Permanent Record Podcast

Episode 198: Depeche Mode: Home Video Concert Releases (Part 4) It's a new year, and Brian and Sarah are kicking off their 2026 episodes with the next installment in their look at Depeche Mode home video concert releases. Up for viewing and discussion this time is Tour of the Universe: Barcelona 20/21.11.09, the concert film documenting Depeche Mode's tour for 2009's Sounds of the Universe album. As the title indicates, the movie was filmed in Barcelona over two nights, and it was directed by Russell Thomas. Prior to working with Depeche Mode, Thomas directed concert videos for artists such as Kylie Minogue, Robbie Williams, and Coldplay, so he was no stranger to such projects. However, Brian and Sarah got the impression he was a stranger to using more traditional filming and editing techniques, providing examples of scenes, shots, and editing choices they disliked. The filming and editing style of Russell Thomas made it more difficult than usual for Brian and Sarah to come up with answers to some of the st