The Wherehouse Tape

Yesterday, the magnanimous @Glen_101 shared an historic Depeche Mode gem via Soundcloud – a digitized copy of the promo tape that encapsulated the frenzy surrounding the infamous “Wherehouse Riot” that occurred on March 20, 1990. Originally given as a promo to people who attended the event, this tape has been floating around eBay and trading circles for a while. It may not be considered super rare by hardcore traders, but this is the first time I’ve seen it available for listening to the fandom at large (I don’t have a digital copy in my trading stores, either).

Though it contains a few news sound bites many of us may already be familiar with, it also includes interviews with the band before, during and after the event. It paints a cohesive picture of the days and nights surrounding the event that drew up to 17,000 fans to a unassuming Los Angeles city block – and it was 15 years before Depeche Mode attempted another in-store event.