# Touring the Angel

Touring the Angel was a 2005–06 concert tour by English electronic group Depeche Mode in support of the act's 11th studio album, Playing the Angel, which was released in October 2005.
The tour, which was officially announced in June 2005 in Düsseldorf, Germany, kicked off in October with a warm-up show in New York City called "Starting the Angel". It encompassed two continents, Europe and North America, with two legs between each.
The concerts held in Assago, near Milan, Italy were filmed and later released on a DVD release entitled Touring the Angel: Live in Milan.

## Overview

The stage set, which was designed by Anton Corbijn, was elaborate compared to previous Depeche Mode tours. It consisted of specially constructed pods to contain the act's MIDI controllers. Hidden screens at the rear of the stage, which displayed distorted images of the band members and movies related to the song being performed, were unveiled midway during the group's performance. These screens were accompanied by a large grey ball-shaped prop on the left of the stage, which contained an additional screen as well as a LED display which emitted various messages.
The tour began in late October 2005 with a special rehearsal show in New York City, dubbed "Starting the Angel". The date was exclusive to invited guests, most of whom won access through radio station and internet contests. The first full-fledged show was in Tampa, Florida in early November, kicking off a six-week North American leg. The tour was supposed to begin in Sunrise, Florida, but that date was cancelled due to the after-effects of Hurricane Wilma, which had spread across southern Florida a week prior to the show. The first leg ultimately concluded mid-December at the annual Almost Acoustic Christmas show, organised by radio station KROQ, in Universal City, California. The unique performance saw the band play a selection of songs in a stripped-down acoustic set.
In January 2006, the group kicked off an extensive tour of Europe, beginning in Dresden, Germany. The leg lasted twelve weeks and included multiple shows in a number of cities. It also saw the addition of "Leave in Silence" in the group's setlists, which had not been performed live since the Black Celebration Tour in 1986. The tour eventually finished in early April with two dates in London; the band were the first act to perform in the newly refurbished Wembley Arena.
In April 2006, the group returned to North America for a second round of shows, taking place in a mixture of indoor and outdoor venues. The leg began in Mountain View, California, followed by an appearance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California.
In May 2006, the tour was slightly disrupted when lead singer Dave Gahan developed laryngitis during the group's performance at the Starlight Theatre in Kansas City, Missouri. Six tracks into the concert, Gahan left the stage for Martin Gore to begin his solo set performance, which was promptly extended by four additional songs until Gahan's condition was clarified. The show was officially cut and the concert to be held the following night in Chicago was cancelled. A press release regarding the cancellations stated that Gahan's voice was "challenged throughout the concert by the unusually cold temperatures at the venue" as well as a result of "coming off three concerts in Mexico." No make-up date was announced to compensate for the axed performance in Kansas City. The tour resumed in Wantagh, New York and concluded later in the month in Bristow, Virginia.
In June 2006, the group began a second leg in Europe. All shows, apart from one in Dublin, were held outdoors. A number of dates were festival appearances, from the Heineken Jammin' Festival in Italy to the Benicàssim Festival in Spain. The leg kicked off in Nuremberg, Germany at the Rock im Park Festival.
Two dates on this leg were cancelled. A show to be held in Lisbon was pulled after it was claimed that the organisation promoting the shows had failed to pay suppliers' bills. Another date, to be held in Tel Aviv, Israel, was cancelled due to the Second Lebanon War. It was stated that the group's technical support team refused to travel to the region, citing "security fears". The show was to be their first ever in Israel, as well as the sole Asian performance and final date of the entire tour. The trek instead culminated in Athens at Terra Vibe Park in early August, after nine months and 124 shows. In total, the band played to more than 2.8 million people across 32 countries. The group eventually performed in Israel on Tour of the Universe in 2009.
Speaking about the tour, Gahan praised it as "probably the most enjoyable, rewarding live show we've ever done. The new material was just waiting to be played live. It took on a life of its own. With the energy of the crowds, it just came to life."
Audio recordings of concerts on Touring the Angel were made available through the band's website on double CD format or as a digital download under the generic name Recording the Angel. All dates on the second legs of North America and Europe, excluding the shows in Kansas City, Kristiansand and Benicàssim, were released.
In September 2006, a live DVD of the group's concerts at the Fila Forum in Milan, Italy was released, entitled Touring the Angel: Live in Milan. The video was filmed and directed by Blue Leach.

## Set list

| Set list for North America, leg #1 and Europe, leg #1 "I Want It All" (instrumental intro) "A Pain That I'm Used To" "John the Revelator" "A Question of Time" "Policy of Truth" "Precious" "Walking in My Shoes" "Suffer Well" Song performed by Martin Gore "Damaged People" "Macro" "Leave in Silence" (acoustic) Song performed by Martin Gore "Home" (with bits from the "Air 'Around the Golf'" remix) "I Want It All" "The Sinner in Me" "I Feel You" "Behind the Wheel" "World in My Eyes" "Personal Jesus" "Enjoy the Silence" Song performed by Martin Gore "Somebody" "A Question of Lust" "Shake the Disease" (acoustic) "Leave in Silence" (acoustic) "Just Can't Get Enough" "Everything Counts" "Never Let Me Down Again" "Goodnight Lovers" | General set list for North America, leg #2 and Europe, leg #2 "I Want It All" (instrumental intro) "A Pain That I'm Used To" "A Question of Time" "Suffer Well" "Precious" "Walking in My Shoes" "Stripped" Song performed by Martin Gore "Home" (with bits from the "Air 'Around the Golf'" remix) Song performed by Martin Gore "Blue Dress" (acoustic) "Judas" (acoustic) "It Doesn't Matter Two" (acoustic) "In Your Room" (Zephyr mix) "Nothing's Impossible" "The Sinner in Me" "John the Revelator" "I Feel You" "Behind the Wheel" "World in My Eyes" "Personal Jesus" "Enjoy the Silence" Song performed by Martin Gore "Shake the Disease" (acoustic) "Leave in Silence" (acoustic) "Judas" (acoustic) "It Doesn't Matter Two" (acoustic) "Somebody" "Photographic" "Just Can't Get Enough" "Never Let Me Down Again" |
| Set list for rehearsal shows for fans "I Want It All" (instrumental intro) "A Pain That I'm Used To" "John the Revelator" "A Question of Time" "Precious" "Walking in My Shoes" "Suffer Well" Song performed by Martin Gore "Damaged People" "Home" (with bits from the "Air 'Around the Golf'" remix) "I Want It All" "The Sinner in Me" "I Feel You" "John the Revelator" "Behind the Wheel" "World in My Eyes" "Personal Jesus" "Enjoy the Silence" | Set list for KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas "Personal Jesus" (acoustic) "Walking in My Shoes" (acoustic) "Precious" (acoustic) "I Want It All" (acoustic) Song performed by Martin Gore "Damaged People" "A Question of Lust" "The Sinner in Me" "I Feel You" "John the Revelator" "Behind the Wheel" "Enjoy the Silence" Song performed by Martin Gore "Shake the Disease" (acoustic) "Never Let Me Down Again" |

## Tour dates

List of concerts, showing date, city, country, and venue :
| Date | City | Country | Venue/Event |
| North America ||||
| 28 October 2005 | New York City | United States | Bowery Ballroom |
| 3 November 2005 | Tampa | United States | St. Pete Times Forum |
| 5 November 2005 | Duluth | United States | Arena at Gwinnett Center |
| 7 November 2005 | Houston | United States | Toyota Center |
| 8 November 2005 | Dallas | United States | American Airlines Center |
| 9 November 2005 | San Antonio | United States | SBC Center |
| 11 November 2005 | Denver | United States | Magness Arena |
| 12 November 2005 | West Valley City | United States | The E Center |
| 15 November 2005 | Vancouver | Canada | General Motors Place |
| 16 November 2005 | Seattle | United States | KeyArena |
| 18 November 2005 | San Jose | United States | HP Pavilion |
| 19 November 2005 | San Diego | United States | iPayOne Center |
| 21 November 2005 | Los Angeles | United States | Staples Center |
| 22 November 2005 | Los Angeles | United States | Staples Center |
| 23 November 2005 | Anaheim | United States | Arrowhead Pond |
| 25 November 2005 | Glendale | United States | Glendale Arena |
| 26 November 2005 | Las Vegas | United States | The Joint |
| 29 November 2005 | Rosemont | United States | Allstate Arena |
| 30 November 2005 | Auburn Hills | United States | The Palace of Auburn Hills |
| 1 December 2005 | Toronto | Canada | Air Canada Centre |
| 3 December 2005 | Atlantic City | United States | Borgata Event Center |
| 4 December 2005 | Montreal | Canada | Centre Bell |
| 7 December 2005 | New York City | United States | Madison Square Garden |
| 8 December 2005 | New York City | United States | Madison Square Garden |
| 9 December 2005 | Fairfax | United States | Patriot Center |
| 11 December 2005 | Universal City | United States | Gibson Amphitheatre (KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas) |
| Europe ||||
| 13 January 2006 | Dresden | Germany | Messehalle |
| 15 January 2006 | Hamburg | Germany | Color Line Arena |
| 16 January 2006 | Hamburg | Germany | Color Line Arena |
| 18 January 2006 | Berlin | Germany | Velodrom |
| 20 January 2006 | Düsseldorf | Germany | LTU Arena |
| 21 January 2006 | Düsseldorf | Germany | LTU Arena |
| 23 January 2006 | Prague | Czech Republic | Sazka Arena |
| 24 January 2006 | Erfurt | Germany | Messehalle |
| 26 January 2006 | Frankfurt | Germany | Festhalle Frankfurt |
| 29 January 2006 | Antwerp | Belgium | Sportpaleis |
| 31 January 2006 | Geneva | Switzerland | SEG Geneva Arena |
| 1 February 2006 | Marseille | France | Le Dôme de Marseille |
| 3 February 2006 | Toulouse | France | Le Zénith |
| 4 February 2006 | Lyon | France | Halle Tony Garnier |
| 6 February 2006 | Madrid | Spain | Palacio de Deportes |
| 7 February 2006 | Madrid | Spain | Palacio de Deportes |
| 8 February 2006 | Lisbon | Portugal | Pavilhão Atlântico |
| 10 February 2006 | Barcelona | Spain | Palau Sant Jordi |
| 11 February 2006 | Barcelona | Spain | Palau Sant Jordi |
| 14 February 2006 | Munich | Germany | Olympiahalle |
| 15 February 2006 | Munich | Germany | Olympiahalle |
| 16 February 2006 | Vienna | Austria | Wiener Stadthalle |
| 18 February 2006 | Assago | Italy | Fila Forum |
| 19 February 2006 | Assago | Italy | Fila Forum |
| 21 February 2006 | Paris | France | Palais Omnisports Bercy |
| 22 February 2006 | Paris | France | Palais Omnisports Bercy |
| 23 February 2006 | Paris | France | Palais Omnisports Bercy |
| 25 February 2006 | Copenhagen | Denmark | Parken Stadium |
| 26 February 2006 | Gothenburg | Sweden | Scandinavium |
| 28 February 2006 | Oslo | Norway | Oslo Spektrum |
| 1 March 2006 | Stockholm | Sweden | Globe Arena |
| 3 March 2006 | Saint Petersburg | Russia | CKK Arena |
| 4 March 2006 | Moscow | Russia | Luzhniki Palace of Sports |
| 6 March 2006 | Helsinki | Finland | Hartwall Arena |
| 9 March 2006 | Stuttgart | Germany | Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle |
| 10 March 2006 | Friedrichshafen | Germany | Messehalle |
| 11 March 2006 | Mannheim | Germany | SAP Arena |
| 13 March 2006 | Graz | Austria | Messehalle |
| 14 March 2006 | Katowice | Poland | Spodek |
| 16 March 2006 | Tallinn | Estonia | Saku Suurhall Arena |
| 17 March 2006 | Riga | Latvia | Arena Riga |
| 18 March 2006 | Vilnius | Lithuania | Siemens Arena |
| 21 March 2006 | Budapest | Hungary | László Papp Budapest Sports Arena |
| 22 March 2006 | Zagreb | Croatia | Dom Sportova |
| 24 March 2006 | Amnéville | France | Le Galaxie |
| 25 March 2006 | Douai | France | Gayant Expo |
| 26 March 2006 | Rotterdam | Netherlands | Rotterdam Ahoy |
| 28 March 2006 | Zürich | Switzerland | Hallenstadion |
| 30 March 2006 | Manchester | England | Manchester Evening News Arena |
| 31 March 2006 | Birmingham | England | National Exhibition Centre |
| 2 April 2006 | London | England | Wembley Arena |
| 3 April 2006 | London | England | Wembley Arena |
| North America ||||
| 27 April 2006 | Mountain View | United States | Shoreline Amphitheatre |
| 29 April 2006 | Indio | United States | Empire Polo Club (Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival) |
| 30 April 2006 | Las Vegas | United States | Theatre Under The Stars |
| 4 May 2006 | Mexico City | Mexico | Foro Sol |
| 5 May 2006 | Mexico City | Mexico | Foro Sol |
| 7 May 2006 | Monterrey | Mexico | Monterrey Arena |
| 10 May 2006 | Kansas City | United States | Starlight Theatre |
| 13 May 2006 | Wantagh | United States | Jones Beach Amphitheater |
| 14 May 2006 | Holmdel | United States | PNC Bank Arts Center |
| 17 May 2006 | Montreal | Canada | Centre Bell |
| 18 May 2006 | Toronto | Canada | Air Canada Centre |
| 20 May 2006 | Atlantic City | United States | Borgata Event Center |
| 21 May 2006 | Bristow | United States | Nissan Pavilion |
| Europe ||||
| 2 June 2006 | Nuremberg | Germany | Luitpoldarena (Rock im Park) |
| 4 June 2006 | Nürburg | Germany | Nürburgring (Rock am Ring) |
| 5 June 2006 | Bremen | Germany | Weserstadion |
| 7 June 2006 | Aarhus | Denmark | NRGi Park |
| 9 June 2006 | Warsaw | Poland | Stadion Legii |
| 11 June 2006 | Bratislava | Slovakia | Inter Štadión |
| 12 June 2006 | Budapest | Hungary | Ferenc Puskás Stadium |
| 14 June 2006 | Ljubljana | Slovenia | Bežigrad Stadium |
| 16 June 2006 | Imola | Italy | Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari (Heineken Jammin' Festival) |
| 17 June 2006 | Interlaken | Switzerland | Greenfield Festival |
| 21 June 2006 | Sofia | Bulgaria | Lokomotiv Stadium |
| 23 June 2006 | Bucharest | Romania | Stadionul Național |
| 25 June 2006 | London | England | Hyde Park (O$_2$ Wireless Festival) |
| 26 June 2006 | Dublin | Ireland | Point Theatre |
| 28 June 2006 | Berlin | Germany | Waldbühne |
| 29 June 2006 | Arras | France | Grand-Place d'Arras (Main Square Festival) |
| 1 July 2006 | Belfort | France | Site Naturel du Malsaucy (Eurockéennes) |
| 2 July 2006 | Werchter | Belgium | Festivalpark (Rock Werchter) |
| 6 July 2006 | Kristiansand | Norway | Quart Festival |
| 7 July 2006 | Stockholm | Sweden | Stockholm Olympic Stadium |
| 10 July 2006 | Locarno | Switzerland | Piazza Grande (Moon and Stars) |
| 12 July 2006 | Berlin | Germany | Waldbühne |
| 13 July 2006 | Berlin | Germany | Waldbühne |
| 15 July 2006 | Leipzig | Germany | Festwiese |
| 17 July 2006 | Rome | Italy | Stadio Olimpico |
| 19 July 2006 | Nyon | Switzerland | Paléo Festival |
| 20 July 2006 | Nîmes | France | Arena of Nîmes |
| 22 July 2006 | San Sebastián | Spain | Anoeta Stadium |
| 23 July 2006 | Benicàssim | Spain | Festival Internacional de Benicàssim |
| 25 July 2006 | Torrevieja | Spain | Parque Antonio Soria |
| 26 July 2006 | Granada | Spain | Plaza de Toros |
| 30 July 2006 | Istanbul | Turkey | Turkcell Kuruçeşme Arena |
| 1 August 2006 | Athens | Greece | Terra Vibe Park |

## Musicians
### Depeche Mode

* Dave Gahan – lead and backing vocals
* Martin Gore – guitar, synthesizers, bass guitar, lead and backing vocals
* Andy Fletcher – synthesizers, backing vocals

### Additional musicians

* Peter Gordeno – synthesizers, bass guitar, backing vocals
* Christian Eigner – drums