The singer, who died in February 2022, was celebrated by the likes of Josh Homme, Dave Gahan, and Chrissie Hynde in honour of what would have been his 60th birthday ten days prior. More than just a grunge icon, he was a chronicler of life’s shadowy corners, his music a repository of regret, resilience, and an aching beauty that few could replicate.

Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age, who introduced the evening, set the tone with a wry observation: “Mark would have pretended to hate this, but he would have loved to see you all here tonight.” It was both a statement of Lanegan’s reluctant relationship with fame and an acknowledgment of the deep connections he forged through his art​. It was a communion of friends, collaborators, and admirers.

The evening’s performances were both celebratory and reverent. Dave Gahan of Depeche Mode opened the night with stirring renditions of Lanegan’s ‘Sideways in Reverse’ and ‘Strange Religion,’ his baritone echoing Lanegan’s haunted timbre.

Bobby Gillespie of Primal Scream took the audience on a journey through the bluesy depths of ‘Driving Death Valley Blues’ and ‘Pendulum,’ while Alison Mosshart of The Kills brought fiery energy to tracks like ‘Wedding Dress.’ 

The house band, led by Soulsavers, created a sonic backdrop steeped in the gospel-inflected rock that often underscored Lanegan’s work. 

Greg Dulli, a longtime collaborator, serenaded the crowd with a passionate renditions of ‘Change Has Come’ and ‘Methamphetamine Blues’ a dedication to a friend who wrote “badass” music.

Perhaps the most poignant moment came when Chrissie Hynde, joined by Lanegan’s widow, Shelley Brien, performed ‘Revelator,’ bowing to her and noting that the evening was “a sad night for Shelly Lanegan, but thank you for being here.” 

Homme, who returned to the stage for the second half, delivered ‘Come to Me’ in collaboration with Mosshart, his performance imbued with both humour and sincerity. The night closed with a full ensemble bow, after a moving video montage of Lanegan’s life and career, underscoring the profound impact he had on the musicians around him. 

For the final song of the night Gahan, Homme, and Brien performed Lanegan’s ‘Hit the City’, a triumphant heavy rock song he co-wrote with PJ Harvey. It was a fitting end to a concert that had served not merely as a tribute but also a testament to Lanegan’s singular artistry. His music was never easy, never meant to comfort; it was raw and redemptive, a reflection of a man who wrestled with his demons. As Greg Dulli, remarked in the evening’s final moments, “If you knew him, you loved him. And if you only knew his music, that was enough.”

The Set List – all tracks by Mark Lanegan – for the night: 

Tape: 

12 Gates To The City – ÜLM3N 

Dave Gahan: 

Sideways in Reverse

Low 

Kingdoms of Rain 

Strange Religion 

Bobby Gillespie: 

Driving Death Valley Blues 

Pendulum 

Sworn and Broken 

Alison Mosshart: 

Mockingbirds 

Mud Pink Skag 

When Your Number Isn’t Up 

Wedding Dress

Wendi Rose, T Jae Cole, Janet Ramus

Judgement Time 

Duke Garwood

High Life 

I Am the Wolf 

Tess Parks

Resurrection Song 

Greg Dulli

Methamphetamine Blues 

Change Has Come 

Ed Harcourt

The Stations 

The River Rise 

One Way Street 

Chrissie Hynde

Kimiko’s Dream House 

Halcyon Daze 

Revelator 

Josh Homme

Carnival 

El Sol 

Come to Me (ft. Alison Mosshart)

One Hundred Days 

Encore 1:

Presence of God – Soulsavers (Dave Gahan & video tribute)

Encore 2:

Dollar Bill – Greg Dulli

Revival – Soulsavers (with Dave Gahan)

Hit the City – Dave Gahan (with Shelley Brien & Josh Homme)

Leg 4 of the Memento Mori tour — Europe, Winter 2024, starting January 22 in London. All details: https://t.co/rJtl0RFsdy pic.twitter.com/3r67fsTaGl

— Depeche Mode (@depechemode) July 10, 2023

After releasing what is the band’s 15th studio album, the duo comprising Dave Gahan and Martin Gore set out to tour Momento Mori quickly after its release and was met with stunning success and rave reviews. Such has been the response to the tour that the group has decided to add 29 additional dates across the UK, Ireland and Europe-giving fans an extra chance to see one of the UK’s most beloved and successful bands.

Over the course of Depeche Mode’s 40 plus years, the band has sold over 100 million records and toured the world on numerous occasions. One of the most influential bands of their era and beyond, Depeche Mode have had a staggering 54 songs on the UK Singles Charts and 17 top 10 albums in UK charts. Almost an immediate success within the electronic scene in the early 1980s, the band gained international recognition with their smash hit album Violator-a record featuring arguably their best known songs.

Internal divisions shook the lineup with Gahan and Gore emerging from the 90s as the only two original members left. The pair have rarely been deterred however, going on to release critically acclaimed albums, including March’s Momento Mori-an album that has garnered almost universal acclaim. The album’s first single “Ghosts Again” is considered by some as one of the best songs the band has delivered in decades.

And the Momento Mori tour has not failed to live up to the hype that the record has achieved. Sold out performances across North America and Europe, which have included a sold out Twickenham Stadium in London, have met with glowing reviews with The Guardian writing, “Dave Gahan is a mic-spinning, limb-bending theatrical marvel as the band gallop through decades’ worth of hits.”

Depeche Mode have also partnered with luxury Swiss watch making brand Hublot on the Momento Mori tour to further promote the band’s charities. The pair are supporting the Conservation Collective, a global network of foundations which promote grassroots environmental projects and initiatives with a focus on plastic pollution, waste management and environmental cleanups. Additional details on the charity can be found here.

Hublot and Depeche Mode continue their charity partnership to support the The Conservation Collective, a global environmental charityhttps://t.co/nhY1TuREjc pic.twitter.com/Blw1lGAez4

— Dave Gahan Fans (@DaveGahanFans) April 16, 2023

If one thing has remained an incontestable constant in Depeche Mode’s career, it is that their crowd-pleasing triumphant live performances have left audiences desperate for more and with the Momento Mori tour set to continue, the band are giving their fans exactly what they want. Tickets to the tour can be found here and here.

Momento Mori Additional UK, Ireland and Europe Tour:

22/01/2024 – O2 Arena – London
24/01 – Utilita Arena – Birmingham
29/01 – AO Arena – Manchester
31/01 – OVO Hydro – Glasgow
03/02 – 3Arena – Dublin
06/02 – Sportpaleis – Antwerp, Belgium
08/02 – Ziggo Dome – Amsterdam, Netherlands
10/02 – Royal Arena- Copenhagen, Denmark
13/02 – Mercedes-Benz Arena – Berlin, Germany
15/02 –  Mercedes-Benz Arena – Berlin, Germany
17/02 – Barclays Arena – Hamburg, Germany
22/02 – O2 Arena – Prague, Cech Republic
24/02 – O2 Arena – Prague, Cech Republic
27/02 – Atlas Arena – Lodz, Poland
29/02 – Atlas Arena – Lodz, Poland
03/03 – Accor Arena – Paris, France
05/03 – Accor Arena – Paris, France
07/03 – Olympiahalle – Munich, Germany
12/03 – Wizink Center – Madrid, Spain
14/03 – Wizink Center – Madrid, Spain
16/03 – Palau Sant Jordi – Barcelona, Spain
19/03 – Altice Arena – Lisbon, Portugal
21/03 – BEC – Bilboa, Spain
23/03 – Pala Alpitour – Torino, Italy
26/03 – MVM Dome – Budapest, Hungary
28/03 – Mediolanum Forum – Milan, Italy
30/03 – Mediolanum Forum – Milan, Italy
03/04 – Lanxess Arena – Cologne, Germany
05/04 – Lanxess Arena – Cologne, Germany

The Ghosts Again (Remixes) collection includes remixes from Luke Slater, Matthew Herbert and Chris Liebling, amongst others.

Memento Mori is the first album Depeche Mode have released since the tragic passing of their bandmate, Andy Fletcher in 2022. Following the loss of their friend, founding member and synth player, frontman Dave Gahan and guitarist/keyboardist Martin Gore have channeled the emotions of such an event into a powerful and reflective album.

“Ghosts Again” focuses on themes of partings and loss, with the remixes offering different interpretations of the moving track.

Amongst the remixes is a strings-only version of the track, contributed by Davide Rossi. Rossi also recorded strings for the Memento Mori album, and said, “I wanted to do this [remix] as a tribute to my love for the band. I am so thrilled that they decided to keep it and release it.”

Chris Liebling, who teamed up with Luke Slater for another remix of “Ghosts Again” commented, “I have been a big fan of Depeche Mode for so many years. They have influenced the way that I think about music and DJ. I’m extremely grateful that I could not only do another remix, but that I also got to do it with one of the biggest legends in techno world [Luke Slater].”

Luke Slater shared his thoughts on collaborating with Depeche Mode too, saying, “When I was a kid I was buying Depeche Mode 7-inches, the early ones. I remember that well…What I love about Depeche Mode is that over the years they have just formed a world of themselves…They’ve kind of covered this timeless zone and I think that’s really special.”

Slater’s comment on Depeche Mode’s own world being formed became even more true following the passing of Andy Fletcher, with Dave Gahan and Martin Gore needing to re-establish their relationship to one another and their work dynamic as a duo.

Gahan shared, “Martin described it as two long-lost brothers meeting for the first time and having to have a real conversation. It was about getting to know each other in a different way. Not that we don’t know each other well, but in terms of having a close friendship? That’s never really been the deal between Martin and I.”

Gore explained, “Me and Dave never had any big issues or problems with each other, but we tended to be kind of distant. With there only being two of us left, that has led us to be closer and to talk more.”

These themes are very evident in this track, with collaborator Matthew Herbert saying, “I quite liked the idea of ‘We’ll be ghosts again’…everyone vanished from the dancefloor. The idea of the temporary community that’s being built.”

The track listing for Ghosts Again (Remixes) is below:

1. Ghosts Again Massano Remix
2. ‘Ghosts Again Chris Liebing vs Luke Slater Remix
3. ‘Ghosts Again Miss Grit Remix
4. ‘Ghosts Again Rival Consoles Remix
5. ‘Ghosts Again Matthew Herbert’s Feelings Remix
6. ‘Ghosts Again Davide Rossi Strings Remix
7. ‘Ghosts Again Bergsonist’s Shadow Mix
8. ‘Ghosts Again Nik Colk Void Remix