Gig review: Kraftwerk in Auckland
Stuff.co.nz | Thursday, 27 November 2008MEN AND THEIR MACHINES: German techno act Kraftwerk perform at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 2005.
Laptops, leather jackets and robots that resembled New Zealand's new Prime Minister, John Key. Reviewer Andrew Janes checks out techno originators Kraftwerk.
Kraftwerk
Where: Auckland Town Hall
When: Wednesday, November 26
Four elderly German men clad in tight black pants and black leather jackets buttoned to the neck stood behind computer terminals on stage at Auckland Town Hall playing to a largely appreciative crowd happy to lap up the Teutonic weirdness.
Yes, it was Kraftwerk - the old school techno originators whose beats have inspired a thousand introductions to current affairs shows, nature documentary soundtracks and hip-hop beat makers.
Typically, there was absolutely no interaction with the crowd. Kraftwerk could have been sending emails to their friends. The only indication that they were actually enjoying themselves was the occasional leg twitch.
Graphics of autobahns, railways and pretty ladies from a bygone era played behind the four on a big screen.
This reviewer had been at the Fonterra annual meeting in Palmerston North earlier in the day and it’s safe to say the two events differed considerably.
Friends familiar with Kraftwerk‘s oeuvre assured they had played most of their classics. They played for about two hours and 15 minutes.
The highlight was when they went off for a pre-encore break only to be replaced by four robots while the track We Are The Robots played. One of the robots bore a striking resemblance to John Key.
A generously-bellied Australian man in a colourful shirt asked me outside: "Am I the only one who is not getting into this."
Yes - Kraftwerk may be massively influential but they are definitely an acquired taste.
If I had one criticism of the gig it was the hardened security guards.
One woman turned up late with a ticket about 20 minutes before the end but was not let in. I couldn't see a reason why. C'mon security guys - loosen up a little.
Go home and listen to a bit of Kraftwerk maybe?
* What did you think of the show? Post your comments below.
51 Comment(s)
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This is one almightily bad review!
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#1 Posted by Josh — 09:10 AM | Thursday , 27 November 2008
I thought it was an excellent gig and their music still stands the test of time and sounds very fresh. The venue and acoustics were well suited to their music and the sound system provided a lot of detail at both ends. I thought the crowd was quite reserved really but perhaps that is a kiwi thing and I'm from the UK. Thanks Kraftwerk! Hope I get to see you again.
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#2 Posted by Laurent — 09:12 AM | Thursday , 27 November 2008
A great gig and yes it was Kraftwerk - they did what they do and did it well. Perhaps the reviewer should look again - 3 "elder" and 1 "younger" - the guy on the right in fact.
Sitting in the balcony you could see more of the button pushing and keyboard playing and appreciate their Kraft'. About the Staff: dont tell me not to take a photo, when I paid over $100 for a ticket, when those on the floor were flashing away too. Let me just enjoy the show.
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#3 Posted by mark — 09:21 AM | Thursday , 27 November 2008
I am so gutted that I missed these guys! I saw them at BDO a few years back and they were fantastic.
Vy did you not come to ze capital?
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#4 Posted by Valter — 09:25 AM | Thursday , 27 November 2008
Great show - outstanding audio and visuals. It was the audience that cheesed me off. People knew what the starting time was, yet so many just drifted in when the show had already started, disrupting it for those who had taken the trouble to turn up on time. I also take issue with serving of alcohol during the performance. A steady stream of people going back and forth to the bar in my line of vision because they can't survive for two hours without a beer was another annoying distraction - then inevitably they trooped past again on the way to the toilets. If booze is essential to attract people to concerts, sell it only before and after the show.
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#5 Posted by Don Astor — 09:43 AM | Thursday , 27 November 2008
It was a fantastic show! Very surreal to see them in the flesh. Have to agree about the security though...give people and ounce of power and they will take a ton. It was a good crowd with a huge cross section of people, and I don't know if you actually noticed but only two of them were 'elderly germans'. I hope they come back!
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#6 Posted by Neil — 09:52 AM | Thursday , 27 November 2008
Dear Stuff,
Why send someone who has no interest in the performer to do your sole review? This isn't the first time it's happened and the review is inevitably smarmy and pointless.
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#7 Posted by Monkey Magic — 09:57 AM | Thursday , 27 November 2008
I was there and thoroughly enjoyed it. It helps to think of a Kraftwerk gig as a classical music concert. Does the reviewer expect audience interraction from, say, the lead violin or the percussionist in an orchestra?
Agree with comments about the audience, but latecomers don't annoy me - it's the people that are having a chat throughout songs that get to me.
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#8 Posted by Denis — 10:13 AM | Thursday , 27 November 2008
I though it was great - espeically when they played Computerlove. The show was pretty similar to the Minimum Maximum DVD, some of the some arrangements were a little different. The bass and volume really enhanced some of the older songs like Trans Europe Express and Autobahn which were never my favourites
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#9 Posted by hb — 11:09 AM | Thursday , 27 November 2008
i agree with josh.
this is one of the worst reviews i've ever read.
why bother writing it? i wish i hadn't bothered reading it.
kraftwerk were brilliant.
the sound and visuals were immaculate (what else would you expect?), they played all the hits (usually a bit of the original as well as some reworking), there was even a bit of non-robotic head bobbing, foot tapping and leg wiggling.
not sure about the vitamin song tho... it wasn't the best, so i decided to deliberately annoy don astor and went to the bar.
musically i thought they were maybe a bit looser than last time and the little solos at the very end were cool.
from upstairs you could definately see ralf playing most of the leading synth lines. it's a pity florian wasn't there too.
the robots were awesome, as were the kooky glow-in-the-dark spiderman suits when they came back on. just what i want for christmas...
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#10 Posted by gunner — 11:50 AM | Thursday , 27 November 2008
Kraftwerk was good, but felt a little disappointed...
sound was okay but quite loud and very harsh at times.
expected sound to be alot better, town hall is good space too so no excuse, was a deaf sound engineer.
Visually really cool.
A few tracks I could tell the sound patches were wrong and could see that they knew it too but they just pretended it was okay.
but hard to go out and not be critical as I am such a train spotter, I can hear the difference between software and analog
but at the same time expected as much, as there is only 1 original guy in the group now, and he seemed to be pretty much doing most of the music. 1 guy in particular was really just standing there twiddling a mouse, felt sorry for him
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#11 Posted by Frankie — 11:54 AM | Thursday , 27 November 2008
I did not go to the concert, but wish I had.
Totally agree with the first comment that this was a terrible review. Why bother going to a concert that you obvisually have no intrest in and then sharing your dismal veiws with the rest of the country!
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#12 Posted by Ginny — 11:54 AM | Thursday , 27 November 2008
It was a fantastic show. Truly different.
The sound quality was amazing and although my hearing was a little fuzzy afterwards, the high volume was very appropriate. Great visuals, I loved the robots and the glowing green outfits. They played all my favourites too.
Elderly? One of the guys looked barely out of his twenties?! And Ralf, being in his early sixties - looked great!
The only hindrance to my enjoyment was a couple of gorillas (both large, hairy and greasy) in the row in front (I was in the left arm of the Circle) head banging and waving their arms perfectly out of time with the music.
But still, an excellent show.
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#13 Posted by Laura — 12:09 PM | Thursday , 27 November 2008
In response to #4
Or Christchurch...
I flew to Melbourne just to see them at Global Gathering.....
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#14 Posted by james — 12:17 PM | Thursday , 27 November 2008
Another great Stuff Music Review. Come On!
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#15 Posted by mike — 12:26 PM | Thursday , 27 November 2008
what a bad review - could you not even get a photo from this event to compliment the text
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#16 Posted by bob daktari — 12:36 PM | Thursday , 27 November 2008
Well done on your accomplishment: this review is one of the worst pieces of writing I've ever read. Apart from the reviewer clearly having no obvious knowledge of Kraftwerk and their performance methods, it's attempt at trying to hold itself together as a review by comparing a band member to the current Prime Minister or a Fonterra event. Who cares?! How about focusing on this outstanding, highly-influential group and the important musical work they have done over so many years.
It was fantastic to see them at a venue like the Town Hall, where the sound was crystal clear and the audience were there because they knew and appreciated the artists.
As others have mentioned, the security were the only issue at this event. Their constant hovering around to make sure no one was taking photos was just uncomfortable.
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#17 Posted by SL — 12:47 PM | Thursday , 27 November 2008
terrible review!
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#18 Posted by DK — 12:53 PM | Thursday , 27 November 2008
In response to #4
It would have been good for the Robot Men to come to the capital. Only problem is, TSB Arena doesn't have enough seats (up to 4,500). Hopefully the recent 10,000 seat arena proposal for Welly comes to pass.
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#19 Posted by DeepRed — 13:12 PM | Thursday , 27 November 2008
In response to #5
Dear Don Astor
Dont go out much do you? People at gigs like to drink, get over it.
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#20 Posted by Beer drinker — 13:38 PM | Thursday , 27 November 2008
Why on earth did some publication waste their resources and our time sending you to review this gig. Passionless at best. Last night Auckland stood in the prescence of greatness; techno, electro and electonic pop pioneers - predating most of these now common genres by years, if not decades. Stunning, ironic, simplistic and revolutionary. We dock our caps in the deepest respect, revel in their splendour and share a common secret; we all danced on the inside!
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#21 Posted by Drummer — 13:49 PM | Thursday , 27 November 2008
Agreed, what a bloody awful review. How were they influential? What songs did they play? Who cares about security guards and Fonterra?
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#22 Posted by Jason — 13:49 PM | Thursday , 27 November 2008
Yep... agree with 7.
Maybe this reviewer should have stayed with the hip 'n' funky cats at Fonterra; how this had anything to do with the gig (or the price of fish for that matter) is just another of life's sweet little mysteries.
Stick to farmer raves in future mate. Your talent's clearly being under-utilised, what with having to trudge off to one of the best electronc pioneers on the planet.
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#23 Posted by Paul — 14:00 PM | Thursday , 27 November 2008
#1 and 7 are right on the money; how can you possibly call this a "review"? Nothing about the atmosphere, visuals, or... wait a minute, the epic rendition of some hugely influential and powerful MUSIC. Why waste your readers' time with this half-baked cod journalism. The show was a fantastic experience, and those of us fortunate to have witnessed it will reflect on the fact that we may never get another opportunity to do so.
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#24 Posted by another mark — 14:26 PM | Thursday , 27 November 2008
Don Astor sounds like a classic Kraftwerk fan. "No yelling! No moving! No pushing! No drinking! No going to the toilet!". I once got told "hey, we were here first" when I was moving forward in a mosh pit. Uh...it's a mosh pit people.....
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#25 Posted by Simon — 14:46 PM | Thursday , 27 November 2008
In response to #5
Gee what a kill-joy. Dont stand near the bar!! Should they stop serving water as well? Close the toilets?
Stay at home next time
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#26 Posted by fun lover — 14:56 PM | Thursday , 27 November 2008
I personally think this review was one of the worst ive read. Boring to read, its messy and full of unimportant things not releated to the review ("This reviewer had been at the Fonterra annual meeting in Palmerston North earlier in the day and it's safe to say the two events differed considerably.") Seriously, I dont need to know that, I came here to read a review of an amazing show and I read pointless stuff about the fonterra meeting. Cheers.
And personally, Kraftwerk as amazing, I have never seen anything so in time and moving. Being a fan of heavy metal and have seen a fair few metal gigs, this was one of the most intertaining gigs ive been to, It was flawless, every classic song was played, The most moving had to of been Radio-Activity. It was amazing. Definatly 5/5
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#27 Posted by Kai — 15:04 PM | Thursday , 27 November 2008
This really is a shabby review. It would have been nice if their sound was actually explained to readers rather than simply mislabeling it 'techno'. Kraftwerk predate the term by over a decade and their music is quite different than that of techno's originators in Detroit. A little research would have been appreciated.
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#28 Posted by David — 15:50 PM | Thursday , 27 November 2008
Never before have I been in a concert that has pretty much started when it said it was going to start, maybe due to German percision! With Kraftwerk you are always guaranteed to get the quality musical treat you're used to ??? not much difference between a recording and a 'live' show. Experiencing them live gave me the added bonus of very cool graphics and incredible, body-hugging bass. I'm still shaking :-) One thing I would improve in Town Hall is ventilation, but in a funny way it made Tour De France pant even more enjoyable!
Thank You Kraftwerk!
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#29 Posted by Mari — 16:12 PM | Thursday , 27 November 2008
I agree with Josh this is one c**p review. Did the reviewer not even notice that Florian Schneider was missing in the lineup? Another 'stuff' stuff-up and a victory for facile reporting.
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#30 Posted by Susan — 18:37 PM | Thursday , 27 November 2008
Great show and yes sha.
What was th deal with the long and winding queue to get a brightly coloured wristband? Do Mahler's fans get treated like this? I think not and those front doors work perfectly well as an entrance.
I did like the young security person who wished everyone sweet dreams as we filed out, it was the process that irked me not the people.
Ladies bathroom is, as always, outstanding.
Kraftwerk were simply astonishing, very wow and still - very now.
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#31 Posted by Helen Back — 19:09 PM | Thursday , 27 November 2008
In response to #3
The caption for the photo states it was taken in 2005 so I don't think you can correct the reviewer on that one!
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#32 Posted by WB — 19:19 PM | Thursday , 27 November 2008
Having been a fan since I was 11 in the UK, it was awesome !! Yes, they look alot older... but the music stood the test of time and as I was right up the front, the concert just rocked... Tired feet and hot from dancing, it was great....
Lets hope they come back...
Thought the edge was not the best venue, the security was not great and would rather they played at more welcoming venue. I feel the edge need to look at how they staged the event..
Still buzzing and playing Kraftwerk as I type this...
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#33 Posted by Simon — 20:11 PM | Thursday , 27 November 2008
did Andrew James go to the wrong hall?
Kraftwerk played one of the best shows of electronic music i have ever seen, and i have seen many to compare it to, may be it wasnt rock n roll enough for him?
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#34 Posted by charlie caine — 21:03 PM | Thursday , 27 November 2008
Fantastic gig. This was not just another concert but a high-art, multi-media event. The set was carefully arranged and accompanied by stunning imagery to be a retrospective of their work that told the story of a naive, early infatuation with the glory and promise of modern technology slowly maturing to a sad, anxious and at times dark concern that humanity is being lost in the machinery (e.g. the tragic loneliness of "Computer Love"), or is in peril of it - climaxing in the majestic plea of "Radioactivity".
Throughout all this, the true wonder of technological achievement and its potential was never surrendered - and never more well expressed than in the form of the music itself, which harnesses the soulless machinery of electronic music to produce a human expression that is grand, profound, and deeply moving. IMO, Kraftwerk makes very great modern music and last night we were privileged to see and hear artists who are at the height of their powers and maturity.
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#35 Posted by Grant — 21:49 PM | Thursday , 27 November 2008
Although I didn't see the show, Kraftwerk are widely acknowledged by those who know anything about music as hugely influential and accomplished musicians. I'm a tad bemused as to why someone was comped a very expensive ticket to review them ... and I'm assuming, paid for his trouble as well ... when he clearly knows nothing about the band and couldn't be bothered doing any research. And music reviewers wonder why they're so maligned?!
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#36 Posted by Jo Schmidt — 21:55 PM | Thursday , 27 November 2008
Dear Stuff,
here's a hint!....next time you send someone to review a concert ....please make sure they have at least the tiniest interest in the history of popular music!!....especially in this instance an understanding of electronic music.
This person obviously knows nothing of the history of this genre, the tehnology used to produce the music or even the fact kraftwerk are the statesmen of electronica. So sad the reviewer had to plagiarize the remarks about old men and laptops and they could have been doing their emails....these remarks are old and have appeared in the popular press. My only advice to Mr Janes is to go home, put on his mamma mia soundtrack and leave this kind of music to people who understand it!!. Or stay at the fonterra meeting!.
It was a fantastic concert, very "live". Next time send a proper reviewer!!!!
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#37 Posted by andy williams — 22:09 PM | Thursday , 27 November 2008
Life goal achieved for me, I've always liked these guys from the moment I first stumbled on their website. I thought the gig was awesome!! Don does have a point about the beer and movement of the crowd. I thought the crowd was appreciative of them, maybe unsure of whether to dance or just sit back in amazement of the visual and aural landscape they created. Highlights were Man Machine, Robots, Numbers, and Tour De France Old and New versions. Aquired taste they may be sir, but in terms of musical masters these guys are at the top; and they are fine for my taste.
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#38 Posted by Ryan Gray — 22:43 PM | Thursday , 27 November 2008
Excellent Gig. C**p review. Four elderly German men? Florian's replacement Stefen Pfaffe is certainly not old. Is the reviewer blind as well as inept? Kraftwerk have style - their style which has served them well over the last three decades.
Well done guys look forward to next time.
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#39 Posted by David — 00:01 AM | Friday , 28 November 2008
This dude needs to be relieved of his reviewing gig pronto.
"Friends familiar with Kraftwerk???s oeuvre assured they had played most of their classics. They played for about two hours and 15 minutes."
Firstly, how about familiarising yourself with their oeuvre before you go... I think they called it research at journalism school.
If you'd done any of that you might have figured out that Kraftwerk's stark, austere stage presence, as opposed to the choreographed emoting of regular'rock' bands was what made them different. They reinvented pop music from the ground up, and to glibly dismiss it as inspiring "a thousand intros to current affairs shows" speaks right to the heart of how dully uninformed you are. Moron.
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#40 Posted by Duncan — 11:16 AM | Friday , 28 November 2008
The gig was awesome! It was also surprising to see the vast range of people that attended....from young to old....geeks to punks...excellent!
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#41 Posted by Alex Yanez — 11:52 AM | Friday , 28 November 2008
In response to #26
For your information, Fun Lover, I was seated upstairs and my view was blocked regularly by people trooping off to get more booze. Why bother going to a concert if you keep walking out during the performance? You might as well just go to the pub.
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#42 Posted by Don Astor — 14:41 PM | Friday , 28 November 2008
I don't care about the review, I was there and it was fantastic. I don't know what happened when they played Radioactivity but that has to be one of the most intense things I've ever heard in my life.
One of the best things for me about the concert was "new guy" smiling, and then realising he was smiling and trying to look all serious again!
10/10
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#43 Posted by Brenny O — 20:17 PM | Friday , 28 November 2008
Great gig!!! I loved it. Not only great music but great fun as well. You have to laugh at the absurdity of four men at laptops, visuals of the Tour de France and yet brilliant sounds reverberating around the venue. I agree about the need for people to keep walking in and out to get drinks and was I the only one to notice how much people were talking (quite loudly) during the whole performance? For me it was a chance to enjoy musicians who are quite unlike anyone else in the world.
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#44 Posted by Teresa — 21:03 PM | Friday , 28 November 2008
In response to #5
This review was not good. Not good at all. And I wonder one thing: if you don't like them, why did you go? Your fat comrade "who didn't get into it" just wasted at least 75 bucks - what a complete idiot. Oh, of course, you got a free ticket, in which case you should have given it to someone who connected with the music more. Or was it: "Hey you. You care little for these old, old, so terribly terribly old Germans who dare to not play misogynistic rock music and strut around like demented roosters. Go to the gig with this free ticket, completely fail to get anything out of it, write up a hive-kicking review to make the netnerds angry, and mention John Key at some point." The boozed morons who went back and forth to the bar and toilet in endless streams hugely annoyed me too...commenter Don Astor and I must have been sitting almost beside each other.
On the whole, a terrible, faintly patronising review.
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#45 Posted by Jeff Stone — 01:45 AM | Saturday , 29 November 2008
In response to #42
Don't let selfish alcoholic hypocrites like Fun Lover and Beer Dribnker get to ya, Don. You have nothing to explain. I know EXACTLY how you feel. If it was'nt the ushers pointlessly cycling around getting in the way, it was the same six or seven pathetic drunkards missing most of the concert they spent $110 to see in order to go to the bar and then the toilet every five bloody minutes. Back and forth, back and forth, ug ug, me cannot enjoy concert without being drunk, must go to loo so me can then go to bar and get more beer like manly man me is, ug ug. These people care only about their own enjoyment, but would be the first to verbally abuse you or I if we dared to do the same thing to them.
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#46 Posted by Voyager VI — 02:12 AM | Saturday , 29 November 2008
this was one of the best gigs i have ever been to - i was in the circle in the front, had a great view and a great time - YES it was awesome the sound was perfect and kraftwerk were amazing. lets hope they come back again, soon.....
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#47 Posted by Driver — 15:41 PM | Saturday , 29 November 2008
yeah yeah yeah gig was pretty good - came up from welly - but whats with the plethora of young Akld men sporting the heavy rimmed specs? Ja -I know its a kraftwerk gig and your meant to be all intellectual looking and such, but really its a bit silly isnt it.
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#48 Posted by bill — 22:42 PM | Sunday , 30 November 2008
I have always been a fan of Kraftwerk since I was at high school. While all my peers were listening to Reggae I was humming along to the Model and Robots. I took my 23 year old son to the concert in Auckland.He is just getting into music, his comments to me were," Wow mum that has just changed my whole persona on music". I loved every minute of the show, the outfits and background scenes were amazing. It was a birthday present to myself.If I had time I would have gone to the after concert party but I had to catch a flight home the following day.I suspected the young gentleman on the far right was a new member???
Go hard Kraftwerk - Your the business!
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#49 Posted by Davina — 12:22 PM | Monday , 01 December 2008
I certainly hope Stuff didn't pay for this story, this seriously is a waste of the pixels on your screen. Maybe I'm being a little harsh - maybe he (or she) had to fit within a limiting 300 word count(?) One would hope that was the case, as it honestly says very little about what it was actually like to be there.
I agree with Don, people constantly getting up and down and walking about was seriously distracting. Generally, you can live with it (at a bar/venue or whatever). But for an act like this, at the Town Hall where it wasn't a 'head banging' affair, more of a sit down listen, look, and appreciate show - it was annoyingly distracting.
Shut the bar during the performance.
The sound was fantastic, the visuals were great. The fact they didn't converse with the audience - fitting.
For those that complain about them only playing Auckland - if you really wanted to see them, you'd travel. I'm used to traveling to Australia to see the bands I like. And no, I don't make bucket loads of cash by any means. I plan and save.
Personally I don't think you can put a price tag on this kind of thing. I've never regretted spending hundreds of dollars on an 'event'. And this was well worth it.
Whether you really like them or not - the guys are legends.
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#50 Posted by Jas — 15:16 PM | Monday , 01 December 2008
Yes, also had to add my 2 cents about what a rubbish review this was! I too flew up from Wellington for the gig (my first Kraftwerk concert after being a fan for a while). I won't go into details about the gig - others have aptly summed up how good it actually was - but come on, how can you get away with printing this review of a reasonably high profile gig?! It's patronising, clearly not very well informed and fairly useless to name a couple of shortcomings. A couple of comments about points made:
"This reviewer had been at the Fonterra annual meeting in Palmerston North earlier in the day and it???s safe to say the two events differed considerably."
Right... As opposed to concerts generally? As opposed to other things generally? What exactly does this mean as opposed to being filler (and not even slightly relevant filler at that)?
"Yes - Kraftwerk may be massively influential but they are definitely an acquired taste."
Okay - so you obviously don't like them? I could quite easily find a 100 people who don't like pop or country or death metal. You might be surprised to know that generally music is quite subjective.
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#51 Posted by Thim — 16:40 PM | Monday , 01 December 2008