(Photo via MaximoTV) Los Angeles has declared December 13 as Depeche Mode Day at the City Hall. The day honors the band’s impact on the city’s music scene.

Depeche Mode’s relationship with Los Angeles and the KROQ radio station is a very special one. All started in the 1980s, with KROQ playing a pivotal role in promoting the band in the city. Another iconic moment was the Music for the Masses Tour, which ended with a concert at the Pasadena Rose Bowl in 1988. The whole was documented in the concert film “101” by D.A. Pennebaker. It is Alan Wilder who came up with the album’s title; the performance was the 101st and final performance of the tour (and coincidentally also the number of a famous highway in the area). The band’s performance on June 18, 1988 was attended by approximately 60,453 people. This attendance was a record at that time for the venue.

Forward to 1990 with the famous Depeche Mode riot at Wherehouse Records in Los Angeles. This in-store signing, sponsored by KROQ of course, drew an unexpectedly large crowd of over 20,000 fans, leading to a chaotic situation where the police had to intervene.

The event turned into a near-riot, with fans pressing against the store’s windows and creating a tumultuous scene. The band later released a special promo cassette featuring a band interview and “Something to Do (Metal Mix)”, which was previously unreleased in America, as a gesture to the fans who had attended the event. This cassette was distributed through KROQ.

In a speech councilwoman Monica Rodriguez expressed her gratitude to the attendees, recognizing Depeche Mode’s enduring influence in Los Angeles. Band members Martin Gore and Dave Gahan were present at the event. Gore delivered a brief speech reflecting on the band’s special connection with Los Angeles, noting the early support from KROQ radio station and recalling their first headline stadium show in the city. He also mentioned the Wherehouse Records riot in 1990, an event that gained national attention and inadvertently boosted the band’s profile. Dave Gahan from his side added a lighter note, jokingly wishing for such support during the band’s earlier days.

Check out this video from the Depeche Mode Day declaration.

For more on Depeche Mode, see Depeche Mode frontman Dave Gahan intervenes in fight at LA concert on Side-Line.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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