Reach Out and Touch Depeche Mode: The Quest for the Meet & Greet

Ahh, that elusive Meet & Greet. For a big name band it can be a luxurious achievement, one that either comes with a hefty price tag or is bestowed by the hands of fate through a promotional contest or some other "lucky break." In the case of Depeche Mode, good luck is priceless.

Depeche is renowned for being pretty inaccessible, understandably so when they regularly sell out 40-50,000 capacity stadiums and their zealous fans were once dubbed the Black Swarm (though we mostly go by the more casual term 'Devotees'). In recent years, the rare Meet & Greet experience with them has become famously perfunctory, a quick handshake down a single file line and a group photo. No bullshit whatsoever.

St. Petersburg Meet & Greet; Dave (center) looking consistently uncomfortable in a sea of Russian women. Martin (left) probably digging it. Fletch (back) umm...

Of course I'm all about the bullshit and granted, there are stories of more involved Meet & Greets, but they are not for purchase with any ticket level, not available for every show, and for those that are, you must win a pass. There's a unique opportunity currently running for German fans, a United Charity auction for a Meet & Greet in Düsseldorf. Though my Deutsch is limited, I can see that the bid is up to nearly 3000 euros, quite the pretty European penny for even the most devoted fans. (Cheeky charities, dangling the carrot of Depeche Mode for their own selfish purposes!) If I paid that kind of money for a meeting with DM I'd need at least a couple of hours, and there'd better be full body massages involved.

So what to do to ensure my time with a band that has ensnared me with such intensity? If they do hold a Meet & Greet in Atlanta, I believe I will be there. The tricky part will be staying aware of the fan contests, as I don't live in ATL so am not exposed to the local radio. But if there is no organized meeting? Doing the classic waiting out back by their tour equipment seems pointless, as they likely have intelligent escape routes and don't tour by bus anyway. The next point would be running into them at their hotel. (Not creepy. Not.)

Comment below if you've ever had the chance to meet DM, through the official channels or otherwise. :D

*Photos courtesy of the Depeche Mode World Tour 2013-2014 Facebook page