Weekly survey: Does Andy Fletcher’s death mean the end of Depeche Mode?
The shock of Andy Fletcher’s death has people wondering about the future of Depeche Mode. Fletch was a founding member of the group back in 1980 and outside of a quick hiatus in the middle 90s (a much-needed mental health break)–he’d been with the band as the quiet guy behind Martin Gore and Dave Gahan. And now he’s gone.
This means Depeche Mode is just down to two members. Some 42 years into the group’s existence–and given everything the individual members have gone through–it’s only natural for fans to wonder if this is finally the end of the road. Will Martin and Dave soldier on as a duo? Or was there something special about Fletch that kept the band together?
Thoughts?
DM have been one of my fav bands for decades now. I first discovered them in the mid-90s, and have been hooked ever since. I even like the newest releases too. The thought of a world with no new DM music or tours makes me sad.
But I suspect Dave and Martin are giving serious thought to pulling the pin. It’s been an awesome run, they’ve been through some things, and I think this might be giving them pause, and making them think it’s time to just relax and be with their families or whatever.
On the flip side, if they still have more to give, why shouldn’t they keep on going?
Personally, I think the only way they should continue is to bring Wilder or Vince Clarke back. One final album and tour? How cool would that be?
Given that Dave, Martin and Fletch have been together for 40 years or so, I think it highly likely this is the end. Both Martin and Dave have side outlets to support their artistic creativity. However fans have not had an opportunity to say their goodbyes and they are an important part of DM history. Perhaps they will do something, but I’m not sure about a full tour.
The band has always been extremely private. My guess is Andy’s health is the reason they have not gone back into the studio or planned another tour. As for the future, the DM family is much bigger than what you see as core band members. A lot of the band members have been with DM for over a decade. And I believe they’ve had consistent management going back to the late 80’s. My guess is they will be back in the studio in the near future with another world tour to follow. RIP Andy.
I’m hoping they took a break due to Andy’s health and have a stash of songs written and ready to produce… Both Dave and Martin look like they are in great health.
I can see them pulling the pin. I feel as you do. I think that the people who truly cared about Andy and Dave and Martin and the community and knew them from the inside and described how he functioned within the band said it best (and I haven’t a clue) when he was the glue. I can *totally* see Dave and Martin clashing over the years over creative differences and personality conflicts due to lifestyles.
I’m deeply saddened by this loss and what it may foretell. I cannot imagine a life without DM. And funnily enough – in a macabre way, I just said the same thing about my sister who died a year and a half ago. DM is not my sister but those few hours every four years were sheer magic and a time when I could lose myself completely and utterly into their hands and also be one with ‘my people’.
For those of you who haven’t watched the documentary Spirits in The Forest – it’s a beautiful monument to the fan perspective. I won’t give anything away but the fan that had a serious accident was my all time favorite story and it said *everything* about the power of music.
I truly hope they don’t quit but that’s only for my own selfish reasons. I think they shall.
A brokenhearted Ruins
I agree they should do a final tour with Alan Wilder and Vince Clark as special guests. I think they should do 14 nights at the 02 whereby each night they do each studio album so fans can here these albums one last time. Sparks did something similar back in 2008.
That won’t happen but it would be fantastic if they did.
He didn’t do anything but sing and clap. So yes, they could keep on going.
John Smith, you could have spared this reading for us. To put it simply, Alan Wilder is not coming back as Vince Clarke would make absolute no sense at all as well. Everyone has moved on with their lives. People keep bringing this stupid idea… let Alan and Vince alone, for God’s sake.
What will happen with the band will depend a lot of a collective effort: From Daniel Miller, Jonathan Kessler, and of course, the ultimate and intimate decision coming from Gore and Gahan. To me, if I were one of them, there’s simply no point carrying on without Fletch. Look… Fletch had been on DM covers since Speak & Spell… what sense does it make now?
I will keep purchasing whatever Gore and Gahan release, and they could release efforts under another alias — or just with their names on it.
The only, and only reason to believe they could go on as Depeche Mode was if Andy expressed their wish to continue, whatever happened… If he expressed he would still want this when we was alive, it’s a possibility. But this will be ultimately decided by the other two bandmates.
Cheers.
Obviously Things will never quite be the same with / for us & them DEPECHE MODE The Nostalgia band package is now one man fdown.RIP Andrew Fletcher.+,I mean,we All grew up together.It has all just zoomed past us,(time )!,And Now Fletch’s sad Departure.But the show must Go on.
There’s certainly another Small medium tour goal to pay homage to Fletch and the whole entire history of the group since there earliest days.(The 80s and on through!).There are lots of ways,sure Alan could even provide. A back onstage farewell to DM As Superstar Stadium fillers.Pictures of Andrew playing etc.,etc..
Dare I even say Holograms?..AR,It’s a tough one anda a tough time for his family and the Band.We must respect his family at this difficult time.
Of course Even Vince Clarke could collaborate.Maybe even Alison Moyet(Didn’t she go to the same college!?..I could be wrong.?!).A reunion?.
Virtuality in Concerts a new buzzword since Charlie Watts and John Lennon have recently been used to great success,by Mc Cartney and The Stones ,respectively.
I do think if they do(& I agree with another fan saying David and Martin could have tons of material ,ready!) Though,I guess It would be the Last EVER tour.Maybe with a New E.P. 4 song / & 12″ singles/ b- sides like Shake The Disease or Martyr and A new More modern Greatest Hits Part 2 Tour CD release,this time,The release seeing World In My Eyes Included,PLEASE!0 of us are getting any younger.We all have family commitments ,but Guys -Keep On Rocking.The Greatest pop band on Earth.
I think that Depeche Mode as a “duo” makes no sense, too reductive and inconsistent. Martin and Dave are too much different in terms of music style and musical taste and sensitivity. I think that the logical and pshysiological thing to do is calling Alan Wilder and Vince Clark back as musicians for a final farewell tour with all the great old songs, in memory of Andy Fletcher.
personalmente creo que seria mejor llamar a alan wilder ya que es y sera el sonido oscuro de la banda la esencia depeche mode ejecutando con su caracteristico teclado en notacion grave ahora que martin con lo que paso a fletch tendra una inspiracion triste y melancolica , alan wilder siempre supo aprovechar eso en su etapa en la banda.
First of all the passing of Andy is very painful, but both MG and DG have had quite painful personal experiences and they have come back to making music as DM. Dm has been kind of a refugee for them.
My concern is is that Andy was supposed to be kind of a lubricant between MG and DG (to an extent only, because everybody knows he was way closer to MG than to DG), so can they function w/o that lubricant or can someone else take that role (Gordeno maybe?). I know what I want, and that is for them to continue, as well said above in this board, the DM familiy is way bigger thgan we think. Also, why not dream, this escenario could trigger the return of Alan to help the healing re/agrupping of the band. cheers
In my opinion they should call it a day. The last studio albums were underwhelming and they certainly don’t need the money so they should find some other interesting ways of playing music than to keep playing the greatest hits all over again but without their founding member.
But you never know. Look at the Stones without Charlie Watts and he was an integral part of their sound
You think your heroes are immortal and will always be around. As much as many of us would love to see DM continue to some capacity, I think it would be challenging for it to happen. Think about it: DG and MG look to their left and Fletch is gone. Fans look to Fletch’s spot and he’s gone. The live shows won’t be the same. The studio releases won’t be the same. But maybe it’s best to step back a bit, allow time to heal, and maybe reconsider their position when the time is right. People say one last album, one last tour. It could be a cathartic experience for us all, reconnecting us to what makes DM so great, that deep love and sense of community and how the music unites us all. Yeah, Andy is gone but it doesn’t mean the world stops. It just means doing a lot of healing at the moment and who knows, maybe we might get that one final album and tour. But that’s for Dave and Martin to decide. Much love.