British band Depeche Mode proved a big hit with Romanians: 45,000, according to official figures, went to the concert in the National Arena in Bucharest last night (May 15). Although the band's current tour is ostensibly to promote the new album Delta Machine, there was no shortage of old hits, much to the audience's delight.

Songs such as Precious, Policy of Truth, Enjoy the Silence and Personal Jesus made it onto Depeche Mode's Bucharest set list, as well as Just Can't Get Enough and I Feel You in the encore. The stage took several days to set up and featured the group's spectacular use of huge video projections and light shows.

The concert began with Welcome to My World, and continued with Angel, but only after frontman David Gahan had whipped off his jacket to reveal one of his trademark waistcoats.

Depeche Mode arrived in Romania on Tuesday just before 4pm by a private chartered flight to Baneasa airport. The Bucharest appearance was the fifth concert of the Delta Machine tour after shows in Nice, Tel Aviv, Athens and Sofia. Depeche Mode are heading to Istanbul for the next date on the tour; Friday, May 17.

Depeche Mode's roots go back to 1976, when Vince Clarke and Andrew Fletcher started a band called No Romance in China. After the arrival of Martin Gore and Dave Gahan in 1980, the band adopted the name Depeche Mode. Clarke left after the band had made its first album and Martin Gore then became the main songwriting force. In 1984, with the fourth album, appropriately titled Some Great Reward, came massive commercial success and the group went on to have a number of hit albums and singles for the rest of the decade and into the early 90s. The group had a four year break, but returned in the late 90s and have enjoyed huge success, particularly with their tours, ever since.

editor@romania-insider.com

Photo by Eduard Breaban, courtesy of event promoters EMAGIC