Depeche Mode were among the 2020 inductees in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Dave Gahan, Martin Gore and Andrew Fletcher accepted the award as part of the two-hour induction ceremony that aired Saturday night on HBO. It was a bit like watching a zoom reunion with friends who hadn't seen each other in a while and they were clearly having a good time. "I don't know what I would've done if I hadn't found music," Dave Gahan said. "You might've been still stealing cars," Andrew Fletcher replied. "Maybe I would've moved on a bit from there," Gahan added, "stealing larger things than cars, definitely something dodgy."
Gahan went on to say, "You know, growing up, listening to music on the radio and having music, it really kind of helped us to feel normal, feel part of something. That’s what music does for people and I think that’s what Depeche Mode has done for many people. I think music really brings people together, and God knows we need that more today than it seems any other time."
The band thanked Mute Records and label head Daniel Miller, photographer Anton Corbijn and everyone "who took a chance on bunch of outsider, eyeliner-wearing weirdos from Essex -- and all of the wankers who didn't!" You can watch their very fun acceptance speech below.
Inducting Depeche Mode into the Rock Hall was Charlize Theron, who said "Depeche Mode is the soundtrack of my adolescence. I’m not kidding — there was literally a song for every occasion of my life: my first date, my first time leaving South Africa, and of course the first time I got my heart broken." She went on to say Depeche Mode "celebrate the outsider. Their music brings people together from all different walks of life and makes them feel like it’s OK to be different." You can read her whole speech below.
More from the Rock Hall 2020 induction ceremony: Iggy Pop inducted Nine Inch Nails and Biggie Smalls; and The Notorious B.I.G. was honored by Jay-Z, Nas, Diddy & more.
CHARLIZE THERON ON DEPECHE MODE FOR 2020 ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME INDUCTION
Depeche Mode is the soundtrack of my adolescence. I’m not kidding — there was literally a song for every occasion of my life: my first date, my first time leaving South Africa, and of course the first time I got my heart broken. And so when I finally got to see them live a couple of years ago, it was like this epic slap in the face of nostalgia. But more than that, when I was at the show I realized what else I loved about their music: They celebrate the outsider. Their music brings people together from all different walks of life and makes them feel like it’s OK to be different. That really hit me watching the videos at the concert. I was moved to tears. I came home, I told my daughters about it, and I was also really f—ing pissed because I don’t usually go to rock concerts to bawl my eyes out.
“But truthfully, it speaks to the immense power Depeche Mode has had over the years. It also why, when I got the chance to pick some songs for the ‘Atomic Blonde’ soundtrack, they were the first on my list. It’s no surprise they are joining the ranks of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame — they should have been there 20 years ago, if it was up to me. But what an incredibly well-deserved honor. Thank you, guys, for being the soundtrack to my life.
