Concert review: A Flock of Seagulls w/ Strangelove: The Depeche Mode Experience | 05.08.26, The Pageant (with photo gallery)

Photo of Mike Score of A Flock of Seagulls by Laura Jerele

To say that this is the best tribute band I’ve ever seen is almost an understatement. Strangelove somehow manages to capture everything that Depeche Mode was and still is without turning it into some over-the-top parody act. No cheesy theatrics, no forced imitation, just this insanely tight attention to detail that makes the whole thing feel real. The sound, the visuals, the pacing, every little piece of is intentional. There were moments where if you closed your eyes, you genuinely would have thought you were standing at an actual Depeche Mode show.

Frontman Leo Luganskiy absolutely sells it too. Not only does he look just like Dave Gahan, though honestly the resemblance is kind of wild, he completely understands the movement and energy that made Depeche Mode such a force live. The spins, the swagger, the perfectly controlled vocals, all of it was there, but it never crossed into impersonation territory. It still felt natural and completely his own. The rest of the band was unbelievably locked in too, with Brent Meyer, Kaleb Rankin, and drummer Chris Olivas building this huge wall of synth-driven sound that felt massive! And shout out to Max from St. Louis on keys, who fit into the lineup effortlessly and brought a ton of personality and feel to the performance.

The crowd reaction alone should tell you everything you need to know about how good this band is. The second people were allowed into The Pageant, it turned into this rush of fans trying to get as close to the stage as possible. Nobody was casually standing around watching. Every single person in that room was completely pulled into it. That is what makes Strangelove work so well. They are not just recreating songs, they recreate the feeling of what made Depeche Mode such a massive live band in the first place. 

And then there was A Flock of Seagulls, who honestly deserve way more respect than they get from people who only know them for “I Ran.” Live, this band sounds space age, synth-heavy, and huge. The synths are thick and atmospheric, the guitars shimmer over everything, and the songs have this heavy pulse underneath all the dreamy textures. Mike Score still sounds fantastic, stays ultra-focused, and seems almost otherworldly. Bassist Pando, guitarist Gord Deppe, and drummer Kevin Rankin bring so much weight and fullness to their songs. Their newer songs are amazing, too. They never feel like a legacy act going through the motions. The newer songs sounded fresh, dark, cinematic, and every bit as strong as the classics people came to hear, and it all blends in very well throughout their set. Their last few songs of the night gave that retro punch with “Telecommunication,” “Space Age Love Song,” “Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You),” and “I Ran (So Far Away).”

One of the coolest things all night was realizing this whole tour basically turned into a family affair. Kevin Rankin’s son plays in Strangelove, and throughout the night you would catch them filming each other from the side of the stage—Dad recording his son during Strangelove’s set, then later the son filming his dad while tossing drumsticks from the wings during A Flock of Seagulls. It was one of those small little behind-the-scenes moments that weirdly made the entire night feel special.

Honestly though, as much as this show was aces to photograph, I barely stayed in photographer mode for long. The second those first three songs wrapped for each band, I was right back in the crowd with my friends dancing, singing, and having an absolute blast for the rest of the night. That is always the sign of a great show for me: when I stop worrying about getting the perfect shot because I’m too busy actually enjoying yourself! | Laura Jerele