• Before Depeche, Martin Gore played guitar with a West Coast type band. He traded the guitar for a Yamaha CS5.

• Fletch was at school with Alison Moyet.

• An early DM line-up known as Composition Of Sound played its first gig supporting Film Noir in Southend.

• Their first gig as a four piece was at St. Nicholas' school in Basildon, with Dave needing ten cans of lager to bolster his nerves.

• The first demo was recorded after 3 months - 3 songs, including one which later became the theme music for 'Other Side Of The Tracks'.

• The band were supporting Fad Gadget at the Bridgehouse in Canning Town when Daniel Miller from Mute saw them and decided he wanted them on his label.

• Whacky keyboards that the band employed in their early days included an ARP2600 bought from Elton John, and a French Kobol monophonic synth.

• Vince often claimed that Martin Gore was a better songwriter than him.

• When Vince left, he offered Depeche Mode one song, which they turned down, to help them on their way - the song was 'Only You'.

• Alan didn't play on the group's second LP, "A Broken Frame", which was recorded as a trio. He first featured on 'Get The Balance Right'.

• Early writing was done with a Roland MC4 microcomposer, though the band have now moved on to the UMII sequencing system.

• Alan & Martin are veggies.

• The band often use their own Sony Walkman Professionals for recording sound samples.

• The band's favourite tour date is Liverpool.

• Andy Fletcher has recorded one and a half LPs of rock 'n' roll cover versions, featuring himself on guitar, and Martin Gore on keyboards.

• After one concert in the States, 40 shoes were found on stage, and none of them pairs.