Peruvian rock fans must have a complex by now.
According to the Associated Press, for the third time in recent years a visiting foreign pop star has expressed thanks to the wrong country in the midst of a concert performance.
In a concert in Peru’s capital, Lima, Tuesday, the lead singer of British band Depeche Mode shouted out “Thank you very much, Chile!” to 30,000 screaming fans. According to the AP, most didn’t notice Dave Gahan’s slip until a video of the concert was posted on Youtube, where it attracted millions of hits.
The country choice was particularly nettlesome because Peru and Chile have been on hostile terms ever since an 1879-84 war between the South American neighbors.
In 2004, Mayte of the Mexican pop band RBD shouted out “Long live Chile!” in a Lima concert. She immediately apologized. In 2003, Canadian singer Alanis Morissette yelled out “Thank you, Brazil.”
One of the most enduring bands to emerge from the ’80s, Depeche Mode rose to fame thanks to hits such as “Just Can’t Get Enough,” “People are People” and “Personal Jesus” (the latter was recently retitled “Reach Out” and reworked as a sugary pop hit by ex-Disney queen Hilary Duff).
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BELOW: Depeche Mode’s dark classic, “Personal Jesus” and Hilary Duff’s Disney-worthy version, now about nightclubs, retitled “Touch Me.”
MusicVixen says...
Spinal Tap moment, anyone? So, I guess this means the band won’t be winning any Peruvian music awards any time soon… It's kind of disappointing that this is the most controversial thing a rock star can manage to do these days. Oh well.
