Andy Fletcher, keyboardist for Depeche Mode, has passed away

Andrew John FletcherThe keyboardist and member of the band Depeche Mode, better known as Andy Fletcher, has died at the age of 60. The band announced this on their social networks.

“We are shocked and filled with great sadness at the passing of our dear friend, family member and bandmate Andy ‘Flech’ Fletcher.

“Flech has a golden heart and is always there when support is needed, a light conversation, a sweet laugh or a cold painting. Our hearts go out to his family, and we ask that you keep him in your thoughts and respect his privacy during this time. ” difficult, “they report.

your trajectory

He is a founding member of Depeche Mode, which oversees the band’s classic synthesizer sound.

He was born in Nottingham but grew up in Basildon, Essex, where at school as a child he played. Martin Gore, another would be a member of Depeche. In 1976 he formed a duet with Vince Clarke called No Romance in Chinaand with Gore he eventually joined another group called French-look. Later, with the entry of the singer David Gahan |changed its name and Depeche Mode was born.

For many years Fletcher’s role in the group was a source of confusion, even among his own fans. In fact, his role in Depeche Mode records electric bass componentswhich -in concert- is made from a synthesizer.

In promotional videos It’s Not Good Y Worthlessboth from the album Ultra, from 1997, made a reference here, where Fletcher appears as double bass player in one and on bass in the other. at concerts, Fletcher just played the easiest part of the keyboard.

Apparently, Fletcher never had a special talent for music, only his unconditional friendship with Martin Gore would be part of the band, so at first he devoted himself to keeping accounts of what what they got, practical makes the manager of the group in its early years, until Jonathan Kessler he took that place in 1986. In addition, Fletcher has always participated as a keyboardist with Depeche Mode.

Andrew Fletcher, however, participate in all albums from DepecheMode.

statements

In an interview with this newspaper, in 2017, he declared: “We are not a very ambitious band. We are not like U2, who wants to be the biggest band in the world.. That didn’t happen to us. We work hard. I am very proud that 37 years have passed and we are still famous. It’s a dream come true … “

About his future role as manager, he spoke about the music business today: “It’s very difficult for young bands to make money.Theyes Record companies, in general, do not support you and what those companies earn is relatively small, because they do not sell records. Promoting music on networks or on YouTube seems to me to be good to promote it, but I honestly think it won’t leave you in your day-to-day work.

“In Depeche Mode we are a democracy,” he finally said. What does this mean? “That if someone becomes very inflexible, we’ll say: OK, we don’t have dramas …”

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