Entry Ninety-One.
Friday, 2009.04.10, 5:56 PM CST.
Depeche Mode Night:  Mini-site and more details!

Well, we're getting closer to Depeche Mode night at the Gypsy (only two weeks away!), and I am feeling the familiar combination of anticipation and apprehension... that giddiness and queasiness rolled into one.

There is now a special mini-site for the event, located right over here.  That will cover most of the basics and then some.

But, I feel the need to elabourate even more.  Good thing I have this blog!  :)

TMJ and I have been talking a lot about the event, and figuring out what we want to do.  At 7:30 that evening, he's going to do a short set with some Mode tracks as well as some covers by various artists.  I know he's planning on showcasing some of his own personal remix productions and mash-ups.  He's planning on going for about an hour or so; thus, we'll have a little intermission between his set and mine.

At 9:00, we'll start the lights/lasers and dim the Gypsy's house lights, and I'll take over playing Depeche Mode with 2-3 Dave Gahan side project tracks thrown in.

I've really been giving the track listing a lot of thought.  I've been blessed with an abundance of fairly rare Depeche Mode items over the last couple of decades... and now I've got a gig at which the question isn't "Which one or two DM tracks should I play," but rather: "I have four hours to play nothing but Depeche Mode.  What am I going to have to leave out?"

Obviously, I can't play every Depeche Mode song that I like... and I don't want it to simply be "every single they ever released."  There are certain songs in their discography that everyone knows, like "Enjoy the Silence."  A Depeche Mode party wouldn't be the same without "Enjoy the Silence."  However, there are other songs - some which were never even released as singles - which the older fans appreciate.

So...  Here are a few teasers as to what to expect, or not:

• Expect "Never Let Me Down Again."  That one's easy.  :)
• Don't expect much from A Broken Frame nor from Construction Time Again.
• Expect at least one track that runs longer than nine minutes.
• Don't expect to hear "What's Your Name," nor "Boys Say Go," nor "Nodisco."  I wouldn't include them even for shock value or irony.  There'll be at least one track from the Speak + Spell era, though.
• Expect to hear quite a bit from Black Celebration; it's my favourite Mode album and I plan to include at least one big surprise from it.
• Don't expect any cover versions.  TMJ is playing some in his pre-show, but my set won't include any.
• Expect "Precious."  When I first heard it in 2005, I literally cried.  It was the best dance-oriented single they'd released in 15 years.  It'll be in there.
• Don't expect the entirety of Sounds of the Universe.  That's not going to happen.  I'll be playing some of my favourite tracks from it, but there are a lot of tracks on there which are simply too "mellow" for an event like this.  I've heard a streaming preview of most of the songs on there, and while it's a good album, it's no Violator.
• Expect "Wrong." That's obviously a given, being the first SotU single.  Ah, but what mix will I play?
• Don't expect the entire evening to be high-energy pieces - just nothing "too" mellow.
• Expect to hear at least one or two really intense, "rocked-up" mixes of tracks - songs which have been beefed up with a significantly different, almost "industrial" feel.
• Don't expect short tracks and quick edits.  The content of the songs is more important than trying to be a badass fast-mixing DJ.  :)  Of the tracks being considered for this event, the shortest one is under three minutes, but the longest one is around ten minutes.  That one might be the one with which I close the set... and it's a surprise that'll hopefully make the hardcore Mode fans in their crowd piss their pants with delight.
• Expect a few B-sides to make it into the track list.  I can think of two that are automatically "in."
• Don't expect anything too mundane or predictable like "All the Violator singles in a row."  This set will be a big ol' mixed back of awesomeness.
• IMPORTANT!  Expect me to be playing this event like I would play a house party, not like I would play a big, commercial event.  I'm just going to be having fun.  :)

More details soon!

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