A CAMPAIGN has been launched to get Depeche Mode to perform a warm-up gig at a Rayleigh club.

The Pink Toothbrush’s management is hoping one of the world’s biggest bands will agree to play a homecoming set at the venue.

The Basildon band played at the venue in the early Eighties before becoming one of the biggest selling bands of the 20th century.

Depeche Mode will be releasing a new album, Spirit, later this year and is going on an accompanying tour, called Global Spirit, playing to 1.5 million fans in 32 cities in 21 countries across Europe, including London Stadium, Paris’ Stade de France and the San Siro in Milan.

Tomorrow the band is releasing its new single, Where’s the Revolution, which is the first new music it has released in four years.

Stuart Whiffen, promoter at the Toothbrush, is hopeful the band will agree to a charity warm-up gig at the popular alternative nightclub.

Mr Whiffen said: “We shared a video of Depeche Mode playing at the club on Facebook and Darren Brett, one of our DJs, said wouldn’t it be great if we could get them to play a homecoming show.

“We had a huge uptake on the Facebook post of people supporting the idea. We decided we should ask the question.

“The club, which was known as Crocs when Depeche Mode first played there, has just celebrated 30 years.

“It was at the forefront of the New Romantic scene that was blowing up in London and we were lucky enough to have a wealth of talent at the Toothbrush.”

The club launched a campaign on Twitter, asking people to retweet a post asking the band to perform.

It has already got the support of Jon Morter, who was instrumental in getting Rage Against the Machine’s Killing in the Name to Christmas Number 1 in 2009.

The club has now been contacted by the band’s label, which has requested more information about performing at the venue.

Mr Whiffen added: “It would be fun more than anything. The Toothbrush has always stayed left of centre and never tried to be fashionable. We have always done what we have done and it is the same for Depeche Mode.

“We still get a lot of requests to play the band’s music in the club and it is not just people who remember them from their younger years – they are constantly getting a new following.

“I know they are now a very big band and the prospect of them coming back to our sweaty club might not be the best prospect, but it would be fun. There are a lot of venues which are struggling in Essex, and it would be great to have their support. It is a massive long shot, but you have got to have a go.”

To support the campaign, see twitter.com/PinkToothbrush_