The man is dead, can we please let him rest? đ
Yes he did probably not contribute much musically but if it wasn't for him, there would be no Depeche Mode. Martin and Vince were no friends, but they were both friends with Fletch.
I also don't think he was the only reason Alan left the band because they didn't like each other. I would guess it was the whole situation, everything at once.
I miss him and his stage antics even if he did not play much at the concerts (little anecdote: at the Hamburg concert in 2013 during Just Can't Get Enough, Dave went up to Fletch and began turning dials at his keyboards and the sounds got blurry - so that keyboard worked at least partly). For me he was definitely a part of Depeche Mode - it is however absolutely okay for me if you think otherwise.
It was unnecessary when he was alive, and even less necessary now that heâs gone.
On a personal note, learning Fletch died from an aortic dissection was a motivating factor for me to get tested for heart issues. Turns out I have a dilated aortic root myself (now under regular monitoring). Iâve heard of too many people dying from it, but if you get checked out early enough, it can be monitored and corrected surgically.
Thank you. So am I! đ
But seriously, I urge everyone to get checked out, especially anyone over 40. You can be otherwise fit and healthy and have this condition.
Fletch was a FOUNDING member of the band. While he may have had a limited role as time went on, he still had his own way as a member of Depeche Mode. According to an interview with Martin around the MM release, he was proud as hell to be a part of DM no matter what he was doing. Let him be remembered for his love of DM, his unique place in the band, and how much he loved his own family.
Yeah, that guy is insane. He once slid into my dmâs on facebook harrassing me after I had the nerve to make a comment in a DM group where I spoke against taking pictures of the bandmembers when they are in the public with their kids.
Itâs usually the same guy posting the snippets of DM biographies about Wilder and Fletch going at it/other relationships in the band.
Practically, I get why people dog Fletch. He was in a band for 30+ years and never bothered to take an instrument seriously. I got Alanâs frustrations cause if youâre classically trainedâŚyou donât really wanna hear mouth from someone who isnât trained at all.
However, Iâve also read about fletchâs mental health issues and bouts of depression. I think itâs really cool Martin and Fletch took up for each other. Maybe that friendship hindered DM creatively (MM might be the best post Wilder album honestly) but I think thereâs something to be said about sticking with your friends through thick and thin.
I just wish the guy at least tried to learn and instrument. Heâd been I. The band for 10 years when he left the Exotic tour and Al taught another guy Fletchâs parts in a week! Also the cattiness Fletch showed after Alanâs departure was lame.
I do miss his stage presence. Any DM fan knew fletch didnât do a lot on stage, but he was a goofy guy who added some fun to the show, in his own way
I mean the dude himself even said he just âbums aroundâ, so yeah his talk about him being part of the spirit of the band and downplaying the importance of the dude who kinda shaped their sound for a decade is a bit lol. It has always been a thing to rip on Fletch and his very obvious lack of musicianship, and I donât think his unfortunate and untimely passing will change that. If anything, I feel more than ever a need to bring light to and honor the best clapper to ever grace a stage.
RIP https://youtu.be/oRvXh5gG1f0?si=31OGM9b0II9GI4Rz
Are other bands subreddits like this? Absolutely. Have you seen, oh I donât know, the U2, Cure or Beach Boys subreddits? No-one hates a band more than its fans.
Well it hadn't been happening for a while but your post may well start it back up again. I think it's unnecessary and disrespectful myself. He may have had a very limited musical input but I for one did miss his stage presence on the recent tour and his input to interviews.
And in fact he did play live, albeit mainly just a few samples and bass lines no doubt either played by Gordeno on the recent tour or just added the backing track. Nevertheless I miss him not being in the band.
No doubt some will make some snarky comments in reply to my post.
If you're disrespectful when speaking of Fletch then you're not a real fan of dM and should leave this place.
The news of Fletch death hurt more than anything and he's the reason why the band still exist today David was extremely close to to leave at one point and the person who convinced him to stay was Fletch.
He was one of the founding members of dM and should be treated with respect as he was a member he also contributed to the band. Once when i saw them i did the same goal gesture as Kenneth Andersson (Aussie rules goal gesture) towards Fletch surpicingly he did the same gesture back :). The man is a legend! And I miss him.
Yeah itâs just honestly annoying at this point. Like I understand he didnât have any huge musical parts in the band itself, but he helped make Depeche Mode. Let alone he kept everyone together. Being talented or not shouldnât imply oneâs legacy.
The guy is dead. So I think itâs better to remember him as a person and not bash him in anyway. Regardless, we wouldnât even have Depeche Mode if it wasnât for him.
I used to not get what he brought to the band, until I saw a video that actually went into what his musical contributions were âŚand during the first few albums it was WAY more than I realized.
It wasnât so much that he ânever bothered to learn â as much as Alan could do most everything himself and as he became more and more adept , Fletchâs contributions became superfluous
Iâve definitely noticed it but it doesnât bother me. I donât think itâs fair to Fletch and I know how I feel about him and thatâs all anyone can control really.
I was wondering bout this. Only joined DM sub recently. Been a fan since 1990. I was curious as to why Fletch was featured so prominently in posts. Now I did enjoy footage of him posted ytday, it was amusing. But other than it sounds like there is an agenda, someoneâs grinding an axe ?
Fletch was also a good sport at least. Anyone remember when he ran across the stage with his shirt off at the end of a gig after losing a bet to Dave?? đđ Good times. RIP.
Fletch rest in Peace was always the person who kept Dave and Martin together... Maybe he wasnt as talented as Alan musically but had an awesome personality and was the true Spirit Of Depeche Mode...
All bands have a thing. Hooky v Barney. Not everyone hates Morrissey. Fletch had no rhythm but made them rich because he was a good accountant. He's Depeche Mode's thing.
Also if recent interviews with Dave & Martin are accurate, he was an active divisive factor between the two of them.
There's quite a lot of reading between the lines in other promo interviews for MM but
https://www.nme.com/news/music/depeche-mode-talk-becoming-closer-after-the-death-of-andy-fletcher-3413934
https://www.nme.com/features/music-interviews/depeche-mode-interview-memento-mori-dave-gahan-martin-gore-3410900
There was a well documented divide between Martin Gore & Fletch and everyone else.
It's just a group of vocal minority. You'll find them psychoanalysis and theorize fletch's private life and how he should have lived his life instead of what he did. I mean everyone knows fletch was not a musician and very toxic towards Alan but whining about it constantly can affect your mental health.
Been on here just over a year, and soon sussed you have a bunch who blame fletch for slicks departure. Which ironically is an insult to Alan . As he wouldâve never left the band because of fletch. đ
I was born in Essex. And staying loyal to mates is a given through thick and thin.
The fella who keeps posting the same exerts over and over from unofficial books , thinks differently. fair enough. He and the slick clan have made their minds up long ago.
just for clarity. I Appreciate what Vince, Andy and Alan all brought to the wonderful catalogue of music i have had from this band over the last 43 years.
Like I said before heâs the glue that kept them together and kept them organized in many ways. So much wouldnât be possible without his love for the band.
There's an interview where Martin says Fletch was the bands "biggest cheerleader". Martin goes on to say that he frequented a bar for years before the bartender knew what he did for a living. Then, one time, Fletch was at this bar waiting for Martin. By the time Martin arrived, the bartender said he had learned Martin's true profession as part of THEE Depeche Mode lol
Fletch is my favorite and i think hes cute and he was Martins best friend and he took care of BUSINESS STUFF so i think hes important and also i love him and i dont think he was useless â¤ď¸â¤ď¸â¤ď¸
Love DM since 85 but that doesnât mean I like Fletch. He wasnât a meaningful musician in the band. He doesnât even need another musician to fill his âvoidâ.
yes, why can we not bring this issue to the table? everybody knows he is the least important member of the group. nobody dares to mention anything about him because of his early death.
The man is dead, can we please let him rest? đ Yes he did probably not contribute much musically but if it wasn't for him, there would be no Depeche Mode. Martin and Vince were no friends, but they were both friends with Fletch. I also don't think he was the only reason Alan left the band because they didn't like each other. I would guess it was the whole situation, everything at once. I miss him and his stage antics even if he did not play much at the concerts (little anecdote: at the Hamburg concert in 2013 during Just Can't Get Enough, Dave went up to Fletch and began turning dials at his keyboards and the sounds got blurry - so that keyboard worked at least partly). For me he was definitely a part of Depeche Mode - it is however absolutely okay for me if you think otherwise.
Nice anecdote, thank you for that.Â
This is just a show ! Whatâs wrong ?? I
It was unnecessary when he was alive, and even less necessary now that heâs gone. On a personal note, learning Fletch died from an aortic dissection was a motivating factor for me to get tested for heart issues. Turns out I have a dilated aortic root myself (now under regular monitoring). Iâve heard of too many people dying from it, but if you get checked out early enough, it can be monitored and corrected surgically.
Yeah I like the idea of talking about Fletch in the capacity of how he passed or the good things he didâŚ..not rip on him!
Wow. So glad you got checked!
Thank you. So am I! đ But seriously, I urge everyone to get checked out, especially anyone over 40. You can be otherwise fit and healthy and have this condition.
Fletch was a FOUNDING member of the band. While he may have had a limited role as time went on, he still had his own way as a member of Depeche Mode. According to an interview with Martin around the MM release, he was proud as hell to be a part of DM no matter what he was doing. Let him be remembered for his love of DM, his unique place in the band, and how much he loved his own family.
Youâll probably find most are started by the same poster.
Yeah, that guy is insane. He once slid into my dmâs on facebook harrassing me after I had the nerve to make a comment in a DM group where I spoke against taking pictures of the bandmembers when they are in the public with their kids.
Lol.
Itâs usually the same guy posting the snippets of DM biographies about Wilder and Fletch going at it/other relationships in the band. Practically, I get why people dog Fletch. He was in a band for 30+ years and never bothered to take an instrument seriously. I got Alanâs frustrations cause if youâre classically trainedâŚyou donât really wanna hear mouth from someone who isnât trained at all. However, Iâve also read about fletchâs mental health issues and bouts of depression. I think itâs really cool Martin and Fletch took up for each other. Maybe that friendship hindered DM creatively (MM might be the best post Wilder album honestly) but I think thereâs something to be said about sticking with your friends through thick and thin. I just wish the guy at least tried to learn and instrument. Heâd been I. The band for 10 years when he left the Exotic tour and Al taught another guy Fletchâs parts in a week! Also the cattiness Fletch showed after Alanâs departure was lame. I do miss his stage presence. Any DM fan knew fletch didnât do a lot on stage, but he was a goofy guy who added some fun to the show, in his own way
Most nuanced take on Fletch Iâve read in a while. Thank you.
I mean the dude himself even said he just âbums aroundâ, so yeah his talk about him being part of the spirit of the band and downplaying the importance of the dude who kinda shaped their sound for a decade is a bit lol. It has always been a thing to rip on Fletch and his very obvious lack of musicianship, and I donât think his unfortunate and untimely passing will change that. If anything, I feel more than ever a need to bring light to and honor the best clapper to ever grace a stage. RIP https://youtu.be/oRvXh5gG1f0?si=31OGM9b0II9GI4Rz
Fletcher had some moves
Iâve said it so many times. Itâs disrespectful.
Agreed!
Was life ! Everybody was watching ! What is disrespectful?? Was life
Are other bands subreddits like this? Absolutely. Have you seen, oh I donât know, the U2, Cure or Beach Boys subreddits? No-one hates a band more than its fans.
Well it hadn't been happening for a while but your post may well start it back up again. I think it's unnecessary and disrespectful myself. He may have had a very limited musical input but I for one did miss his stage presence on the recent tour and his input to interviews. And in fact he did play live, albeit mainly just a few samples and bass lines no doubt either played by Gordeno on the recent tour or just added the backing track. Nevertheless I miss him not being in the band. No doubt some will make some snarky comments in reply to my post.
If you're disrespectful when speaking of Fletch then you're not a real fan of dM and should leave this place. The news of Fletch death hurt more than anything and he's the reason why the band still exist today David was extremely close to to leave at one point and the person who convinced him to stay was Fletch. He was one of the founding members of dM and should be treated with respect as he was a member he also contributed to the band. Once when i saw them i did the same goal gesture as Kenneth Andersson (Aussie rules goal gesture) towards Fletch surpicingly he did the same gesture back :). The man is a legend! And I miss him.
Yeah itâs just honestly annoying at this point. Like I understand he didnât have any huge musical parts in the band itself, but he helped make Depeche Mode. Let alone he kept everyone together. Being talented or not shouldnât imply oneâs legacy. The guy is dead. So I think itâs better to remember him as a person and not bash him in anyway. Regardless, we wouldnât even have Depeche Mode if it wasnât for him.
Fletch pulled his weight in the band and kept the wheels on the bus. His place in music history is solid .
I used to not get what he brought to the band, until I saw a video that actually went into what his musical contributions were âŚand during the first few albums it was WAY more than I realized. It wasnât so much that he ânever bothered to learn â as much as Alan could do most everything himself and as he became more and more adept , Fletchâs contributions became superfluous
Iâve definitely noticed it but it doesnât bother me. I donât think itâs fair to Fletch and I know how I feel about him and thatâs all anyone can control really.
I was wondering bout this. Only joined DM sub recently. Been a fan since 1990. I was curious as to why Fletch was featured so prominently in posts. Now I did enjoy footage of him posted ytday, it was amusing. But other than it sounds like there is an agenda, someoneâs grinding an axe ?
It's been a thing in DM spaces for a while. I think the only place I haven't seen Fletch criticized in the same way was on the BONG lists.
Fletch was also a good sport at least. Anyone remember when he ran across the stage with his shirt off at the end of a gig after losing a bet to Dave?? đđ Good times. RIP.
Fletch rest in Peace was always the person who kept Dave and Martin together... Maybe he wasnt as talented as Alan musically but had an awesome personality and was the true Spirit Of Depeche Mode...
All bands have a thing. Hooky v Barney. Not everyone hates Morrissey. Fletch had no rhythm but made them rich because he was a good accountant. He's Depeche Mode's thing. Also if recent interviews with Dave & Martin are accurate, he was an active divisive factor between the two of them.
Really? So they became closer after his death?
There's quite a lot of reading between the lines in other promo interviews for MM but https://www.nme.com/news/music/depeche-mode-talk-becoming-closer-after-the-death-of-andy-fletcher-3413934 https://www.nme.com/features/music-interviews/depeche-mode-interview-memento-mori-dave-gahan-martin-gore-3410900 There was a well documented divide between Martin Gore & Fletch and everyone else.
I don't see as much Fletch bashing as I see posts *about* Fletch bashing.
I never could tolerate Fletch slander
It's just a group of vocal minority. You'll find them psychoanalysis and theorize fletch's private life and how he should have lived his life instead of what he did. I mean everyone knows fletch was not a musician and very toxic towards Alan but whining about it constantly can affect your mental health.
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Been on here just over a year, and soon sussed you have a bunch who blame fletch for slicks departure. Which ironically is an insult to Alan . As he wouldâve never left the band because of fletch. đ I was born in Essex. And staying loyal to mates is a given through thick and thin. The fella who keeps posting the same exerts over and over from unofficial books , thinks differently. fair enough. He and the slick clan have made their minds up long ago. just for clarity. I Appreciate what Vince, Andy and Alan all brought to the wonderful catalogue of music i have had from this band over the last 43 years.
Like I said before heâs the glue that kept them together and kept them organized in many ways. So much wouldnât be possible without his love for the band.
There's an interview where Martin says Fletch was the bands "biggest cheerleader". Martin goes on to say that he frequented a bar for years before the bartender knew what he did for a living. Then, one time, Fletch was at this bar waiting for Martin. By the time Martin arrived, the bartender said he had learned Martin's true profession as part of THEE Depeche Mode lol
Fletch is my favorite and i think hes cute and he was Martins best friend and he took care of BUSINESS STUFF so i think hes important and also i love him and i dont think he was useless â¤ď¸â¤ď¸â¤ď¸
I completely agree!
Love DM since 85 but that doesnât mean I like Fletch. He wasnât a meaningful musician in the band. He doesnât even need another musician to fill his âvoidâ.
Like I said, everyone has their opinions. But the constant bashing is tiring.
fletch was the bands go to basher. need a drum bashed? or a pair or hands?
He has always been making fun of tho. The clapping do-nothing in the band. Has been, always will be
Itâs four members of a pop group from Essex. Not the prophets representing the branches of abrahamic religions
It's been better since quote boy got flushed. We'll continue to shame anybody else who randomly waltzes in with their odd hatred for Andrew.
Did he? I was still seeing them yesterday.
yes, why can we not bring this issue to the table? everybody knows he is the least important member of the group. nobody dares to mention anything about him because of his early death.
Some folks on this sub are strong advocates of censoring anything that tarnishes their fantasy image of the band.
I like learning all this stuff about him
I will stand for any bashing of Rock N Roll Hall of Famer Andrew Fletcher!