Depeche Mode Cancel Three More Shows, Bringing Total to Nine

Depeche Mode have been forced to cancel three more shows on their Sounds of the Universe tour as Dave Gahan continues to recover from his bout with severe gastroenteritis. "Doctors have advised that more time is needed to allow singer, Dave Gahan, to fully recover from his recent illness and ensure that the tour can resume shortly," the band said in a statement on their official site. "Depeche Mode apologize to all their fans for this inconvenience and wish Dave a speedy recovery."

The four shows put the total to nine concerts canceled due to Gahan's illness. This round of affected shows includes a May 23rd performance in Warsaw, Poland, a May 25th concert in Riga, Latvia and a May 27th date in Vilnius, Lithuania. If Depeche Mode are forced to cancel more shows, the next one would be a big deal: The band is scheduled to perform at London's enormous O2 Arena on May 30th. After that, Depeche has a date booked in Holland before starting an eight-concert run in Germany.

On May 12th, Depeche Mode backed out of a concert in Athens, Greece, at the last minute after Gahan was struck suddenly by his illness, which sent the singer to the hospital. Cancellations in Istanbul and other European cities followed. The band isn't scheduled to perform in North America until late July, hopefully giving Gahan ample time to heal; the band has a headlining date at Lollapalooza confirmed. Ticket holders of all the canceled shows are being asked to hold onto their stubs while the band determines whether to reschedule or outright cancel the missed gigs.

Related Stories:

• Depeche Mode Cancel Four More Concerts Due to Gahan Illness
• Depeche Mode Cancel Istanbul Concert as Gahan Recovers
• Dave Gahan Rushed to Hospital, Depeche Mode Cancel Gig

• 
  MUSIC The Top 25 Teen Idol Breakout Moments
• 
  MOVIES & TV 'Game of Thrones': The Show Vs. the Books
• 
  POLITICS Matt Taibbi: Facebook IPO vs. Shareholders
• 
  VIDEOS Exclusive: Garbage Rip Through 'I Think I'm Paranoid'

Song Stories

“Smells Like Teen Spirit”

Nirvana | 1991

"Smells Like Teen Spirit," named after a brand of deodorant marketed to girls, was Kurt Cobain's attempt to "write the ultimate pop song," he said, using the soft-loud dynamic of his favorite band, the Pixies. Cobain "had that dichotomy of punk rage and alienation," the song’s producer, Butch Vig, told Rolling Stone, "but also this vulnerable pop sensibility. In 'Teen Spirit,' a lot of that vulnerability is in the tone of his voice." Sadly, by the time of Nirvana's last U.S. tour, in late '93, Cobain was tortured by the obligation to play "Teen Spirit" every night. "There are many other songs that I have written that are as good, if not better," he claimed.

More Song Stories entries »

Twitter