[tweetmeme]Depeche Mode marked the anniversary this week of the release of its massive Violator album with a new Archives Special devoted to the band’s infamous record-signing session at The Wherehouse record store in Los Angeles on March 20, 1990 — an event that drew 10,000 fans and sparked a near-riot before being shut down by police.
The band’s webmaster, Daniel Barassi, compiled this 18-minute reel of footage of the event, largely with material from his own VHS collection. You can watch it in full below.
From the band’s website:
The Wherehouse In-Store
March 20th, 1990To promote the release of “Violator” in the United States, Sire/Reprise and KROQ-FM organized a record signing at The Wherehouse record store at 3rd and La Cienega in Los Angeles.
Fans lined up for days for the opportunity to meet the band. By the time that the event started at 9pm, it was estimated that well over 10,000 fans had crowded the streets of Los Angeles, and surrounded the record store.
Even though the event lasted a little more than an hour (due to the police shutting it down), it left an impression. If people didn’t know who Depeche Mode were after they sold out the Rose Bowl, they knew now.
Using footage from multiple TV clips and interview clips (mostly from the webmaster’s VHS collection, but also including some clips from our friends at the DM TV Archives), here is a look back at “The Wherehouse In-Store”.
