Fans Feast on Hollywood Boulevard Pie a la Depeche Mode

Despite the "It'll be our little secret" billboard on the new W Hollywood Residences at the corner of Hollywood and Vine in Los Angeles, it was no secret at all when over 16,000 fans showed up to see Depeche Mode play their music to the masses at a free, outdoor concert Thursday night at the infamous intersection. Performing on a stage constructed specifically for the hyped-up event, Depeche Mode, presented by Jimmy Kimmel Live!, performed in support of their new album Sounds of the Universe and to launch the W Hollywood Residences AND promote the film Fighting. That's a whole lotta corporate going on.

From the sheriff department stationed in the Hollywood/Vine subway station making sure everyone had paid for their subway tickets, to the police mounted on horseback dispersing fans who hadn't joined the official line up, the atmosphere was frenzied to the point of near riot when overzealous, concert crashers tried to break down a fence. While thousands of fans waited in gated-off sections for Depeche Mode to hit the stage, some were climbing up nearby building awnings with others sitting, legs dangling, on the roof of the nearby Pantages Theater. Still others were risking their lives climbing out the venue's windows just to catch a glimpse of the British trio.

To introduce the concert, Jimmy Kimmel came onstage and joked with the enthusiastic crowd saying, "How many of you are here for Depeche Mode and how many of you are just homeless?" Kimmel also mentioned that Eric Garcetti, Los Angeles City Council President, had received thousands of complaints from the public in attempts to cancel the show. But, this is Hollywood (and Vine), of course, and the show goes on.

The Mode treated fans to a short, but hit infused, energetic seven-song set that opened with their current single “Wrong,” before blazing through crowd pleasers “Personal Jesus,” “Walking In My Shoes,” “Enjoy The Silence” (which was transformed into an extended, instrumental jam session) before closing the 45-minute rock spectacle with, apropos of their performance, “Never Let Me Down Again.” Singer Dave Gahan, dressed initially in a black jacket, black vest (without a shirt) and black pants, removed his blazer two songs into the set displaying lots of sweaty skin and tattoos. Responding to the crowd's boundless energy, Gahan channeled it back to the audience with a passionate vocal performance, while dancing and whirling around with the mic stand in his hand. Though the sound mix was sporadically muddy — especially noticeable during “Enjoy The Silence” when Gahan seemed, in a fit of helplessness and humility, to laugh gracefully and give it up to God — Depeche Mode looked and sounded polished and perfectly ready to begin their Tour of the Universe in May.

Celebrity onlookers included Coldplay's Chris Martin, 30 Seconds To Mars' Jared Leto, The Deftones and actress Amanda Peet.