Depeche Mode Still Has Some Demons to Dispatch

Depeche Mode has been crafting dark, dirge-like synth-pop for years. As the English band played a private event for about 1,500 radio contest winners and industry guests Friday at the Shrine Expo Hall, however, the real-life despair of singer Dave Gahan appeared mostly behind him. Gahan survived a much-publicized suicide attempt and drug overdose and is now in recovery.

It was no surprise when, at the beginning of Depeche Mode’s five-song set, Gahan raised his arms to show them shaking with nervousness. The singer’s condition precludes a concert tour, so this party was the only chance for L.A. fans to hear the songs from the new “Ultra” album performed live.

The brief set didn’t provide any solid evidence that the group is happy and thriving yet, despite a powerful beginning with “Bullet of a Gun,” a song that appears to be about celebrity and self-destruction. Gahan seduced the crowd with hip gyrations and a disarming candor. But the lack of camaraderie among the musicians made them seem wooden.

If questions about Depeche Mode’s future weren’t enough, there is also the matter of whether these synthesizer pioneers can move beyond their trademark sound to remain a relevant force in a pop arena once again swirling with electronica. Gahan might be winning the wrestling match with his demons, but this sampler of a show made clear that Depeche Mode has other ghosts to exorcise.