With a poignant celebration of the anniversary of the passing of their legendary keyboardist and co-founder Andrew "Andy" Fletcher, the Depeche Mode phenomenon lit up Leipzig on Friday night as they kicked off the first German concert of their current tour. According to organizers, about 70,000 enthusiastic fans flocked to the sold-out outdoor concert to experience the British music icons. Dave Gahan and Martin Gore, the remaining pillars of the band, commemorated their late colleague with heartbreaking images and memories. Fletcher, who was considered a quiet force and calming influence between the charismatic Gahan and Gore, left the world stage on May 26, 2022, at the age of 60.
For their majestic "Memento Mori" tour, the two musical virtuosos enlisted the support of two musicians. They presented fresh works from their current eponymous album, including "My Cosmos is Mine" and "Ghosts Again," as well as their immensely popular anthems from the '80s and '90s, such as "Everything Counts" and "Walking in my Shoes," which were frenetically celebrated by the audience.