Farewell to Andy Fletcher, a beloved uncle of the New Wave for countless Depeche Mode fans over the years. Fletch, who died of natural causes at the age of 60, was a founding member of the pioneering sages of synth-pop and a crucial element in its chemistry. All of the dark-skinned gothic teenagers who wore black in the 1980s have a weak heart for this man, which is why fans around the world are blowing up. Black Celebration in his honor right now. Fletch represented his original fan-inspired punk-rock spirit. As he said NME at first, in 1981, “You don’t have to be a great musician to play and get a message across. We certainly didn’t know anything about music. ”
In Depeche Mode, Fletch always stood between two mega-extravagant personalities. On the one hand: Martin Gore, the melancholy songwriter, pouting “Understaaand me” at the camera with a leather jacket. On the other hand: Dave Gahan, the extravagant, extroverted and extremely topless lead singer, never rushes to put on white jeans. Fletch was in the middle, quiet, always a little bewildered to find himself trapped in such a long pop melodrama.
As Depeche Mode became more perverted and gothic, Fletch continued to set the mood for an affable accountant who mistakenly entered the industrial sex club. He always seemed to have the same haircut, the same glasses, the same dry smile. The closest thing he came to the theatrical decay of the others was to synchronize the screams with the lips of the “Master and Servant” video.
Fletch always played a unique and enigmatic role in this unique and enigmatic group. To be specific, fans weren’t entirely sure what it really was did. He was famous for disappearing musically. Unlike the other two, he did not sing or write; no one seemed to know if his keyboard was plugged in. This was part of his mystique. He appeared on stage, but his real job was to look after his business. As Gahan once thought, “Maybe we should set up a fax machine on stage.”
However, he was also an eloquent spokesperson for the entire Depeche Mode concept. “The beauty of using electronics is that you can now make music in your bedroom,” he told Rolling Stone in 1993. “You don’t have to gather four people in a warehouse to practice.” For him, this left artists free for new types of creative release. “Obviously, it’s sad to see the disappearance of the traditional rock band. But there will always be a place for cabaret. “
The group began in the London suburb of Basildon, with synthesizer assistant Vince Clarke writing the songs. They had brilliant hits: “Dreaming of Me”, “New Life”, “Just Can’t Get Enough” and the 1981 classic debut. He speaks and spells. When Clarke left and moved to Yaz, everyone assumed Depeche Mode was over, but they continued in an extremely strange four-person setup. Martin Gore wrote the songs, Dave Gahan twisted his hips, Alan Wilder played most of the music, and Fletch took care of the office. Wilder left in 1995, but the central trio continued, as happily dysfunctional as ever.
The Mode became great statesmen, traveling the world. “Traveling gets harder as we get older,” Fletch told me in 2009. “But you know, we travel with a certain amount of luxury.” They always kept making great music in the studio – their last album, in 2017 Spirit, is really underestimated madness. The magnificent 2005 Playing Angel is one of Depeche Mode’s top five albums, with one of their most beautiful singles on “Precious”. And they continued to be monstrously impressive as a live act. “We don’t care,” Fletcher said. “We did not play for four hours. I think Dave would die of a heart attack if he kept running around the stage dancing for so long. ”
Fletch was famous for his dry and often caustic wit. When Depeche Mode was inducted into the Hall of Fame, via a long-distance video, Dave Gahan gave a speech thanking the group’s artistic heroes, such as David Bowie, Iggy and the Stooges, the Clash. Fletcher said, “The eagles!” In the classic DA Pennebaker documentary 101, fans follow the group on an American tour. Fletch goes through the whole movie looking slightly surprised, but amused by all the hysteria of the fans around him, not to mention the melodrama of the group itself. This is how fans will remember it. RIP, Fletch.