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Waldbühne, Berlin
12th and 13th July 2006
Depeche Mode & Goldfrapp

Waldbühne (Wood stage) Berlin and Depeche Mode – that’s a very special magical combination. For months I was looking forward to those two – in fact my last – concerts of this tour. After several concerts in Germany and abroad these both shows should become my highlights – and in fact they were the crowning ending of my wonderful “Angel-Tour”. Even though it is a bit hard and I felt sad that anything is over now. www.depechemode.com/ / www.depechemode.de/


Wednesday 12th July

It was hot! Very hot! The sun was burning from the sky and there’s not even been slight wind. As we reached the venue short before five I even had finished my first litre of water I brought with me. As we arrived we queued at a quite long queue. But after meeting a lot of friends there, the time did not get too long until the doors opened. The admission went quite fast and professional and after about 30 minutes we curled up down at the border of the arena at the first rows of the ranks. It was a very nice place very close to the stage. The ranks were filling up very fast and the lower ranks were closed soon. We chatted a lot with so many people we haven’t seen for a long time so that time went fast until seven when ‘Goldfrapp’ were supposed to start their show. Just in time the band entered the stage dressed up in pink shirts. Only singer Alison was dressed totally in black in a very tight suit. Songs like ‘Train’, ‘Number 1’ or the catching ‘Ooh la la’ warmed up the audience. Unfortunately Alison still seemed to suffer from disease and so she mentioned that her “shitty voice is gone”. After not much longer thank twenty minutes ‘Goldfrapp’ left the stage accompanied with handsome applause.



The time until the main act should enter the stage was abbreviated with Martin Gore’s DJ set. Just during the set people started to clap and scream and several “Laola waves” were running through the ranks. Ten minutes past eight the first sounds of the intro appeared and were welcomed with a thousandfold scream. The band started with the usual “Open Air Set” and already during ‘A Question of time’ hands were in the air just until the last upper ranks. A big cloud of durst out of the arena proved that there did no foot stay on the ground. After ‘Stripped’ from 1986 faded away it was time for some calmer sounds. The microphone went to Martin who intonated the ballad ‘Home’. No one knew which song should be played afterwards and the speculations started. Anyone was so curious what he would sing today. When the first chords sounded through the venue most people were still unsure even though you could hear the first screams from several places. Than people were recognizing that it was ‘Judas’ what started and loud jubilations clanged through the amphitheatre. The song was unbelievably intense and Martin’s voice was sending shivers over your skin. On several places you saw people getting out their tissues to dry their hidden tears. Still quite calm the band went on with ‘In your room’ afterwards and on the screens you could realize the sharks that still were projected during the “Exciter Tour”.



After those slower songs it was time to wake people up again – as is they were not all the time – and ‘Behind the wheel’ made the arena a boiling pot when people were collectively jumping and dancing. This song is really an all-time favourite of the fans it seems. Towards the end of the set the obligatory classics ‘Personal Jesus’ and ‘Enjoy the silence’ could not be missed out. The view on thousands of hands reaching out towards the stage is overwhelming. Reach out and touch Dave! After a short break when people screamed for more, Martin came back to stage for his acoustic version when he was only accompanied by Peter Gordeno. Today it was the breathtaking version of ‘Shake the Disease’ during which people clapped in the well-known rhythm. Partly hated, partly loved – ‘Just can’t get enough’ was the next song and not everyone was satisfied wit that choice. The evening ended with ‘Never let me down again’ and thousands of arms waving in the beat of the song – not only the band must have been excited and overwhelmed by the view up the ranks of the Waldbühne. Happy and full of emotions we went back home looking forward the following day when we would see our favourite band again.






Thursday 13th July

It was hot! Very hot! And somehow I had the feeling it was even hotter and especially more sticky than the day before. Sweat was running down the body even though you were not moving a bit. Just standing in the sun was enough. We arrived at about the same time as the day before at the venue and also our place down in the arena was about the same – as are most of the people around us. Somehow you felt like home at that place. It was just perfect to celebrate and enjoy our last show. Slowly clouds were appearing and we imploringly hoped for some cooling through a slight rain shower. Also today ‘Goldfrapp’ were opening the evening with the same songs as the day before. But today Alison’s voice seemed to be recovered and so we got an additional song – ‘Strict Machine’. Today the band got even more applause. For me it was a very good choice to get this other band from the “Mute” label as opener.



Slightly melancholy I was waiting for my last concert to start. Just in time with the first song it started to rain and happily many hands were reaching out towards the cooling water. It’s a perfect moment and anything felt alright. I was just waiting the band to start ‘But not tonight’ with the words “Oh god it’s raining…”. During ‘Precious’ the rain stopped and across the stage a rainbow appeared in the sky. Could it be more perfect than this? Today I was sensing ‘Stripped’ from the album ‘Black Celebration’ (what has a special meaning to me) as especially intense and I got a big lump in my throat. Martin’s second song during the show was his Country-like version of ‘It doesn’t matter two’ when he was supported by Peter on guitar this time. Afterwards, ‘Sinner in me’ was replaced by the calmer song ‘Nothing’s Impossible’. Somehow I sense the show much deeper today – maybe because it’s my last one – and the fans seem to be more enthusiastic towards the end.



When Martin intonated ‘Somebody’ as first encore, tears were running all over the place and the venue was enlightened by several lighters and sparklers. After this song the dream for many devotees got fulfilled when the band started the first song they ever recorded – THE highlight for so many fans: ‘Photographic’. Again the arena went mad, people were jumping and the cloud of dust was much bigger than the day before. It was crazy and wonderful at the same time. The energy of the fans did not fade a bit and so the band and the audience experienced a great finale with ‘Never let me down again’. Euphoric and also a bit melancholic we left the venue knowing that was our last show for a long time. If there was a perfect concert – this must have been it.



Setlist Goldfrapp 12th July 2006
01. Intro
02. Fly me away
03. Train
04. Satin Chic
05. Number One
06. Ooh la la

Setlist Goldfrapp 13th July 2006
01. Intro
02. Fly me away
03. Train
04. Satin Chic
05. Number One
06. Ooh la la
07. Strict Machine



Setlist Depeche Mode 12th July 2006
01. Intro
02. A Pain That I'm Used To
03. A Question Of Time
04. Suffer Well
05. Precious
06. Walking In My Shoes
07. Stripped
08. Home
09. Judas
10. In Your Room
11. John The Revelator
12. Sinner In Me
13. I Feel You
14. Behind The Wheel
15. World In My Eyes
16. Personal Jesus
17. Enjoy The Silence
---
18. Shake The Disease
19. Just Can't Get Enough
20. Never Let Me Down Again
Setlist Depeche Mode 13th July 2006
01. Intro
02. A Pain That I'm Used To
03. A Question Of Time
04. Suffer Well
05. Precious
06. Walking In My Shoes
07. Stripped
08. Home
09. It Doesn't Matter Two
10. In Your Room
11. Nothing's Impossible
12. John The Revelator
13. I Feel You
14. Behind The Wheel
15. World In My Eyes
16. Personal Jesus
17. Enjoy The Silence
---
18. Somebody
19. Photographic
20. Never Let Me Down Again





All pics are from 12th July. Pics by Sandro Griesbach (http://www.darkmoments.de/
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