Depeche Mode's Dave Gahan Attends Son's Wedding in Israel

Depeche Mode frontman Dave Gahan made a surprise visit to Israel this past weekend, but not for a secret gig.

The singer arrived in the holy land to attend his eldest son Jack Gahan’s wedding to Israeli native Sigal Mamis. Local news website Ynet reports that the wedding took place Sunday night local time in the upscale seaside city of Caesarea, known for its stunning ancient Roman ruins.

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A video of the Jewish wedding ceremony surfaced online on Monday (March 23), showing a yarmulke-wearing Gahan walking his 27-year-old son down the aisle. As is tradition in Jewish weddings, the groom is escorted by his father and the bride’s father, while the bride walks with the mothers. Vows were exchanged under the “chupah” as some 200 guests and security personnel looked on (see video of his entrance below).

Gahan’s attendance drew attention due to Depeche Mode’s massive popularity in Israel, and interestingly, the couple’s love story is intertwined with the band’s own history in the country.

Gahan and Mamis met following a Depeche Mode concert in Tel Aviv in 2009. It was the British band's second live appearance in the country, where it has been popular since the 1980s. In fact, the night when the couple met was a make-good for a show that was canceled in 2006 due to a war with Lebanon, which broke out in July of that year.

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The newlyweds, who live in London and generally out of the limelight, were annoyed with local media attention and showed their displeasure on Monday by posting an image on Instagram. Sporting custom-made T-shirts, Gahan's reads "#ynetsucks" and Mamis' says "gossip media crashing a private wedding is WRONG!"

Gahan isn't the only British rock star to have roots in Israel. Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood is also married to an Israeli, visual artist Sharona Katan.

Mazel Tov to all!