Who
Kraftwerk
Where
Birmingham Symphony Hall
When
13th June 2017
Price
£75.00
Who with
No-one
Position
Seated, towards the front
Comments
Somehow three months had elapsed since my last gig after a busy gigging start to 2017, and the intervening period had been extremely busy as I'd been watching Lost, This Is England and Twin Peaks, and was in the process of enjoying the new series of the latter. Devastatingly two of my all-time heroes Adam West and Roger Moore had been stolen from the world in quick succession, and we'd also endured another election where literally everyone I know except one person was firmly on one side but yet somehow a majority of the country blindly voted Tory, and the one guy I knew who had made the mistake of ignoring the overwhelming evidence of the campaign bitterly regretted his choice the next day when he realised that Theresa May would be the one forming a coalition of chaos! Hot on the heels of Brexit it's tragic that people can still be so stupid, as everyone who is passionate enough to express a carefully thought-out opinion seems to side with Labour and Corbyn! However, less than a year after Jean-Michel Jarre I was delighted to continue the European theme with the band who can comfortably be described as Germany's equivalent to The Beatles, although in my mind this was more exciting than a full Beatles reunion at Wembley Stadium as they had a tendency to play shit short sets in their heyday, whereas Kraftwerk were always a futuristic band who make more sense than ever as technology catches up with them and they can put on the show their music deserves. I doubt that the full Beatles could compare with Macca's long sets sprinkled with wonderful Wings material anyway!

Although the ticket was extremely expensive and I was out of work when they went on sale I didn't hesitate, proudly keeping my priorities straight, bitterly regretting the few occasions in the past I didn't go to the gigs I wanted to. As my idiot brother had fucked me over so badly with Jean-Michel Jarre I wasn't going with him, and any faint sense of guilt was eliminated as shortly before tickets went on sale he spitefully said he didn't want to go anyway (to try and get revenge on me for pulling him up on his earlier behaviour!), but I was glad to be rid of the moron and took some satisfaction in knowing I'd be enjoying a life-defining experience that others would remain ignorant of. My smugness only increased when I looked at the seating plan and realised that row CC wasn't the 30th row but was in fact the 3rd row, and the fact I'd only submitted for the one ticket was surely what allowed me to secure such a wonderful position! Great amusement was had by all as Ticketmaster insisted we all confirm that we were not in fact robots before we were allowed to purchase tickets, and what was a fairly extensive UK tour focusing on small venues sold out absurdly fast. The band could easily have chosen to hit the arena circuit but presumably embraced the smaller shows at classier venues, and this was in contrast to their headline set at Latitude Festival in 2013 that had stirred my interest, in particular as I loved the video footage for The Man-Machine! I'd been checking their website pretty much continuously since, eagerly awaiting a UK tour, although my dream had been for a glorious headline set at Hyde Park. On balance I was happier to get a more sophisticated seated show at a nice venue in my vicinity though, and strangely enough after so many years on the trot from 2009 to 2015 it seems that declining line-ups is pushing me away from Hyde Park, with the biggest temptation this time coming from The Killers, although it felt like their Wembley set had been more than sufficient. Not going again seems fair revenge after the shambles the Hyde Park organisers had created for The Libertines and The Who though!

Also the Symphony Hall was the loveliest venue imaginable, and probably was better than even the Tate Modern shows of early 2013, in particular because this was to be a greatest hits set rather than limited to just the one album. The band had enjoyed their most famous line-up from 1975-1987 and now only one original member remained, with Florian Schneider departing the group in 2008, leaving just the main man and creative force Ralf Hütter. However Fritz Hilpert and Henning Schmitz had been with Kraftwerk since circa 1990, and final new member Falk Grieffenhagen joined in 2012. Wikipedia sheds some interesting light on what the guys actually do onstage, with Falk apparently in charge of the visuals, Fritz on percussion, Henning on percussion and live keyboards, and only Ralf singing, as well as playing keyboards. Tickets were released far in advance so I had plenty of time to craft a best of album, listening carefully on YouTube to identify the very best version of each song, before equalising the volumes and coming up with a coherent running order. The physical process of creating such a compilation was an invaluable way of acquainting myself with the music of Kraftwerk, and I am absolutely delighted with the finished product, being a compilation album I heard more times than most. Also listening to the tunes that didn't quite make it broadened my knowledge of Kraftwerk's music, although I didn't get round to purchasing the deluxe reissues of their original albums. I'd love it if they could release a definitive greatest hits album, and the 93 minute running time of my selection isn't too outrageous, but sadly Kraftwerk are opposed to the idea, and to be fair it does help encourage the fans to revisit the original albums rather than just buy a greatest hits collection and leave it at that. I was very tempted to buy the 2017 live catalogue album though, although it was rather pricey and in the end I let it be until after the show.

Kraftwerk on the Tuesday night formed the high point of an utterly fabulous week, coming hot on the heels of Cosford Air Show the weekend before and a War Of The Roses the following weekend with Guns 'N' Roses and The Stone Roses playing stadiums on consecutive nights in London! I also applied in a ticket ballot to see Have I Got News For You but to be honest I was quite relieved not to get them, allowing me to draft these notes on a casual morning before heading down to London for more excitement! On the day of the gig I was juggling my possessions to allow me to go straight into Birmingham after work, and also I was annoyed to feel extremely tired, although luckily I had enough enthusiasm that this didn't damage my evening. I'd been really shafted by the postman as an Amazon package had been posted through my door that had been ripped open and the contents stolen, and annoyingly it was some spare memory cards for my camera that I sorely needed. Sadly in my next review you will see that this was just the first part of a collage of misery that even Stephen King wouldn't be cruel enough to write! In particular being out in the sun (and of course the rain) at Cosford and some serious exposure to the worst hayfever I'd probably ever experienced in my life had knocked me about, and as I got changed at work I was aware that it would have been great to pop back home for a shower, but sadly time didn't permit and I made myself feel as good as possible and at least my considerable planning meant I didn't have to carry a heavy backpack. I enjoyed tea at McDonald's in Wolverhampton, savouring the wrap of the day as a meal and the new Caramel Mississippi Mud Pie McFlurry, although I'm sure I've had that one before! I was tempted by KFC but was determined to learn lessons from previous gigs and didn't want to get my hands and face covered in grease. As I was waiting for the super off peak trains I could take some time out, before jumping on the first available cheap train, reading the latest Metro, celebrating the relative quiet and drafting the notes above that kick start this review.

Despite being a sunny evening I stuck with my coat to give me somewhere to stow my camera, and I headed straight to the venue after wondering just what all the construction work in Centenary Square was about when quite enough of the area around the old library had also been dug up! Doors had just opened at 7pm and the initial sign I saw said no photography, although one nearer the door simply said no tablets or professional equipment. Well which one was it? The website said nothing, but there was no serious search as I didn't have a bag, although after the disgusting atrocities committed by the terrorists I was feeling a bit more sympathetic for security personnel, and as long as they are trying to protect us rather than confiscate our food and drink or valuables to increase their profits I will form an uneasy truce with the guys. I was given some beautiful card 3D glasses in a red pouch with 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 printed on the side, reminding me that this was to be my first 3D gig, which is an idea so obvious I'm surprised I hadn't seen it before. Presumably the fame of Kraftwerk is so wide that other groups couldn't do it without it seeming like copying. I popped to the loo and hung around the doors to the room which hadn't been opened yet, initially going through a wrong one with no ticket checks (or signs) to a lower balcony, before backtracking and accessing the main floor space. Despite still feeling a bit shitty after my weekend I was happy to be there and very much determined to enjoy the show. Also I was chuffed to be on the third row, which if anything was too close as I had to raise my head and look up and see the full stage. Initially the curtains were drawn and as I was so exhausted I first sat in the wrong seat, but no-one was a dick about it, and the person next to me had clearly done his research and realised that row CC was further forward than row A ahead of booking!

After a bit of time a red logo was projected onto the curtains, which I later realised was a super low res image of the guys at their keyboards, and it gave us our first chance to take some photos, at this point being unsure if full photo Nazi rules were in effect. However as the band were German this was one night where I'd be more careful than normal not to describe anyone as a Nazi, as it's a description that helpfully covers people who blindly enforce inexcusable rules with no independent thought, but used in the context of seeing a German band it could be misconstrued as being aimed at the guys. In a fuckwit post-Brexit world I definitely feel more conscious about saying things that the idiots would also be happy to say, albeit with different intentions. The ticket made it clear that there was no support band and that Kraftwerk would start at 7:45pm prompt, although the actual start time was 8pm, and this was good as some people had yet to take their seats, either indicating an inexcusable lack of urgency or demonstrating some psychic powers in knowing that 8pm was the real start time. I couldn't resist a status update to show off, even though the time I spent catching up on social media took me very close to my data limit for the month. A downside of being in the third row was that the big heads in front of me were very pronounced, and to be fair further back would have been equally good, although great views all round is one of the fantastic features of this lovely venue. But once the curtains opened to reveal the four identical keyboard decks I never again looked to see what was happening behind me. The band appeared in skin tight neon outfits and I must say they looked fantastic, especially Ralf Hütter on the left, who apparently has turned 70! The costumes were a little like Michael Ivins Flaming Lips skeleton outfit, but they were perfect in presenting the band as a uniform group of men who were happy to embrace their more robotic urges!

The set started with Numbers, which is a bit of a non-tune for me - especially in its original recording - but there was a real gasp when the 3D effects kicked in, and as a statement of intent that this was a career-encompassing show covering many languages seamlessly it did the job! Much more exciting was when the computer was projected onto the screen to herald the start of Computer World, and the organisations such as FBI and Scotland Yard were reeled off, before this segued neatly into Home Computer via It's More Fun To Compute. This hilariously strong opening segment finished with Computer Love, and as it seemed a bit short this was one of the few moments that was less than perfect. A group such as Kraftwerk performing at a venue famed for great acoustics was a winning combination, and the set was compelling and immaculately put together, although how much of it was truly live is hard to judge! Throughout the opening tunes I saw people taking photos without getting screamed at and grew confident that I could do the same without issue, although my intense consideration levels meant that for the most part I kept my camera low and that the big heads in front were visible on my images. The song that made me go for it was the wonderful The Man-Machine, although the video didn't quite seem to sync up with the lyrics as I'd expected. Nevertheless, capturing a screen full of the word MACHINE was a legendary image I'd had been devastated not to document. I believe the song Spacelab started off in a spaceship, before Google-style images placed a pin on Birmingham and the spacecraft gradually zoomed in, finishing up with the Birmingham skyline then a shot outside the Symphony Hall itself, which generated some warm applause. I also half-remember some out of the screen 3D effects with the spacecraft here that led to more gasps of amazement!

I was very pleasantly surprised when they burst into The Model as I hadn't expected it, but as this was their only number 1 hit of note in the world and was scored on home soil it would have been rude to miss it out. The pleasant Neon Lights predictably featured neon lights being projected toward us, but we were much more excited when the blue motorway symbol appeared on the screen and we heard the opening of Autobahn, before the footage switched to a very 1980s-style recording of cars driving down a sparse motorway. Interestingly the 3D effects didn't ruin the photos I took as they weren't overdone, and I suspect that the band have been playing with backdrops like these for a very long time, and aren't desperate to tear up legendary and iconic footage for the sake of something new when the stage show is still so vital and exciting. Although some of the singing, and in particular the robotic sounds, was pre-recorded, it was moments like this when we could enjoy the fragile strength of Ralf's vocals, and it was a pleasure to share in the journey down the legendary autobahn. Banter was non-existent until a few words at the end, although I'm pretty sure I saw flickers of smiles when the band thought the lights were down, and amidst a symphony of sound there were few quiet bits leading to some slightly wankerish shouting, although I felt more irked by the grumpy bitch near me whining loudly about them and ironically being more irritating! After a few tunes I knew less well I was delighted to hear Radioactivity, which started off with the radiation symbol on a yellow backdrop before morphing into red, with name checks given to nuclear disasters in Sellafield, Hiroshima, Chernobyl and Fukushima. It's a hauntingly beautiful and catchy song I'm amazed I never heard before I delved into Kraftwerk's catalogue, and it was a delight to hear as I half-expected they wouldn't play so much fantastic stuff.

I was mentally ticking off the songs still to play but Tour De France is one I easily forget about, although I was pleased with myself for discovering an obscure version of the main theme that sounds better than the more famous recordings. France was played as a full suite which was overkill for me, but it was entirely pleasant and clearly was desired by some as it received a thunderous round of applause afterwards. For me though it was completely upstaged by Trans-Europe Express, which featured a simple black and white video of a train, and somehow it had escaped me that this tune was about a train journey. Celebrating Europe amongst like-minded individuals who in many cases had only fallen in love with the ideals once it was so cruelly snatched away from us was great, and I would regard an appreciation of Kraftwerk as a defining way of judging whether or not someone is a musical fuckwit or little Englander. I believe anyone who can't embrace the lack of guitars or firmly continental approach isn't really worth knowing! It also must have been gratifying for Kraftwerk to play here and enjoy an enthusiastic reception. Surprisingly considering that they are just about the only German band in history to be great, they haven't racked up many hits at home, and it would be interesting to see how well-received their set is across the different countries of Europe, and indeed beyond. Trans-Europe Express morphed into the very similar Metal On Metal and Abzug, and in fact this drew the main set to a close, as amusingly the crew had to manually draw the curtains shut, leaving the two members of Kraftwerk in the centre having to awkwardly continue to look serious and focused until the moment when they were fully shielded from view. It had been a breathless and wonderful main set, and although I knew that there were riches to come I couldn't have anticipated just how special the first encore would be.

We all cheered as we heard the music from The Robots starting up and saw their shadows projected onto the curtain, then this turned to wild celebration as the curtains opened and the band had been replaced by... Four robots!! I had heard about this but never actually seen it due to the unusual decision for the band to remain onstage at the Latitude Festival, and had figured that this routine had long since been dropped. I shot a brief video capturing the booming robotic vocals and the robots in red shirts with black ties, and unusually having red dots projected onto their ties. They were moving their arms not quite in sync but hilariously they were much more animated than the actual band! It does of course raise the question of just how live Kraftwerk are, although whether the work happened on the night or in advance it couldn't take away from the sheer effort and quality of the music, which not only was brilliant but has enough soul to easily hold our attention and not come across as sterile at all as it easily could have done. I was also thrilled to get home afterwards and discover that I'd bagged The Money Shot you see above of the robots with the classic backdrop. This immediately became my Facebook banner and a very serious contender for the best photograph I've ever taken as in this moment I captured the definitive image of Kraftwerk, and arguably went one better than most of the official shots as it featured the wonderful robots rather than the actual group. I can't remember capturing this shot so it will go down as a fantastic and rare stroke of luck that I greatly appreciated. I had decided earlier that if photo Nazis were in operation that I'd save my photography for this tune, but by now there were no worries as everyone was desperate to capture such an iconic moment. The curtains then drew again, and a strong contender for the greatest encore moment I've ever seen drew to a close.

The band returned in Tron-style suits with green lines on them for a frustratingly obscure second encore, taking in tunes such as Aéro Dynamik and Planet Of Visions. However, as they'd delivered more hits than I was expecting and the quality of the visuals and the overall music was so high I was happy that the performance continued. I shot my second and final short video during Boing Boom Tschak, capturing the cartoony letterings on the screen from the phrase of the song, which morphed naturally into Techno Pop before becoming eternal closing number Musique Non Stop. In a way it's very logical as it's from their last 100% "proper" album but it's never quite felt like an obvious finale choice to me, although by placing it as such on my personal greatest hits I've done as much as I can to try and see it that way. There were only glimpses of the original computer-drawn robots from the music video, but our attention was fully occupied as we knew proceedings were drawing to a close, and the band members individually left the stage starting from the right, taking their bows to the right of the keyboards before departing, eventually leaving just Ralf to play a rare keyboard solo that was undisputedly live, before he got the largest applause and actually broke his silence to thank us, utilising the only mic on the stage, attached to his cheek like Britney Spears! Some people behind got to their feet for a standing ovation and I felt a bit rude not joining in, as the band had certainly delighted us although the politeness of the crowd prevented us from going too wild. If only people could find a nice middle ground, as the contrast with the wankerish behaviour I'll document in my next two reviews couldn't have been more pronounced. The set had finished around 10:10pm after a stonking 29 tunes, and I doubt anyone would have gone home in a state less than amazement.

I had a final attempt at photographing the back of the venue but for some reason my shots here always turn out blurry, and only had the briefest of glimpses at the t-shirts because I wasn't willing to pay £25, although I believe that there were also dodgy ones on sale outside that I assume were £10 which I also resisted. I'd missed the train but didn't mind as it wasn't too late, and as in my unnecessary honesty I'd already paid the full fare I decided to hang around rather than paying extra for the bus instead. I headed to a beautifully quiet Cherry Reds to enjoy a Schneider Weisse while writing up many of these notes, before moving onto Brewdog when Cherries shut at 11pm, enjoying three samplers before feeling guilty for the freebies and settling on what was ultimately an average beer, not matching up to the crazy ice cream flavour one I'd enjoyed before. I loudly heard Kraftwerk music on the train back, but it was a near-empty carriage and anyone who objected to sound escaping my headphones could have easily moved away from me! Regarding omissions I was very surprised by the lack of Pocket Calculator, although some of the treats we'd got in its place cancelled this out, and I see that the band had dropped it around 2016. Also we didn't get to enjoy Showroom Dummies or Europe Endless, although to be fair I hadn't expected to hear either. I quickly purchased the Catalogue Blu Ray/DVD highlight disc afterwards and was delighted to watch it as soon as it arrived, although it's unusual that all crowd noise has been eliminated and that the focus was so firmly on the visuals rather than the live band! Typical Kraftwerk I suppose! Although I see this as a once in a lifetime experience I couldn't possibly resist the chance to see Kraftwerk live again, although I'm proud I made the most of this opportunity. I reward this a very rare 9.5/10, equalling The Stone Roses at Emirates Stadium, although not since the giddy heights of Heaton Park have I seen a show so deliriously wonderful, and yet oh so different to anything I've ever witnessed before.
Setlist
Numbers
Computer World
It's More Fun To Compute
Home Computer
Computer Love
The Man-Machine
Spacelab
The Model
Neon Lights
Autobahn
Airwaves
Intermission
News
Geiger Counter
Radioactivity
Electric Café
Tour De France Prologue
Tour De France Étape 1
Chrono
Tour De France Étape 2
Trans-Europe Express
Metal On Metal
Abzug
The Robots
Aéro Dynamik
Planet Of Visions
Boing Boom Tschak
Techno Pop
Musique Non Stop

Mark: 9.5/10