What band was Andy Fletcher in before Depeche Mode?

Virgin Radio

30 May 2022, 07:22

Following the devastating news of Depeche Mode’s Andy Fletcher last week, fans are walking down memory lane to remember his incredible talent before he founded the beloved electronic band. 

In a statement, Depeche Mode said: “We are shocked and filled with overwhelming sadness with the untimely passing of our dear friend, family member, and bandmate Andy ‘Fletch’ Fletcher.” 

The statement continued: “Fletch had a true heart of gold and was always there when you needed support, a lively conversation, a good laugh, or a cold pint. Our hearts are with his family, and we ask that you keep them in your thoughts and respect their privacy in this difficult time.” 

The band, formed in Basildon in 1980, have had 17 Top 10 albums, and big hits with the likes Enjoy The Silence and Personal Jesus. In 2020, Fletcher and his bandmates Dave Gahan and Martin Gore - and former members Vince Clarke and Alan Wilder - were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

It was Andy’s friendship with Vince Clarke that spawned some musical success elsewhere early on in their career. 

Clarke launched two other projects; Yazoo with Alison Moyet, and Erasure with Andy Bell, and left Depeche Mode in 1981. 

Despite the creative differences, Clarke and Fletcher were friends long before music, and even flexed their talents in a band one year before launching Depeche Mode. 

That band was called No Romance In China, and they formed in 1979 with Clarke and Fletcher joining forces with Sue Paget and Pete Hobbs. 

In his biography, (as reported by Grunge.com) Clarke admitted he and the band were heavily influenced by the sounds of The Cure, but never made it much further than performing a number of gigs, and disbanded only a few months later.

The sounds of that group didn’t stop there though, and a track entitled No Romance in China ended up being made by Depeche Mode when they were still performing under the name Composition of Sound. 

The rest, they say, is history.