The Delta Machine Tour
The Delta Machine Tour was a 2013–14 worldwide concert tour by English electronic music band Depeche Mode in support of the group's 13th studio album, Delta Machine, released 22 March 2013. Following a warm-up show in Nice, France on 4 May 2013, the tour kicked off in Tel Aviv, Israel, and continued through Europe until late July. A North American tour followed in late August, beginning in the Detroit suburb of Clarkston, Michigan and culminating in Austin, Texas in early October. The band performed at the Austin City Limits Music Festival, which in 2013 was held across two weekends for the first time. A second leg in Europe went from 3 November Abu Dhabi to 7 March 2014 Moscow. Among the dates were Dublin, Amsterdam, Oslo and Belfast, their first shows in Northern Ireland in almost 30 years.
The 25 and 27 November 2013 nights in Berlin were filmed by Anton Corbijn and recorded for the CD/DVD release Live in Berlin, released 17 November 2014.
The Delta Machine Tour is the 9th highest-grossing tour of 2013.
Critical reception
Reviews of the tour were mixed. A review of the 7 May show in Tel Aviv was positive, citing an excited crowd and a strong performance from lead singer Dave Gahan "who held the crowd in sway the whole time with his deep baritone and slow-grind dance moves." A review of the 9 July show in Switzerland was negative, reading, "Depeche Mode fans deserve something better." The show was well-attended, but the performance itself was reviewed poorly due to "mundane" backing projections, a lack of stage props and reliance on Gahan, who was described as "Freddie Mercury reincarnated as a seahorse." The review rates the show 2 stars out of 4 ("average"). A review of the 27 July show in Vilnius was especially positive, starting from the very title "Crowd of Many Thousands Raged at Depeche Mode's Concert" and emphasizing the crowd's excitement during "Enjoy the Silence", "Personal Jesus", "Just Can't Get Enough", "I Feel You" and "Never Let Me Down Again". A review of the 20 September show in Dallas praised Gahan's vocals, reading, "Gahan's oily baritone is the firm anchor for Depeche Mode's sleek, rhythmic songs, which came across more nuanced and vibrant than might be expected in a live setting." A review of the 8 October show in Phoenix was very positive for both Gahan and Martin Gore, reading, "As brilliant a job as Gahan does at making the spotlight feel wanted, the concert retained its momentum when he left the stage, allowing Gore an opportunity to be the front man."
Setlist
- Intro (excerpt from "Welcome to My World")
- "Welcome to My World"
- "Angel"
- "Walking in My Shoes"
- "In Your Room" (Zephyr mix)
- "Precious"
- "Black Celebration"
- "Policy of Truth"
- "World in My Eyes"
- "Should Be Higher"
- "In Your Room" (Zephyr mix)
- "Should Be Higher"
- "Policy of Truth"
- "In Your Room" (Zephyr mix)
- "Barrel of a Gun"
- Song performed by Martin Gore
- "Higher Love"
- "Only When I Lose Myself"
- "The Child Inside"
- "When the Body Speaks" (acoustic version)
- "Shake the Disease" (acoustic)
- "Judas" (acoustic)
- "Slow" (acoustic)
- "Blue Dress" (acoustic)
- Song performed by Martin Gore
- "When the Body Speaks" (acoustic version)
- "The Child Inside"
- "But Not Tonight" (acoustic)
- "Judas" (acoustic)
- "Home" (acoustic)
- "Shake the Disease" (acoustic)
- "Slow" (acoustic)
- "Blue Dress" (acoustic)
- "Heaven"
- "Soothe My Soul"
- "A Pain That I'm Used To" (Jacques Lu Cont remix)
- "A Question of Time"
- "Secret to the End"
- "Enjoy the Silence"
- "Personal Jesus"
- "Goodbye"
- Song performed by Martin Gore
- "Home" (acoustic)
- "Somebody"
- "A Question of Lust"
- "But Not Tonight" (acoustic)
- "Condemnation" (acoustic)
- "Leave in Silence" (acoustic)
- "Halo" (Goldfrapp remix)
- "Song performed by Martin Gore
- "Condemnation" (acoustic)
- "Song performed by Martin Gore
- "Just Can't Get Enough"
- "I Feel You"
- "Never Let Me Down Again"
- "Goodbye"
Shows
Musicians
Depeche Mode
- Dave Gahan – lead vocals
- Martin Gore – guitar, synthesizers, lead and backing vocals
- Andy Fletcher – synthesizers
Additional musicians
- Peter Gordeno – synthesizers, samples, bass guitar, backing vocals
- Christian Eigner – drums, synthesizers