Kraftwerk returned to Brighton this week for the first time in 36 years. Playing at the Brighton Centre the "group" "played" a crowd pleasing set of greatest hits from Computer World, Man Machine, Electric Cafe, Tour De France, Radioactivity, Tran-Europe Express, and of course Autobahn - the original 1974 album that really announced their arrival.
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| Kraftwerk land in Brighton |
So what of this? Well a number of things spring to mind...
It was an event! The "event of the season" as Buffalo Springfield once said? Possibly, although here in Brighton we are spoilt with many events. Kraftwerk concerts (and appearances of any sort) have been rare over their career although recently with their 3D tours and residences at various art galleries they have become a little more common place perhaps diluting the significance. It is still super hard to get a ticket though. I had failed a number of times before securing a side circle seat for this event.
Kraftwerk are one of those groups universally admired, not just for their music, but for their influence. In this way they are a bit of a sacred cow, immune to criticism. Listening back to the music they created in the 70s it really is remarkable - so different to anything else at the time and, although it is a cliche, still sounds as if it could have been produced yesterday. I was at school at the time and although the first pop synthesizer bands were starting to emerge in the wake of pioneers like Kraftwerk my interests remained firmly rooted in rock music. I didn't get these new synthesizer bands (Depeche Mode, OMD, Gary Numan etc) or Kraftwerk at all. But oddly Kraftwerk were one of the few electronic bands that many rock fans did like. Apparently it was not uncommon to see fans in denim jackets with Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin patches at Kraftwerk concerts. Apparently they were really loud too...
...which is why I was surprised that the music was quiet at the beginning as the house lights dimmed and neon green numerals danced across the backdrop and the band started with three numbers from Computer World. It was almost like it was still the background house music. Later on people started shouting out that it was too quiet and amazingly someone must have heard as the volume was turned up from Radioactivity onwards.
Having got a seat to the side (it is a case of first come first served with seat selection on the internet for such a popular event) I was also wary of the effectiveness of the 3D. As a green number 4 launched towards my head at the start these fears were allayed. The crowd cheered. Later on a satellite floated above me during Spacelab from Man Machine (one of the musical and visual highlights). A UFO hovered in front of the i360 and the Brighton Centre before moving off to the Pavilion - nice local touch. More cheering.
However I continued to wonder if the 3D graphics would have been more impressive or evident from front on. I think probably not as I did have a look on my way to a bathroom break. Also, surely, they would have checked these things, and there were many seats much more to the side than mine.
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| Boom! Boing! Tschak! |
I say "played" but that's a relative term. The four musicians (they are no doubt consummate musicians, not just technicians, having written the music at least in the case of original member Ralf Hutter, even if it is debatable how difficult it is to "play" it on computers) stood mostly motionless behind four stands and you could not see what they were doing from my angle. But their arms were moving up and down (punching some drum pads and things) or from side to side (keyboards), and Hutter (far right) was "singing" (speaking) in German and heavily accented English into a head mic. The screen helpfully showed the words to many of the "songs".
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| The Man Machine robots play to a full house at The Brighton Centre |
At the start of the extended "encore" the real musicians were replaced by the famous Kraftwerk robots from Man Machine and "played" Robots. Humourously one of the robots wouldn't move at first. Eventually his arms rose - more crowd cheering. At the end the robots were unceremoniously pulled off stage by crew. This could have been more slick - for instance I did think the robots could have done a bit more visually although their virtual playing was exemplary. The humans returned and finished off, leaving the stage one at a time to tumultuous acclaim.
One frustration I find with a lot of concerts, especially ones like this, is the insistence on seating only. Although there are great visuals to watch, it's not a classical concert. Standing (and dancing) would have been much more exciting - I know the band are too big for such a venue but a Kraftwerk DJ set at the Concorde2 for instance would be immense! Health and safety is important of course, and in the circumstances the increased airport-like security on the door was welcome, but I do get a bit annoyed when the bouncers ask you to return to your seat if you go walkabout. Some brave souls did dance a bit in the aisles before the inevitable.
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| Over 2 hours of Musique Non Stop |
But what of those tunes? They are all very familiar. I don't have all the Kraftwerk albums but reckon I recognised 90% of the set list. The music is simple yet perfect - chunky repetitive bass lines and hypnotic drum beats overlaid with catchy 4 bar melodies. The tracks played live were respectful to the originals - perhaps slightly beefed up in places more akin to the remixes in The Mix album. The more recent (still old but relatively recent in Kraftwerk years) tracks from Tour De France and Electric Cafe (or Techno Pop as it is now renamed) sounding particularly current. Autobahn was the slightly edited version which appears on that album - the opening car door slam and horn receiving one of the loudest cheers of the night. Greatest hit The Model was welcomed with glee and accompanied by the original black and white video - Hutter's voice equal to the original single which strangely was officially only the B side to a track from Computer World not released until 1982. Pete Paphides explains -
Though it originally appeared on 1978's The Man Machine, The Model made more sense in a pop scene reconfigured by a rouge-streaked generation of androgynes who paid as much attention to the mask as to the emotions that it sought to conceal. In the world of Spandau Ballet, Gary Numan, Duran Duran, Visage and Scary Monsters-era Bowie, some people called themselves futurists; others preferred the term New Romantic. In terms of sound and subject, The Model was the exact point where the two intersected.Kraftwerk at the time were a secret known only to the cool kids at school. The Model became a no.1 hit and blew that cover.
My choice from Kraftwerk this week is the Trans-Europe Express album - one of their best from their 70s hey day/decade. The music sounds fresh and vibrant, mathematically perfect, and decades ahead of its time. Showroom Dummies is the consummate Kraftwerk tune (one of the few favourites missing from the Brighton setlist actually). The full log this week:
1. Henryk Gorecki - Miserere
2. Kings of Convenience - Quiet is the New Loud
3. Kraftwerk - Trans-Europe Express
4. Talk Talk - Spirit of Eden
5. Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti CD 1
6. Gorillaz - Plastic Beach