The Depeche Mode promo juggernaut continued Friday night with the band performing a tiny club gig at The Troubadour in Los Angeles to a crowd of about 400 KROQ contest winners and assorted celebs and VIPs — and then proceeding to stun fans with the first-ever live performance of 1986 B-side turned single “But Not Tonight.”
Sung by Martin L. Gore midway through Friday night’s 10-song set, “But Not Tonight” has never been a favorite of the band, a song song that famously was crammed onto Black Celebration by DM’s American record label and promoted to A-side in the U.S. over “Stripped” to promote the movie soundtrack it also appeared on. Nevertheless, it’s long been a fan favorite.
The performance of “But Not Tonight” also marks the first pre-1990 material played by Depeche Mode during its recent promotional concerts. The band’s full Delta Machine world tour kicks off May 4 in France.
UPDATE: Check out better-quality video of DM’s debut of “But Not Tonight” above via Yo Dre. You can also watch slightly more complete footage of the performance below, courtesy of Blake Kuehn — plus, revisit the original soundtrack video below as well.
Setlist: Depeche Mode, The Troubadour, Los Angeles, CA, 4/26/13
1. “Angel”
2. “Should Be Higher”
3. “Walking In My Shoes”
4. “Barrel of a Gun”
5. “Heaven”
6. “But Not Tonight”
7. “Personal Jesus”
8. “Soft Touch / Raw Nerve”
9. “Soothe My Soul”
10. “Enjoy the Silence”
Depeche Mode, “But Not Tonight” at the Troubadour
Depeche Mode, “But Not Tonight” (original video)
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
- Video: Depeche Mode performs ‘Soothe My Soul,’ ‘Heaven’ on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’
- Depeche Mode to play 400-capacity Troubadour in Los Angeles this Friday
- Video: Depeche Mode live at South By Southwest — watch full 50-minute set
- Video: Watch Depeche Mode’s full 48-minute ‘Live on Letterman’ concert
- Depeche Mode announces North American dates for ‘Delta Machine’ summer tour
Piano versions don’t count.
But not Dave’s voice u.u
Dave is too afraid to sing anything but the ‘greatest hits’ and new songs. It’s an ego thing.
whaouhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ‘d like to be THERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
magnificent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AGREE! No piano, medley and some acoustic versions can be big disappointments.
But Not Tonight? Now Im pleased to have bought tickets for Jones Beach. What would make me even *more pleased*? Please refrain from the 22 minute version of Personal Jesus.
Problem is that there is no guarantee Martin will play it every night. He will certainly play a new one off Delta Machine, and then usually 2 other songs. He has been playing ‘Only When I Lose Myself’ as well… we’ll see how the setlists shake up over the European tour.
I’m very shocked. They’ve hated this song forever because the U.S. chose it as a single over “Stripped”. It’s always been one of my favorites though.
Sounded great. The fan reactions should tell the band to get back to basics with how awful the new CD is. Old Classic Depeche Mode would maybe bring me back to this once great band.
Absolutely. I am still waiting to see setlists from the shows before I buy tickets. There have been very few songs after MFTM that I have cared about. Precious is a gem though!
I was really excited for this but then it was just Martin doing his acoustic thing which seems to be the only area of surprise during a DM set. Personally, I was hoping to hear Dave’s voice delivering this one (sorry MLG) over a layer of synth beats. It would have had the crowd jumping and dancing instead of taking cell phone videos. For once, I was actually disappointed Martin chose this one.
“Of all the changes you could have delivered to your set, you went and…” :)
Still as great as the first time I heard it..I can remember the place and time, I was 13 and I fell in love with DM!!
Lets see…
The Cure: 40 – 50 songs every night, bsides, rarities, they’ll play everything…
Depeche Mode: So far, 10 songs, and only the ‘greatest hits’ every tour, and people freak out when they play something rare. And typically it’s only Martin that plays the rare stuff.
DM need to step it up imo
@ Devotee..
It seems that only Martin will do anything ‘outside the box’, Dave’s only rare tune over the past few tours has been ‘Photographic’ and that has only been played a few times.
For whatever reason Dave just will not sing album tracks, bsdies, etc – he only is comfortable playing the ‘greatest hits’ and new songs.
Even on his solo tour…it was only the DM ‘hits’ that he played. I’m beginning to think Dave is a coward on stage when it comes to the setlists.
I still haven’t bought my ticket, DM need to consistently play songs other than the ‘greatest hits’ this time around to get my money. ‘But Not Tonight’ is a good start, but Martin doing it is the easy way out.
Wow, the screamers always make live sets so great to hear. Enjoying a set does not always mean you have to scream or make your ‘wooooo’ as loud as possible.
This would be great to hear in it’s more-or-less original form, or guitar acoustic ala Here Is The House from World Violation. While it does sound great (screamers not included…), the piano version doesn’t have the same feel as the Touring the Angel version of Shake the Disease.
i’m not a fan of Depeche, but Martin does not sound right singing this
Martin sounds right singing anything.
wow, what a surprising fact! i would have bet money that i’ve seen them sing it live before, but i suppose i’ll have to believe you!
I love But Not Tonight. It’s one of my all time favorite Depeche tunes. Whether Martin sings it or Dave does, I don’t really mind either way. I’ve been waiting a long time to hear this song live.
What I would like to hear is less of these stripped-down, frilly piano versions of their older “classic” songs. I took my sister to see Depeche last tour and when they played Shake The Disease she turned to me and said “Really?! …Piano?! Where’s the synths? The drum machines?” I couldn’t have agreed more.
Some songs work really well when performed acoustically; others, not so much. There are just some tracks you need to be able to dance to, this definitely being one of them. I’m glad they played it and hope they play it when I see them this time around, but I think a synth-y, true to form version would be appreciated a little bit more…ok, A LOT more.
short comment, it stinks! love the song but acoustic and you hear the crowd singing.
I was floored when I came home that night and discovered that Mart had sung this. I agree that the original version would have been preferable, but I think this version is lovely. I am a hardcore fan and go to multiple shows on each tour, and am happy when Mart whips out an oldie (like SHake the Disease on TOTU or Here is the House on Violator), but would really really love it if they could just dig little deeper and play some B-sides or some more album tracks. IMO some of the B-sides (like Sea of Sin or Happiest Girl, for example) are equally as great as the singles. I really hope they mix it up a bit this tour and not just play the same old stuff they always play.
After I saw this L.A. performance and found out they were playing it on tour.. I just could not stop feeling so much anticipation. I had to travel to the bay area from PDX to see them perform it Live, but it was SOOOO worth it! I must admit it, hearing this song Live has been a dream of sorts for me as a long time fan. Yes, I would like to hear it full of the chiming synths, layers, and drum machine (I MUST comment: Oh man, Live drums just did NOT work for Black Celebration, it was so slowed down, lacked the punch of the times I heard it pre 94 in concert) but Martin sings BNT so beautifully. This was a GIFT to fans and I appreciate them putting their feelings on a shelf about the track… they played it for the big fans like ME. This song has always meant so much to me! So cool. Thanks Guys!