Depeche Mode Interviews

1982-02-18 BBC Radio Stoke, UK

Trevor: Interviewer

...

Ambitions?

Trevor: What were your ambitions like at this time? I mean, you were obviously finding it difficult to practice the way you wanted to.

Fletch: We didn't have any ambitions, really.

Trevor: You formed the band though, didn't you Andy?

Fletch: No, well, me and Vince did, yeah.

...

Dave And His Fashion Love

Trevor: And Dave, you went to school which is Barnstable Comprehensive School. You originally wanted to be a window dresser, I believe?

Dave: Yeah. While I was at college, yeah, doing window dressing and fashion. And I was still at college when I met the band, I was sort of messing about with another band when we were rehearsing in the same school, and Vince phoned me up and asked me if I would sing for the band.

Trevor: So what was your reaction to that, straight away?

Dave: Well, I don't know, I just sort of said "Yeah, I'll come along to some rehearsals", we'd done some rehearsals and it just went from there, really.

...

7 People And 10 Teddybears AND PYJAMAS

Trevor: Now you all joined together as a four piece at that time, didn't you?

Dave: Hmm-hmm.

Trevor: And with a great name, it seems, but really bad music, would you agree it was bad music at that time?

Dave: I don't know, we thought it was great. (laughs)

Fletch: When we listen back to old tapes, obviously we...

Dave: - Oh we would listen to that and laugh now.

Fletch: Yeah.

Trevor: So you still have the tapes of some of the original material then?

Fletch: Yes. When we first started, we did concerts around people's houses in Basildon, that's before Dave joined, and it was quite good. One of the gigs we'd played, we played in front of 7 people and 10 teddybears. (laughter) And we dressed up in eh...

Dave: - pyjamas (giggles)

Fletch: pyjamas. It was just a good laugh. We still got the tape of that concert. We've done a lot of gigs around people's houses.  

*i need those tapes*

...

Oml Kraftwerk Time

Trevor: So what influences you to use synthesizers, then, rather than the straight bass-lead-and-drums and so on? Was it just the fact that it was a new sound for you?

Dave: Martin influenced you, didn't he?

Fletch: We was all very jealous of Martin.

Dave: Martin had one and they didn't, so they thought "well we wanna get one as well".

Trevor: Just because he had one?

Dave: Yeah. (laughs)

Trevor: So why did you ditch the guitars, though? There must be a reason for that, I mean, most bands have a guitar.

Fletch: We didn't have good guitars, really, we didn't have good amps. We didn't have any transport to take us places. So it seemed a natural thing to do, really.

Trevor: So you're thinking of practical reasons, then?

Fletch: It's also we wanted to, as well. It just the stuff we were sort of listening to at the time, we were really into Kraftwerk and things then, so it seemed natural.

Trevor: How long ago was this, in fact?

Dave: 19 months, something like that.

...

Trevor: Is it true that you used to join in with the gospel choir at the church, just to store your equipment there?

Fletch: Well we rehearsed there for a while as well, because we got connections through Martin's girlfriend's dad is a steward at his church and we practiced there in the hall, which was quite funny really.

Trevor: But were you generally interested in choir singing and such? Was the vicar under false impressions or something?

Dave: Not really. Nothing to do with me. (laughs)