After completion of the 'MFTM' album in 1988, Depeche Mode set out on tour with hopes high but sights realistically set. However, the success of this venture outstripped everyone's expectations worldwide, with the band s massive popularity finally being felt in the formerly reluctant US, who demonstrated their craving in the form of an audience of 86,000 at the 'Concert For The Masses' in the Pasadena Rosebowl. "The Rosebowl performance wasn't actually one of the best due to monitoring problems but it certainly gave us a lot of credibility back in Europe where nobody could quite believe our popularity in the States. I always found being on stage a surreal experience - at times my mind would be somewhere completely different whilst my body was on automatic pilot. It's like driving a car; if you actually stop to think about what you're doing, it becomes difficult."