Depeche Mode & EMA – Wells Fargo Center – Philadelphia, PA – June 3, 2018 (A PopEntertainment.co

Updated: Jun 27, 2022

Depeche Mode & EMA – Wells Fargo Center – Philadelphia, PA – June 3, 2018

It took 17 years for Depeche Mode to return to Philly. They made their Sunday show – as part of the Global Spirit Tour at Wells Fargo Center, their first in the city since 2001 – a worthy visit with a brilliant display of old hits and new works. Led by original members Dave Gahan, Martin Gore and Andy Fletcher, Depeche Mode were a pure rock spectacle in the best way, bursting at the seams with energy and sound.

The charismatic Gahan was dancing and singing nonstop. Using a catwalk at times and strutting around on a platform in the middle of a video board, he owned the stage and the crowd’s gaze. Newer songs like “Where’s the Revolution” sounded fantastic alongside masterworks like “Personal Jesus.”

Gore brought his signature guitar sounds, and on a few songs including encore opener “I Want You Now,” he contributed lead vocals. Fletcher rocked out on keyboards while newer members Christian Eigner and Peter Gordeno added necessary new wave percussion and keys. Hopefully they will return more swiftly so more can experience their mastery of live music.

EMA opened with a stunning set of songs. Using the same stunning lights that would later illuminate Depeche Mode, the trio, led by mastermind Erika M. Anderson, unleashed tracks from the 2017 album Exile in the Outer Ring. To hear the sublime “Breathalyzer” in an arena setting with sound to carry it to the rafters was a transcendent experience.

Chris Sikich