Dave Gahan(English: Dave Gahan; born May 9, 1962, Epping, England) is a British musician, vocalist of the band Depeche Mode since its founding in 1980. In 2007, Q magazine ranked Gahan number 73 on its "100 Greatest Singers" list and number 27 on its "100 Greatest Frontmen" list.

David, or Dave as he is more commonly known, is the frontman and main vocalist of Depeche Mode, and co-wrote three songs on the band's 2005 album Playing the Angel - "Suffer Well", "I Want It All" and "Nothing's Impossible". - three songs from the album Sounds of the Universe (2009) - “Come Back”, “Hole To Feed”, “Miles Away/The Truth Is”, and three songs from the album Delta Machine (2013) - “Secret to the End” , "Broken", "Should Be Higher". In addition to singing, he occasionally plays piano and guitar (in the studio). While touring in support of his first solo album, Paper Monsters played harmonica.

In addition to participating in Depeche Mode, Dave periodically takes part in side projects, and since 2003 he has been engaged in a solo musical career, within which he recorded two albums - Paper Monsters (2003) and Hourglass (2007). On May 21, 2012, the album The Light The Dead See was released, recorded with English rock musicians Soulsavers. On October 23, 2015, the album Angels & Ghosts was released, also recorded with the English group Soulsavers.

Early biography

David Gahan (born David Calcott) was born on 9 May 1962 in the village of North Weald, near Epping, Essex, UK, to bus driver Lyn Calcott and conductor Sylvia Root. The family also had an eldest daughter, Sue (born 1960). Dave's mother and grandmother worked in the Salvation Army, and the family was religious. When Dave was six months old, his father left the family, and a few years later the Calcotts officially divorced. Soon after, Sylvia married Royal Dutch Shell employee Jack Gahan, who adopted David and his sister. After this the family moved to Basildon. Sylvia and Jack subsequently had two children, Gahan's half-brothers, Peter (1966) and Phil (1968).

Dave Gahan's adoptive father died in 1972. This shocked him deeply. After Jack's death, her ex-husband Lyn Calcott came to Sylvia's house. The musician would later say about his meeting with his biological father:

I will never forget this day. When I came home from school, someone unknown was at my mother’s house. My mother introduced him to me as my real father. I remember saying it was impossible because my father was dead. How was I supposed to guess who this man was? From that day on, Lin came to our house often until a year later when he disappeared again. Now forever. He hasn't contacted us since then. As I grew older, I began to think about him more and more. The only thing my mom told me about it was that he moved to Jersey to open a hotel. Original text (English) I "ll never forget that day. When I came home from school, there was this stranger in my mum"s house. My mother introduced him to me as my real dad. I remember I said, that was impossible because my father was dead. How was I supposed to know who that man was? From that day on, Len often visited the house, until one year later he disappeared again. Forever this time. Since then he had no contact with us. By growing older, I thought about him more and more. The only thing my mother would say, was that he moved out to Jersey to open a hotel

While studying at school (en:Barstable School), Gahan often played truant. He began to have problems with the law, Gahan painted graffiti on the walls of the school, smoked, listened to The Clash and the Sex Pistols. Eventually, Dave's street disorderly behavior landed him in police custody and then in juvenile court. Gahan was fond of stealing and setting fire to cars. Dave himself said that he liked being chased by the police, he was turned on by the feeling of being chased, that he was “really wild.” While in his last year at school, Gahan tried to get a job as an assistant mechanic at North Thames Gas, but at the request of his supervising officer he was forced to talk about his criminal past at the interview. As a result, he was not hired for the job, which prompted Gahan to trash his supervisor's office. As a punishment, Dave was sentenced to prison at the Youth Correctional Center in Romford. Dave had to serve his sentence every weekend for a year.

Consequence of Sound discussed with David Gahan working on the album "The Light the Dead See" and questions regarding Depeche Mode, including rumors of a return Alan Wilder. However, as a journalist, he did not try to get Mr. Gahan talking about the new Depeche Mode album - he preferred not to spoil the surprise.

Have you worked in the studio recently?

Yes, everything went well. We spent most of the year writing the album. I was also busy with the project. I kind of promised myself to take a break after the last tour Depeche Mode[laughs] but became even busier. It's always like this.

Actually, writing songs with Rich was amazingly enjoyable. I wasn't puffing away in the studio or anything like that. Rich sent me new material every few weeks, and when I was in the mood, I worked with him.

Was this album recorded over the internet, or did you actually work in the studio?

No, we never went to the studio together [laughs]. Rich walked. We rarely discussed what we were doing and never discussed my contribution to the project. He would send me some raw ideas, recorded on an electric organ or guitar and so on, and I would start writing. Once I had a picture in place, I went into the studio with my friend Kurt ( Kurt Uenala, kap10kurt), with whom we also write songs here in New York. I wrote a lot of stuff with him for the album. Depeche Mode, but everything has its time. We recorded the vocals, and once I was sure it was what we needed, I sent the demo to Rich and he did the arrangements. We actually first met in person about this project only when we started promoting the album.

Dave Gahan, Rich Machin. Soulsavers

We were introduced by our mutual friend Martin Lenoble ( Martin Lenoble), he played bass on my tour "Paper Monsters". I've been friends with him since I lived in Los Angeles. He wrote the bass guitar on the album "Broken", and I called him about some other matter. He said: “And I’m here in the studio with Soulsavers.”. I answered: "Is it true? I really like this group". And Rich was shouting in the background: “Well, take us as a warm-up, damn it”[laughs].

You gave one-off concerts. Was the possibility of a tour discussed with?

We were planning several concerts. We played a concert in the building Capitol studios, That was great. Small hall for 150 people. The concert was filmed and recorded, I hope it will be shown on some TV show someday.

New album Depeche Mode– did you come up with a name?

No. Options for the album title and songs are being considered, but are constantly changing. For now I won’t disclose anything.

I'm pleased with how the work on the album went. I also discussed a lot of things with Anton Corbijn. Anton did several photo sessions and, I think, will again make a video for one of the songs, we haven’t decided which one yet.

We recorded about 20 songs. About two thirds are Martin's songs, and a third are mine. It remains to be decided which of them will be included in the album. Ben Hiller ( Ben Hillier) produces. Flood ( Flood) reduces. Our team has changed a little. Chris Berg ( Chris Berg), you may know him from working with Fever Ray, made an excellent contribution to the recording. The album sounds a little more minimalistic. It's more precise than the previous album in terms of... it's more direct. We believe that if a song has a good melody, it should be audible, and the arrangement should be as minimalistic as possible. Not too many frills, not too much production in terms of... it's hard to say. We just try not to over-produce the record. It seems that it is easy, but in reality it is not. You can kind of start chasing your tail. But for now we are coping.

You said the word “minimalistic.” Martin's work on his and Vince's album influenced the sound of the new album Depeche Mode?

I would say no - as far as the actual sound of the album is concerned. We use a lot of modular synthesizers, yes. But there is also a lot of live performance in the studio. We are trying to work less in music editors. It definitely sounds more emotional this way. And it definitely inspired Martin.

He and I are often colors of different spectrums, but that’s what’s interesting about Depeche Mode. There is some kind of reaction between us when we work in the studio together. This is not an easy process. But that's cool. We don't rest on our laurels. We always try to challenge ourselves, what we do and each song individually.

What do you say about the rumors that Alan Wilder with you again?

This is completely untrue. I wish him all the best. It was nice to hang out with him for a couple of days and play at the Royal Albert Hall. It was a magical evening. That was great. We also made a lot of money for Roger Daltrey's Teenage Cancer Foundation. It was great to see Alan on stage again... He was part of the picture and is still in everything we've done together. Alan played a decisive role in where we were going then.

Martin said that at the beginning of your career you believed that conquering America was a hopeless endeavor and there was no chance for you there. And a year later (1984), album "Some Great Reward" burst into the charts, and within a few years you had, one might say, conquered the world. It's amazing how much can change in a year.

Well, “Don’t say ‘gop’...” [laughs].

Did you know that the lead singer of the famous group Depeche Mode, David Gahan, has been practicing Orthodoxy for more than 12 years?

In the generation of people whose youth fell in the eighties and nineties, there are no people who would not be familiar with the name of the musical group “Depeche Mode”.

In the very first few years of Depeche Mode's performances, the whole United Kingdom started talking about them, and over the next eight they thundered throughout the world. Their tours and performances in Europe, the USA and even Japan have always been successful, gathering the largest halls and stadiums of fans.

At the same time, it cannot be said that everything in their creative path was cloudless and smooth - popularity and fame are always a test for a creative person, capable of breaking and even destroying. There were similar breakdowns in the lives of the Depeche Mode musicians.

Their lead singer Dave Gahan, in the first decade of the group’s existence, became interested in experiments with narcotic substances that supposedly “expand consciousness” and “enrich the immensely simple human experience,” and subsequently became deeply dependent on drugs.

Downtime in creativity sometimes lasted for years; in the period from 1993 to 1996, he experienced clinical death three times due to an overdose of heroin mixed with amphetamine.

Dave was married twice, his wives left when faced with his incurable drug addiction - rational, practical, ordinary European wives... But Dave was not just lucky with his third girlfriend, apparently she, dying and desperate to cope with a killer disease, was sent by heaven.

Shortly after David attempted suicide in 1995, he met Greek Orthodox Christian American Jennifer Skliaz.

In 96, when, after another cardiac arrest, rescued by ambulance paramedics, Dave said that during clinical death he saw his beloved Jennifer, who was calling him back to life.

In 1999 they got married, and the wedding took place in a Greek church according to the Orthodox rite. Together with Jennifer, he came to church for the first time and felt the need to pray and receive the holy sacraments. Dave and Jenny had a daughter, Stella, and Gahan adopted his wife's son from his first marriage, Jim. Even with his son from his first marriage, meetings with whom, on the initiative of David’s first wife, were for a long time prohibited by the court, the singer managed to establish relationships again and resume meetings. And now he never tires of talking in his interviews about how much family and children mean to him.

Many people, even those who are not indifferent to these very issues and serious people, prefer not to speak out about issues of faith, as very intimate and personal, so that “...no one gets into the butterfly of the poet’s heart...” “..dirty, in galoshes and without galoshes” (as V. Mayakovsky accurately noted).

Admirers of Depeche Mode, friends of musicians and simply music critics, after David Gahan’s amazing return to life and creativity, began to notice how deep and mature his statements about life, people and the world had become.

For example, one of Dave’s favorite aphorisms that Dave now repeats in almost every interview is a paraphrased quote from the Apostle Paul’s 1st Epistle to the Corinthians that “...you can own everything, as long as nothing owns you.”

Do not be surprised if, while listening to the next album of the Depeche Mode group, you hear the melodious form of the Orthodox liturgy.

based on an article by Oksana Zhuk
smola-music.ru

On VE Day, the one and only Dave Gahan of Depeche Mode, one of the best frontmen of our time, celebrates his 50th birthday - and that's a victory too. Over drugs and weaknesses, over envious people and failures.

What gives him strength, makes his heart beat faster? What forces you to return to the studio again and again, record your thirteenth album, and then go on stage for the billionth time, sing “I feel you, your sun it shines,” dance to “Personal Jesus,” lead a forest of thousands of fans’ hands to “ Never Let Me Down" around the world?

Our tribute to the hero of the day is a few words about the life values ​​of the leader of one of the most important groups on the planet.

Music

In 1980, Vince Clarke heard 18-year-old tomboy Dave sing David Bowie's "Heroes." Since then, Gahan has been the undisputed leader of Depeche Mode - the charisma, attractiveness, dark side, drive of this cult group.

For a long time, Martin Gore remained the main songwriter for DM; Dave only had to sing. But sooner or later, the author’s personal ambitions had to take over - in 2003 Dave released his first solo album “Paper Monsters”, gathered musicians, went on tour, and even came to Kyiv for a concert.

Only after this did songs written by Dave appear in the Dispatches repertoire, including the hits “Suffer Well” and “Hole to Feed.” In his second solo disc, “Hourglass,” Gahan is already an accomplished author.

Well, even though Dave is only a performer in the vast majority of the group’s compositions. For viewers and listeners, he is the key to the DM Universe. This image, this voice, these movements, this look... Depeche Mode is his life. Depeche Mode is our life.

“We in Depeche Mode have never gotten rid of our teenage absurdity towards each other. We are still like this: we seem to be comrades, but we seem not. This awkwardness is still present, only now we have families and children.” By the way, about family.

Family

Dave has lived in New York since 1997. Currently, his home is kept by his third wife Jennifer (Greek by origin), their common daughter Stella Rose and Jennifer’s son from her first marriage, Jimmy.

Jennifer can be seen in Depeche Mode's video for the song "Suffer Well", where she appears as an angel and then as herself.

Here's what Dave told The Guardian in October 2007: "I'm excited about all these things I've been ignorant about for so many years: being with the kids, being a better husband, listening to my wife."

And one more thing: “All major quarrels with my wife begin with the dishwasher. Knives and forks should be loaded with the sharp end facing down. You can fit more if everything is placed as it should be. But if Jen leaves the room, I have a chance to cheat.”

Complementing the family theme, the left photo shows Dave with his older sister Sue and younger brothers Peter and Phil, and the right photo with his mother Sylvia.

NY

Dave has lived in New York since 1997 and would not trade this city for any other. He likes to have lunch at Joe's Pizzeria on Sixth Avenue and Carmine, or take a leisurely stroll through Central Park, especially when everything is in bloom there.

“New York is the first place in my life where I felt at home,” Gahan admitted in an interview with the New York Post. “Like any New Yorker, I have a love-hate relationship with this city. There are times when he pushes, but when I'm away even for a short time, I can't wait to get home. I'm a New Yorker."

It’s funny that in 2003, Dave wandered around Kyiv without security, looked around, calmly signed autographs (for example, near the Znannya bookstore), and when journalists at a press conference asked in surprise, “So, wasn’t it scary?” : "Of course not! Guys, I live in New York - it’s unlikely that anything can scare me.”

Sex

Dave Gahan is one of the most coveted musicians in the world. Like any sane man, he loves sex.

“It’s like in sex: the more you give, the better you get. Everything only gets worse with age. The more comfortable you feel, the better you know your body, the more you can show in bed.”

Heroin and chocolate

Heroin is a thing of the past, but one cannot help but remember it. After the success of the albums “Music For The Masses” (1987) and “Violator” (1990), Dave was blown away. Alcohol, tons of heroin, parties until you completely pass out - this does not pass without a trace.

The worst times for vocalist DM came in 1993 - unsuccessful attempts to get off the needle, withdrawal, almost leading to schizophrenia. The paramedics gave Dave the nickname “Cat”, because, as it turned out, he also had nine lives.

Gahan suffered a heart attack at a concert in New Orleans - his bandmates had to improvise an encore without him. The doctors insisted that the vocalist stop touring, but he refused.

In August 1995, Dave, tormented by addiction, tried to commit suicide and cut his wrists. “It was a suicide attempt, but also a cry for help. I was sure that they would find me." 1996 - overdose with a mixture of cocaine and heroin or morphine (experienced people call this cocktail “redrum” - that is, “ovtsyib”) and clinical death.

“When I died, there was only darkness. In those two minutes when my heart stopped, some deep voice inside me said: “This is wrong.” It's like it's not up to me to decide when it all ends. It scared the crap out of me.”

This was the last straw. The musician got out. Already in 1997, Depeche Mode released their next album, “Ultra”. Since then, the musician has even avoided wine, realizing that any such temptation could start a snowball again. Today, as Dave himself claims, heroin addiction has been replaced by addiction to dark chocolate. “The fans know this, so I always get a lot of chocolate on tour.”

Drawing

In numerous interviews, the DM leader mentions a variety of hobbies that help him relax: fishing, cars, swimming, skydiving, drawing...

As for the latter, Dave has been interested in this all his life. The only school lessons in which he did not fall asleep were drawing and drawing. As a teenager, he often “bombed” his native Basildon with primitive graffiti. In 1977, the guy even entered Southend College of Art.

In the early nineties, during a time of turbulent addictions, Gahan found an outlet in drawing. At his villa in Los Angeles, he could spend hours drawing not only on paper and canvas, but also directly on the floor, walls, ceiling - grotesque images everywhere. This was his psychotherapy, an opportunity to escape from reality.

In '93, Dave outlined every inch of the room and brought Martin Gore there. It was only then that Martin learned for the first time that his bandmate also had artistic talent.

They say that almost all the paintings painted by Gahan during that period are irretrievably lost - they were stolen by fellow needleworkers while the musician was lying around in rehabilitation clinics.

In one interview, Dave was asked which historical figure he would like to be in. The musician named Hieronymus Bosch, one of the most mysterious artists of all time. By the way, it was Bosch who inspired photographer and music video director Anton Corbijn to create the “Walking In My Shoes” video, which Gahan considers his favorite from DM.

One day, thinking about the future, the DM leader said: “Perhaps in retirement I could sit at home on Long Island and draw like Captain Beefheart all the time. Crazy hermit - I love that idea."

Until this happens, we will wait for the Soulsavers album with Gahan's vocals and lyrics (release May 21, 2012), and in 2013 - a new Depeche Mode album and tour. Happy Birthday Dave!

Sergey KANE ,

09.05.2012

David Gahan(David Gahan; born May 9, 1962, Epping, England) is an English musician who has been a member of Depeche Mode since its founding in 1980. Q magazine ranked Gahan number 73 on its "100 Greatest Singers" list and number 27 on its "100 Greatest Frontmen" list.

David, or Dave as he is more commonly known, is the frontman and main vocalist of Depeche Mode, and co-wrote three songs on the band's album Playing the Angel(2005) - “Suffer Well”, “I Want It All” and “Nothing’s Impossible” - three songs from the album Sounds of the Universe(2009) - “Come Back”, “Hole To Feed”, “Miles Away/The Truth Is”, and three songs from the album Delta Machine(2013) - “Secret to the End”, “Broken”, “Should Be Higher”. In addition to singing, he occasionally plays piano and guitar (in the studio). While touring in support of his first solo album Paper Monsters played the harmonica.

In addition to participating in Depeche Mode, Dave periodically takes part in third-party projects, and since 2003 he has been engaged in a solo musical career, within which he recorded two albums - Paper Monsters(2003) and Hourglass(2007). The album was released on May 21, 2012 The Light The Dead See, recorded with English electronic musicians The Soulsavers (English).

Early biography

David Gahan (born David Calcott) was born on May 9, 1962 in the village of North Weald, near the city of Epping, Essex, UK in the family of bus driver Lyn Calcott and conductor Sylvia Root. The family also had an eldest daughter, Sue (born 1960). Dave's mother and grandmother worked in the Salvation Army, and the family was religious. When Dave was six months old, his father left the family, and two years later the Calcotts officially divorced. Soon after, Sylvia married Royal Dutch Shell employee Jack Gahan, who adopted David and his sister. After this the family moved to Basildon. Sylvia and Jack subsequently had two children, Gahan's half-brothers, Peter (1966) and Phil (1968).

Dave Gahan's adoptive father died in 1972. This shocked him deeply. After Jack's death, her ex-husband Lyn Calcott came to Sylvia's house. The musician would later say about his meeting with his biological father:

While attending school (:en:Barstable School), Gahan often played truant. He began to have problems with the law, Gahan painted graffiti on the walls of the school, smoked, listened to The Clash and Sex Pistols. Eventually, Dave's street disorderly behavior landed him in police custody and then in juvenile court. Gahan was fond of stealing and setting fire to cars. Dave himself said that he liked being chased by the police, he was turned on by the feeling of being chased, that he was “really wild.” While in his last year at school, Gahan tried to get a job as an assistant mechanic at North Thames Gas, but at the request of his supervising officer he was forced to talk about his criminal past at the interview. As a result, he was not hired for the job, which prompted Gahan to trash his supervisor's office. As punishment, Dave was sentenced to prison at the Youth Correctional Center in Romford. Dave had to serve his sentence every weekend for a year.