About This Site

When did you make this website?

This website was first launched on January 17, 2021. At that time, it didn't have very many pages, but over time, more and more content was added to become what you see it as today! I had wanted to create a website devoted to Dave for a long time, but it really wasn't until around Christmas of 2020 that I began to get serious about it and started planning it out — everything from what it would look like, which tools I was going to use, and what kind of content it would have.

Why did you make this website?

I made this website because I am a fan of Dave Gahan and I love making websites, plain and simple. The secondary reason for making this site is also because I wanted to have a single place with detailed information about Dave Gahan and his music in one, cohesive format that is easy and fun to browse. While there is a lot of information out there that can be found on Wikis and through web searches, I find the experience somewhat limiting and the information fractured. I realize that static websites like this were more popular in the internet's early days, long before the rise of social media and the emergence of user-created Wikis, and have now somewhat fallen out of fashion. However, there were a lot of static websites like this dedicated to Dave Gahan and Depeche Mode back then that had a level of quality that I just don't see nowadays. Sadly, many of them have disappeared or have been abandoned. There is something to be missed about websites like those, though, with their eye-catching graphics and pile of links that took you on a journey as if you were walking through a museum, and I want to bring that experience back through this website, as outdated as that experience may very well be.

Do you know Dave personally?

No, I do not. I am just a fan of Dave's work, and yes, I will admit that I am a fan of him as a person, as well. With that said, if you have come here looking for gossip about his private life, then you have come to the wrong place. This website is dedicated only to Dave's music, and yes, to Dave as a person to an extent, but only to the extent of his public persona (i.e., what is revealed about him through publicly-accessible media like books, newspapers, magazines, interviews, etc.). Dave is not active on social media as far as I'm aware, though there are people in his inner circle who are. What they choose to share or not share about him is completely up to them and I believe we should respect that. Because of that, I will also not use this website to copy or propagate what those social media pages already share with their own followers.

Who are you, really?

I am called Purple, AKA Judy Flimflam, and I am a software developer living in the USA. Who I am physically (e.g., sex, age, etc.) is unimportant in the context of this website. I also consider myself a musician, though I have not practiced an instrument for several years. I used to play the saxophone, clarinet, oboe, bass guitar, and piano. My musical background has stuck with me all of these years, though, and it does affect the way that I listen to music. It is neither good nor bad, but it does bring a unique perspective, if anything. My other interests are writing fictional stories, playing video games, hiking and camping, and of course, making websites like these! I run another website called Absolute Mario which I started in 1998. If you are a fan of Nintendo/Mario, I would definitely love for you to check it out: https://www.absolutemario.com

What draws you to Dave's music?

Dave's music is very sensual and captivating and his voice is beautifully unique, dynamic, and full of soul. I came to know and love his voice through Depeche Mode's music, first, of course, but when I started exploring his non-Depeche Mode works, that was when I really fell in love. I get the sense that he was confined to a certain extent within Depeche Mode (especially before he contributed his own songs to the band) and therefore, writing songs and singing by himself or with other bands where he had either sole or majority creative control really allowed him to shine. I can hear his influences and they are the same kinds of music that I like- classic rock, blues, gospel, etc. The dynamic range of his voice just seems to get better over the years, and I honestly prefer his Soulsavers work now over most of the Depeche Mode work post-2009.

What draws you to Dave's public persona?

He comes off as a very humble and generous person. He has obviously been through a lot in his past- growing up with a mostly-absent father, being extremely rebellious in his youth, and battling drug and alcohol addiction, among a few things. He isn't shy when talking about the things that he's struggled with but he isn't in your face about it or overly preachy about it, either. He has conquered a lot of things in his life- fear (when he didn't think he could make it as a solo artist but went for it, anyway), addiction (he has been drug- and alcohol-free since 1996), and even death (he was medically dead for two minutes after a drug overdose on May 28, 1996). He also talks about wanting to "escape from himself" a lot, which is something I really relate to and also why I'm so drawn to his music. This urge for him unfortunately led to very destructive behavior but it seems like he has learned to look for that escape in healthier ways these days. He has said that urge is always there, though, and that is something that definitely strikes a chord with me.

If you're such a big fan of Depeche Mode, how come you don't include material about them or the other band members on this website?

It comes down to not having nearly enough time or incentive to cover that large of a subject. Covering the entire band and their music is a massive undertaking and I just don't have the time to do that. This website is merely my hobby; I do not make any money from it. I have a full-time job doing software development which pays the bills and stuff, so when I'm not working is the only time that I have to work on this website, as well as dedicating time to my many other hobbies (see above) and spending quality time with family and friends. There are already a lot of good resources on the band as a whole on the internet. I feel like I would essentially be duplicating much of their work; otherwise, if I were to go to the level of detail on Depeche Mode as I do on just Dave with this site, it would truly be too overwhelming.

How can I get in touch with you if I have a question, want to submit something, or alert you to a problem/mistake on your website?

Use this form here to contact me. I would love to hear from you and I will do my best to accept constructive criticism, as well. I will ignore downright nastiness, however. That said, I will say here and now that at this time, I am not interested in any business ventures, for-profit or otherwise, for any duration. I am also not looking for help running this website or providing regular content for it at this time, either. However, I am absolutely open to "one-off"-type submissions, such as self-written articles, items of memorabilia, print media, and fan art that you would like to share and for me to display on this site. I will give full credit to you if you do. Please read this forum post for more details. You are welcome to simply say hello, as well!