of a swamp shifts to an overhead drone shot of the concert with Gahan executing mesmerizing calisthenics during the somber ballad "Speak to Me," his resonant voice cutting through a cloud of synthesizers.
A lesson about the Aztec guardian of the underworld prefaces Gore's stunning rendition of "Soul with Me," another of Frías' thoughtful connections between song and spirit.
How did Depeche Mode honor Andy Fletcher?
Longtime fans of Depeche Mode will relish the vibrant performances of classics including "Enjoy the Silence" – Gahan grinning at Gore as he picks out the song's identifiable opening guitar notes – and a muscular "Personal Jesus."
But they will likely most appreciate the dedication to original member Andy Fletcher, who died of an aortic dissection in 2022 at age 60.
Dot-matrix printouts of Fletcher's face bob throughout the crowd as Gahan bends his fingers to form eyeglasses and holds his arms overhead in a mask-like pose. As the band performs "World in My Eyes," the video screens blanketing the back of the stage illuminate with Fletcher's photo, a sweet tribute to a New Wave innovator.
While the theme of mortality is threaded throughout the film, it is also balanced with hope, appreciation and more than a dab of realism.
As one fan asks rhetorically, "Thinking something will last forever isn't good, right?"
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