Depeche in excellent Mode

Birmingham LG Arena

Words and Pictures James Watkins

Basildon's finest turned back the clock with a virtuoso performance of electro-pop genius at Birmingham's cavernous LG Arena.

Dave Gahan and Co. have somehow survived the vicissitudes of rock'n'roll during three decades of hard living and last night they stunned a capacity crowd during the only West Midlands show of their current Tour of the Universe.

Down the years, the Depeche sound has become fuller, more rounded and increasingly powerful and their multi-layered, synth-driven rock was imperious at the LG Arena.

The show opened impressively with In Chains and a coruscating version of Wrong set the tone for an impressive evening's entertainment.

Depeche live are all about light and shade and there were moments of tenderness mixed with visceral, crowd-pleasing anthems during their exceptional gig.

Martin Gore took centre stage for two stunning solo songs - Home and Insight - while he repeated the trick during the encore with an exquisite version of Dressed In Black.

There were other highlights. The crowd were enraptured by Enjoy The Silence while the show-stopping, concert-enders Behind The Wheel and Personal Jesus left partisan fans baying for more.

Next year, Depeche will celebrate their 30th year in rock. With the energy, innovation and creativity they displayed last night, no one would bet against them enjoying many, many more.