Part of the Memento Mori World Tour, the Grandparents of Synth-Pop had an electrifying and emotional show yesterday, 26^th of July 2023 on National Arena, Bucharest. And a great tribute to the late Andrew Fletcher, one of the founding memebers of DM.

Some random videos, I didn`t filmed much, I rather preferred to enjoy the experience:

DM were, as ussual, despite their age, absolutely fabulous on stage. The show was a total gift for me personally, and I thank them for the passion, dedication, art and sharing with all of us their beautifull souls.

It is their 4^th concert here in Romania and I`ve been to all of them, each time it was a privilege, and I consider myself fortunate to witness their grace.

Some personal thoughts and remarks.

I received the tickets to this concert back in the autumn, as a present from my wife. Thank you again, my love. Yesterday afternoon, looking at the weather reports – we had the second day in a row with 41 Celsius here in Romania – she told me: „My Dear, if I would have known in November that it will be 41 degrees today I would have bought you a different present.”

– Dont worry darling – I replied. There are people now boarding for Rhodos, despite the fact that they are evacuating the island because of the vegetation fires. We should be happy compared to them.

But she was right, the temperature in the stadium, at least in Zone A, was at the limit of bearable. Thousands of bodies packed like sardines, produced even more heat. Add to this the smoke from the cigarrettes, and you get the picture of the smoking house/sauna that we subjected ourselves to. At the middle of the show, just when we purchased some cold water to cope with the heat, rain started. We took shelter under the side roof. The stadium, despite the fact that has a complete cover for rain, wasn`t extending it with this ocasion, I do not know the explanation. They had a rain and thunderstorm notice from the Weather Administration, so they should have been prepared.

We did not have an umbrella, it was against the acces rules, and we have no wish to get completely wet, being the 4^th DM concert here in Romania it wasn`t a new experience to any of us – so reluctantly we decided to leave before the end. Staying in a listening position behind the scene was not possible because of the sound refelections – it was a total audio mess.

Lessons learned:

1. I am too old to go in the middle of the summer at concerts, especially in a standing area :), I will gladly go when the temparetures are humane, and with seats. From September to May, with love.

2. National Arena is an acoustic mess. It was not designed with concerts in mind, this is I think my 3^rd or 4^th concert here, and despite the fact that the audio engineers of DM have performed miracles with the sound (It was way better than the sound of Ed Sheeran in the same arena), my ears were not happy with the results. Bottom line – I will not waste my money again in this Arena (doesn`t matter who comes next – Coldplay in 2024 or whatever other big band) just to hear all the reflections and echoes from the walls. I will buy the CD and listen comfortably back home.

Final thoughts:

I will always remember seing their first video – Stripped, back in the comunism in 86, on a pirated video cassette with MTV clips. I will always remember the nights in the 90`s listening and dancing the tracks from the Violator in the Cișmigiu „Depechoteque” – a Bucharest portmanteau for Depeche and discoteque. I will always remember all their shows here in Romania and the countless nights and parties filled with their music, throughout my entire adult life.

Thank you DM for being part of my life!

I’ll always remember „the shoes” of Dave Gahan, that he generously offered us yesterday in Bucharest. „Try walking in my shoes” is a genuine example of the metaphores that DM music is filled with, from beginnig to the end, a perfect embodiment of their art and soul.