INSIGHT: Daryl Bamonte … part 1

For our first INSIGHT, we caught up with Daryl Bamonte, who worked with the band since they were known as “Composition Of Sound”, his band supported Depeche Mode several times in the mid 80’s and he went on to perform at 39 shows as part of the band. This is his INSIGHT…

What were you doing in your life before Depeche Mode came along?

I first helped Composition Of Sound with their equipment in April 1980, and then I left school in May 1980, in the same week that Dave played his first show at my (very recently) former school, so before DM I was just having my childhood…

Can you tell us about how you got involved with Depeche Mode?

Composition Of Sound supported my brother Perry’s band at a place called Scamps in Southend in April 1980 and I was ‘the roadie’ for Perry’s band, so I helped out Composition Of Sound as well, because Perry and I knew Martin and Fletch from school, and Vince lived on the same estate as all of us. Then Dave joined the band and we had got to know each other, and they started their residency at Crocs in Rayleigh and then later The Bridgehouse in Canning Town. As a 16 year old I had no money, and the band agreed that I could always ride to the shows in the van and get in for free, so I naturally returned the favour by helping with the equipment, and it just progressed from there. I remember hair-raising journeys up and down the A13 in a big red van (which should have been scrapped) driven by a mad Teddy Boy called Ralph… happy days…

Did you know that a tape from the mixing desk from “Crocs”, from 1981, recently sold on ebay for over