Depeche Mode have announced the support acts for the North American leg of their 2023 ‘Memento Mori’ world tour.
The synth-pop duo – comprising Dave Gahan and Martin Gore – are due to hit the road next month following the release of their 15th studio album, ‘Memento Mori’, which is out on March 17 via Columbia/Mute.
Yesterday (February 7), the band confirmed that Kelly Lee Owens will open for them on the first leg of their US/Canada trek. Dates include Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Chicago and Toronto.
However, the Welsh musician/producer will not appear at Depeche Mode’s upcoming concert in New York on April 14. Support at that gig will come from Stella Rose, the daughter of Gahan.
Further North American shows are to be announced “shortly”, according to the band. You can find any remaining tickets for the previously confirmed dates here.
Support for first leg of the Memento Mori World Tour will be @kellyleeowens, with the exception of the New York show, which will feature support from @stellarosexxxx. Additional North American shows will be announced shortly.https://t.co/RQ8fE9xv6c pic.twitter.com/dpfnGO0HHd
— Depeche Mode (@depechemode) February 7, 2023
Depeche Mode will head to Europe, the UK and Ireland after the North American run. Find tickets for the UK shows here.
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‘Memento Mori’ follows on from the duo’s 2017 album ‘Spirit’, and is their first record since the death of founding member Andy Fletcher last May. A new single called ‘Ghosts Again’ is set to arrive tomorrow (February 9).
During an interview with NME in October 2022, Gahan explained that he was initially hesitant about making a new Depeche Mode album.
“It wasn’t something I dived into, I have got to say,” he said. “At first I put up quite a bit of resistance. I would say, ‘I don’t know if I still want to do this’; all the usual kind of stuff, but there was a bit more of that than usual.”
Elsewhere in the conversation, the frontman noted that although work on ‘Memento Mori’ started before Fletcher’s death, the latter did not record any material for it.
“He never got to hear any of it, which is really sad to me because there are songs on this record where I know he’d be like, ‘This is the best thing we’ve had in years’,” Gahan told NME. “I can hear his voice. I can also hear him saying, ‘Does every song have to be about death?'”
Despite its emotive themes, Gahan said that ‘Memento Mori’ is ultimately rooted in positivity, serving as an escape for him and Gore. “The one thing I can do is make music with Martin,” he went on, “then we can go do our thing and hopefully that brings people together. It’s just all too much [in the world and the news right now].
“You have to find a place for yourself somehow. This is what it is for us right now: making another record, and we’re going to go out and perform on these stages.”