Caught by veteran broadcaster Paul Gamaccini in Hamburg, the Basildon boys (and Alan Wilder) sat down to talk about Vince’s departure, DAF, and broken instruments. This 1983 interview is one of the deepest and wide-ranging, bringing in Daniel Miller and Vince Clarke for additional commentary.
Gabi Delgado would have turned 64 on the 18th of April, but time had already taken him from us. The DAF singer was one of a kind, and his rise from the Ratinger Hof to headliner at music festivals was a complicated one. It involved sleeping on the floor at Dan Miller’s mother’s home in Temple Fortune, ditching most of the band with Robert Görl, crafting the template for post-disco German dance music, a volatile relationship with Görl, attempts to break America, (unfounded) accusations of racism, provocative PR based on Baader-Meinhof, millions of cigarettes, and enough plastic bottles of water to make Greta cry.
In this early clip of Delgado and Görl on stage at Berlin’s legendary SO36 venue, the duo showcase the raw energy and minimalist tension of their act. Shorn of the other early members, this DAF lit up the night for three influential albums in rapid succession before flaming out temporarily. They would get back together over the years, to show new generations of artists how it should be done, but this period represented the core DAF experience. With his limbs waving and lines shouted with punk determination, this was Delgado’s assault on the cultural domination of Anglo-American music and domestic schlager. DAF won the skirmish, but the war goes on.
Shot for Italian TV, this clip of Depeche Mode miming on a boat cruise doesn’t seem to have attracted much attention. That is a pity, because it shows the band in their classic line-up, working one of their best songs.
Skip past the intro with “Just Can’t Get Enough” to see how young Londoners partied back in the day.
The Short Circuit festival dedicated to Mute was a celebration of the label’s diverse but talented roster.
One of the artists to perform was Yazoo, who had toured during a break that Vince Clarke was able to take from Erasure work.
There were many cameras out at the event, including many from Mute, who were archiving it. This footage seems to have crept out without anyone noticing, however.
For cooler and shorter days, we offer this rare footage showing the full Yazoo performance.
Malaria! were one of German’s most important alternative acts. Formed by Gudrun Gut (Einsteurzende Neubauten, Mania D) and Bettina Köster (Mania D), and drawing in such luminaries as Beate Bartel (Liaisons Dangereuses, Mania D) and Eva Gößling (Die Krupps), it was a kind of Berlin supergroup.
The band were managed by Mark Reeder, a Mancunian exile who had arranged Joy Division’s only Berlin show. They toured with The Birthday Party and appeared on CBC’s Brave New Waves.
This footage is from their performance at the Women in Rock Festival in 1981. It includes behind the scenes interview material.
DAF reshaped German electronic music as punks with synthesizers; creating three concise, elemental albums for Virgin before going on the run.
They didn’t live in the shadows, like Baader-Meinhof. Gabi Delgado made a Latin-flavoured solo album for their label, while Robert Görl returned to Mute to make shimmering electropop with help from Annie Lennox.
As the 80s went on, they got back together to make dance music for the clubs; reinventing DAF as a hi-NRG act. With tracks like “Brothers” and a rebooted “Absolute Body Control,” they revved up drum machines for the black leather set.
In this clip from Belgium’s Rox Box, the pair were captured at a PA and given a chance to explain their views on “DAF, sex and mix.”
In 1986, an extraordinary event took place in Vancouver.
For Expo 86, an international fair, the bookers selected a number of industrial bands to perform. On “Britain Day,” Test Department were brought over to hammer and sloganise.
Skinny Puppy’s cEvin Key was involved, as his mentor was the booker subverting expectations. He has uploaded this footage for other generations to enjoy.
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