Nowhere is the gulf between British and American music tastes more intriguingly highlighted than in the case of Depeche Mode. In the US, they are venerated as an influence by both the black producers who invented techno and nu-metal bands such as Slipknot and Limp Bizkit. In England, despite enormous, enduring success, Depeche Mode have always been critically derided as naff 1980s survivors, more Gary Numan than New Order.
Partly, that's due to simple snobbery. Depeche Mode's audience is thunderously unfashionable. Tonight, Wembley Arena is packed with mascara-clad goths and portly, unreconstructed geezers. It's an uneasy alliance, testament to Depeche Mode's diverse appeal. The children of darkness are drawn by the gloomy atmospherics of Black Celebration and Walking in My Shoes. The beer-gutted blokes in Hackett shirts are here for Depeche Mode's stadium theatrics.
There's certainly no shortage of the latter. Singer Dave Gahan has now spent so many years projecting his persona to the back rows of the world's sports halls that he finds it impossible to stop. We will have rabble-rousing showmanship whether appropriate to the song or not. "London! Y'all feeling good? Check out the moves!" he hollers, twirling his microphone stand above his head as the band plays a gentle ballad. "Wooh! Alright!" He hops across the stage on one leg, shaking his upturned palms in the manner of the Black and White Minstrels. The precise significance of this action is as mysterious as the feathery ensemble sported by guitarist Martin Gore, still waging a dogged, one-man war on fashion after all these years.
Despite Gahan's efforts, the subdued electronica of their current album, Exciter, is swallowed by Wembley's vastness. Tonight, Depeche Mode are at their best when they abandon all subtlety and perform songs as overblown as Gahan's posturing. As the grinding sleaze of I Feel You and Personal Jesus lurch forth, both his outrageous hamming and Marilyn Manson's love of Depeche Mode make perfect sense. Enjoy the Silence is a fantastic song, capable of withstanding even a hearty audience singalong. The dark pounding of Never Let Me Down Again is menacing and undeniably powerful.
Depeche Mode have founded two decades of global success on their ability to move immense crowds. For all their pantomimic qualities, it is virtually impossible not to be drawn in. As the set ends, Gahan, shameless to the last, exhorts the crowd to wave their hands from side to side. Thousands of goths and Essex boys obey.
· Depeche Mode are at the Manchester Evening News Arena (0161-930 8000) tomorrow, and the NEC, Birmingham (0870 909 4133), on Sunday.
