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DEPECHE MODE - SPIRITS IN THE FOREST
Fans In Deep Devotion

DETROIT - The new film by Depeche Mode is pretty revealing. This is a really insightful look at the impact the band's music has held over its many fans. The film takes an insightful look at six fans and they all come together for a concert experience in Berlin, Germany. This movie centers around the final concert in the Spirit tour on July 25, 2018. I was lucky enough to catch a special screening of this on a one night only event. The film was created by Anton Corbijn who is a rock music photographer and famous for the Ian Curtis biopic, "Control".


My curiosity is peaked and I am very eager to see this film just to see what it was all about. I wanted to get some kind of insight on why director Corbijn would pick Depeche Mode for a subject. I walked into the film with no expectations but was kind of surprised when the film had sold out in different towns.This movie was the story of six fans from around the world that didn't have anything to do with each other except for the deep love for everything Depeche Mode. The band itself is morbidly self-centered and had hit its peak in the late '80s. But that didn't stop the fans from loving them all the more and this devotion has continued.


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I wanted to see more concert footage right upfront but the movie just went deeper into each life of the six fans. These people had very little to live for except for putting all of their heart and soul into this group. That was the first thing that sort of rocked me off my rails. There was one young father who was divorced and he had two kids and decided to create an homage act to DM. He recreated the songs with a keyboard and got his kids to sing on a youtube channel. His band was called DMK and they were invited to play in music festivals. This was all good and fine until his kids grew up and didn't want to really do it anymore. This little do it yourself band was actually pretty good and they seemed to get all the notes right. The father is so dedicated to this band that he seemed to ignore self-development. At the end of the film, I was disappointed that he was still single and alone.

Another fan was involved in a horrible accident and had lost her memory. The only thing she was able to remember was Depeche Mode. She had some kind of soul connection to the band and everything else she had in her mind was wiped clean. This woman felt compelled to go to Berlin to be part of the show. Okay, this is interesting. I had a strong connection to them too in college but I did not commit my entire life to them. There was a very dark spot with the band and I could sense it. This darkness never appealed to me and I was drawn towards the positive aspects of living.

Anton Corbijn Spirits In The Forest | Depeche Mode Spirits In The Forest | Alternative Music |Fanthom Events|Metro Detroit Chicago Los Angeles Entertainment |Weekends in Metro Detroit| Metro Detroit Nightlife| Rock Music Events Detroit |Hot Metro Finds | Fanthom Events Novi Detroit

There was another fan who lived in a socialist country of some kind. He had a hard time getting access to the band because they had limited access to television and radio. This fan had to scrap his own music collection together with bootleg tapes and lots of searching. Now by this point I had seen enough to form some kind of picture but still it was over my head. These people were seriously devoted. This is 2020 and people are still this worked up over Depeche Mode even though MTV has dropped its music format and we are now bombarded with internet radio which features tons of new acts. It was almost like these poor people had nothing else to live for.

Fan devotion isn’t anything new but it is the subject matter of Depeche Mode that gets my attention. They sing about everything from real love, unhealthy obsession, suicide, haunting loneliness, panic, desperation, jealousy, and quite often victim based lyrics. I have to take them in small doses but I do find them very impressive. Their name translates into Fashion Dispatch. They have a message that is necessary and alarming and that demands to be heard. That is what makes them so iconic and memorable to so many people. They touch upon the raw emotions that many of us bury or refuse to admit to. The matter and are very important and they are certainly important to their devoted fans. There is a communication happening here and it is a very deep and personal one.

Depeche Mode Takes The Main Stage
The rest of the film is concert footage from their last night on the Spirit tour. Lead singer David Gahan comes out on stage and is looking extremely gaunt and lean. I have not taken a good look at him in over twenty years and was taken aback by his appearance. He looks like he is in torment and there are deep facial lines to go with his receding hairline. Gahan has had suicide attempts and problems with drugs. I had read about one account in particular about his bout with suicide that blew my mind. David Gahan recalls a low point where he saw his soul floating over his nearly dead body and it was screaming at him. You can look this up for yourself but it made me think about what is important in life. It is not sex, drugs, and fame. Maybe it is about giving your heart and loving people more because that is what his fanbase seems to be all about.

The concert footage itself is epic and well shot. We get to see the large screen show behind the band and it is like having a front-row seat. I can see the interaction of Gahan and his people and it is most impressive. The crowd participation during the song, "Everything Counts" is worth the price of admission to the film all on its own. This is the movies defining moment. Now that you know the backstory and scenes from the film you can make your conclusion as to the dialogue that is taking place here.


Anton Corbijn Spirits In The Forest | Depeche Mode Spirits In The Forest | Alternative Music |Fanthom Events|Metro Detroit Chicago Los Angeles Entertainment |Weekends in Metro Detroit| Metro Detroit Nightlife| Rock Music Events Detroit |Hot Metro Finds | Fanthom Events Novi Detroit

 

 


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Anton Corbijn Spirits In The Forest | Depeche Mode Spirits In The Forest | Alternative Music |Fanthom Events|Metro Detroit Chicago Los Angeles Entertainment |Weekends in Metro Detroit| Metro Detroit Nightlife| Rock Music Events Detroit |Hot Metro Finds | Fanthom Events Novi Detroit

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