How I became a Depeche Mode fan; Nope not this Vespa Music Video

The year was 1987, my older brother was home for the holidays from college.  We didn’t hang out in the same circles, but from time to time he would take me under his wing. Wait, that’s not right. Okay, do you remember the movie Weird Science, and the older brother Chet played by Bill Paxton?  Yeah, so Chet’s my older brother, ever the tormentor, but on some occasions he would be cool to me.

So the year was 1987 and my brother was home from college and decided to take me with him to some chain restaurant (can’t recall which) where this girl he knows was working. “Listen, you little punk don’t act like a spaz or I’ll kill you. This girl is cool and I’m only bringing you with me ’cause I don’t have time to drop you off back home.” Fearing whatever new torturous skills he had acquired while pledging that god awful fraternity he was in, I just nodded and tried not to make eye contact.

So we got to the restaurant and I could not believe the dark super-cool girl that I was being introduced to; so not the cheerleader type he normally went for. She was just ending her shift and the three of us sat in a booth and talked over a plate of some appetizer that was hip and new in 1987.

It was then that she paused, looking right at me, and said, “Oh My god!! You look just like David Gahan!!” Both my brother and I replied “who?” although his was dripping with jealousy.

“You know, the guy from Depeche Mode!!  Oh my god!”  It was then she got up and grabbed her co-worker girlfriends to come over and have a look.  They too gasped in disbelief how much i resembled the the man hanging on their walls and in their Walkmans.

Although I didn’t see it then (and I don’t see it now) it was at this very moment I became a Depeche Mode fan. The very next day I went to my local record store (Peaches) and bought all the cassettes available from Depeche Mode.  Granted, the outcome of this relationship would have been completely short-lived had their music sucked, thankfully it did not. Album after album the music was great.

For many reasons, mostly the Vespa, here is my favorite song from Depeche Mode.

Needless to say, my fashion choices changes almost over night.