Alan Wilder With Omega Auctions Presents ‘Collected’

The Alan Wilder/Depeche Mode Collection
A historic equipment, vinyl & memorabilia auction

This summer, Alan Wilder will be selling a large selection of musical / studio equipment and memorabilia at auction. Many items are very collectable and hold special value having been used extensively in the recording sessions for classic Depeche Mode and Recoil albums, as well as live performances on the ‘Black Celebration’, ‘Music For The Masses’, World Violation’ and ‘Devotional’ tours.

The additional memorabilia such as Gold & Platinum award discs, leather clothing, rare vinyl acetates, posters, tour merchandise and much more, covers Alan’s entire musical career, focusing mainly on the years between 1982 & 1995 and making this one of the most exciting career sales to hit the public domain ever. It is also the first time ever that a Depeche Mode memorabilia sale on this scale has appeared.

Saturday 3rd September 2011
Venue: To be confirmed
Viewing: Friday 2nd September and morning of sale

The auction will be contacted by Omega at a venue in Manchester, however it will be possible to bid from anywhere in the world via the internet or by telephone. You can get a sneak preview of everything right now at auction.recoil.co.uk and discover the history and condition of the items plus read Alan’s comments on each piece.

A special free pdf catalogue is being produced and a collectable printed hard copy will also be available for a small charge.

No price indications will be offered before the sale begins, and therefore any general enquiries about prices won’t receive a response. However, serious offers for items marked outside of the auction (for private sale) will be listened to – the point of contact is auction@recoil.co.uk.

Says Alan… “One of my new year’s resolution this year was to start streamlining my set-up at The Thin Line Studios. My needs have altered a bit since laptops, soft synths and plug-ins have come to the fore, and even though I’m emotionally attached, passing on some vintage gear and historical items seems like a good way to start.

Since my teenage years I’ve been an avid collector of interesting and unique musical items, including a ‘Steinway’ Grand piano, vintage keyboards, synthesisers such as the ‘Mini-moog’, ‘Arp Odyssey’, a ‘Wurlitzer’ electric piano, plus a 70′s broadcast ‘Neve’ console, ‘Dynaudio M2′ monitors with subs driven by ‘Manley’ valve amps, also valve-driven ‘Telefunken’ amps and a ‘Manley’ limiter/compressor. There is a significant amount of racking, overhead baffling, a pair of bass traps, screens and so on, all designed and built by Kevin Van Greene. There is one very special guitar and various ‘Emulators’ which were featured during the Mode tours, and I even have my old stage clothing, touring wardrobe, the ‘Devotional’ drum kit, drumming extras and other artifacts available.

I also decided that, since I was having a clear out and with so many writing in asking for things, why not include some extra memorabilia and pass on some of the stuff I have collected over the years – like my leather jackets, tour merchandise, records, promo items and even presentation awards. So I have expanded the concept and hopefully created an exciting and unique event.

We initially thought about eBay as I know many are familiar with that process, but the sheer scale of such a sale would have meant many difficult issues regarding accepting payments & shipping methods required to facilitate a smooth process. Using a professional company means we can control those aspects much more efficiently, conduct this special live event, and still be able to implement the on-line part of the sale which we understand will attract the vast majority of those wishing to take part. No matter where you are in the world, you have access to the auction in the most simple and straightforward way possible.

It’s all up for grabs now! Good luck with your bidding…”

Alan Wilder

The event

The Shunt team have worked closely in conjunction with Omega to bring to you a worldwide, all-inclusive fan-friendly event incorporating a film presentation (‘Alan Wilder – Collected’) about the fascinating history of everything in the sale, plus a Q&A session with Alan, DJs, a bar and some other surprises.

The live part of the event will be held over the weekend of September 2nd & 3rd in Manchester (venue t.b.c.). There will be a a chance to preview all the sale items on the Friday, with meet & greet opportunities and so on.

Most importantly, the main focus of the event – the auction – has been designed to make the process as easy and cost effective as possible. Auctions can sometimes be inhibiting, stuffy affairs, often off-putting. This one won’t be – it will be easy to follow, simple and fun to take part in, and with no hidden charges. Alan has insisted that any buyer’s premiums or delivery charges are kept to an absolute minimum, with terms clearly stated for all to see in advance. We can assure you that we have negotiated the most attractive possible deal one can from a professional auction house which will guarantee a smooth and stress-free process from successful bid through to final delivery of your purchase.

Each winning bidder will also receive a free DVD of ‘Alan Wilder – Collected’

Documentary

Alan Wilder – Collected is a 2011 documentary film directed by Martin Vladar about the musician and producer Alan Wilder. The 40 minute documentary came about in connection with a proposed auction scheduled in 2011. Vladar worked personally with Alan Wilder and his estate in the UK: at Wilder’s Sussex residence, he discovered the house was filled with memorabilia spanning 35 years of a career spent in music, most notably during the 80s and 90s covering the musician’s stint with one of the most famous & successful bands of all time, Depeche Mode.

The various boxes, tubs and chests each contained rare records, test pressings, acetates, stage clothing, unseen artwork, collections of magazines, press clippings, programmes, private notes and letters, as well as old synthesisers, samplers, guitars and many other items all of which had been catalogued and meticulously stored for posterity. Wilder also has a Steinway grand piano, zip discs with his own sound samples, his touring wardrobe, and the very drums used during DM’s biggest tour of all time ‘Devotional’.

Vladar’s intent was not to create a biography but rather to understand Wilder by studying the producer’s vast personal collection and relating it’s significance to the many iconic photographs, TV and live performances where most of the uncovered items first appeared. We witness how the musician is reunited with his lost sounds when Wilder tries out his old Sampler after 25 years, and we discover which unreleased records he has the only copies of, along with access to the very first acetate pressings of Depeche Mode’s ‘Violator’ and the ’101′ album recorded at The Rosebowl, Pasadena in 1988.

What we end up with is a moving, funny and ultimately fascinating retrospective of a career which has touched millions of fans. Alan Wilder is noted for his meticulous detailing in music, and that has clearly been translated into the production of this collection.

For more information visit, auction.recoil.co.uk and omegaauctions.co.uk.