Depeche Mode are always ''moaning through life''.

The 'Enjoy the Silence' trio - Dave Gahan, Martin Gore and Alan 'Fletch' Fletcher - are known for their downbeat lyrics and singer Dave admits he is often unhappy with his ''inability to function'' as a normal person.

He said: ''We have influences coming from the blues. And Depeche Mode is fundamentally us whining, searching for something, moaning our way through life.

''What do I have to moan about? Myself! My inability to function like a normal human being, as I'm constantly reminded. Someone will say, 'The way you're talking to me is really...' I get over-aggressive or over-enthusiastic and other people aren't necessarily on the same page. I get into trouble with my wife. She's the first one to say, 'You can't talk to me like that. I'm not one of your bandmates or cronies that hang around you.' ''

The group credit their success to the structure they have build around themselves, particularly in how they approach songwriting.

Dave explained to Mojo magazine: ''We're not a 'band' band. We're not The Rolling Stones, jamming together in the studio. Things are very constructed between Martin and Me. Fletch has ideas and input, he's the one who'll say, 'What are you doing? You've been working on this for three days, it's rubbish.'

''But he's not conceptual. He's the mediator. He's the luke-warm water between fire and ice. He'll do his crossword and as long as he gets to lunch by one o'clock, he's fine.''