There was recently a persistent rumor on Depeche Mode fansites that the band’s tour would take place on April 8th. April 2024 actually ends with the last of the three Cologne concerts in the Lanxess Arena (03.04, 05.04, 08.4.). This shouldn’t come as a surprise, as no other dates for the “Memento Mori” concert tour have been announced.
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But there was a certain hope: Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Christian Eigner, Peter Gordeno and Andy Fletcher ended their “Spirit” tour (four years before his unexpected death) with two additional concerts in Berlin’s Waldbühne – to such acclaim, that not only a live video of the two evenings shot by Anton Corbijn was released, but also an entire concert film, “Spirits in the Forest,” about worldwide fans who made a pilgrimage to the German capital in July 2018 to see their idols.
Are DM coming to Germany again for a celebratory end to the “Memento Mori” tour? Now Dave Gahan’s brother Phil Gahan has spoken plainly. “There are currently no plans beyond April 8, 2024,” Phil wrote on social media. And reveals: “They had planned the usual South American tour, plus Australia and New Zealand. I think even Japan was planned when I first heard about the tour.” Anyone who has tickets for Cologne can perhaps look forward to historic final concerts.
So you probably have to give up this hope for “Waldbühne Extra”. The Facebook page “Depeche Mode Slovakia” already reported on January 1st, 2024: “UNCONFIRMED ~The Memento Mori World Tour should conclude in Cologne on April 8, 2024.”. Of course, this is not a statement from the band, but just a fansite, and the Slovaks themselves write: “unconfirmed”.
Users commented on the post diligently. Very few people were surprised by the “report”. “I have spoken to members of the VIP team who travel to all the shows. They said that the tour is definitely over after this next stage,” writes one fan. “Old news,” writes another. Others are disappointed that Depeche Mode will not be visiting Latin America in 2024. One person writes: “You should stop once and for all.”
After Phil Gahan’s post, fans are once again speculating about the reasons for the relatively short tour. Is it because of the age of the musicians? Or a certain displeasure?
Meanwhile, Depeche Mode never announced that they would disband after the tour. Not even after Fletch’s death in 2022. Not even though some say Dave Gahan and Martin Gore are tired and the album title “Memento Mori” sounds like the end of the duo. The album, released in 2023, received mostly positive reviews and the tour is almost sold out.