Long lost Depeche Mode documentary goes online in the BBC Storyville series
The previously unreleased 2006 documentary “Our Hobby Is Depeche Mode” by video/installation artist Jeremy Deller and psychotherapist/filmmaker Nick Abrahams is available now in the BBC Storyville series.
The documentary’s inception came about when Mute Records sought to create a film about Depeche Mode in conjunction with an anniversary ‘greatest hits’ compilation. Deller and Abrahams quickly resolved to focus their documentary on the band’s fans, inspired by the almost mythical tales they had heard about Depeche Mode’s Eastern European fanbase from the 1980s.
Deller and Abrahams embarked on a whirlwind tour lasting less than three weeks, visiting Mexico, the US, Germany, Romania, Brazil, and Canada. Upon their arrival in Russia, they were enthusiastically greeted by 60 fans who, in effect, ‘kidnapped’ them for two days, an event that Deller fondly recalls as a fantastic addition to the film. He further emphasised the immense influence of Depeche Mode in Eastern Europe during the 1980s, likening it to the Beatles’ impact on the UK in the 1960s.
Despite the compelling footage and narratives, the documentary was never released due to several reasons. Deller recalls a German family who, oddly enough, managed to secure tickets to album press launches and private meet-and-greets, and dressed their children as band members and characters from the band’s videos. This family’s access and eccentric behaviour was a source of resentment among many German fans. Additionally, the unscripted and unpredictable nature of the fans’ behaviours clashed with the meticulously crafted and managed image of the band. The fans’ appropriation of the band, their unique expressions of fandom, and their joyful, chaotic antics didn’t fit into the carefully controlled branding of Depeche Mode.
You can watch the documentary via the BBC’s iPlayer service in the UK. Or right below on Youtube.
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