One day in 1990, Depeche Mode made an appearance at a Los Angeles record store to promote their new album, Violator. When a huge crowd also arrived, Martin Gore and his bandmates looked at one another and agreed on just one thing: "We gotta get outta here!"

They promptly snuck out a back door, leaving the record store to contend with thousands of irate fans. One hundred and fifty police in full riot gear were required to put an end to the violence.

[Alan Wilder's verdict? "As bad and dangerous as the situation was, It was good PR."]