Who
Kraftwerk
Where
Limerick King John's Castle
When
28th June 2023
Price
€67.50
Who with
No-one
Position
Towards the front
Comments
Hot on the heels of my first concert in Scotland for Half Man Half Biscuit, I ventured to Limerick in the Republic Of Ireland just two months later to watch Kraftwerk and enjoy my first show in Ireland. I hope to turn this into a regular event to follow Kraftwerk around, and when it works perfectly in taking me where I'm very happy to go, it's a brilliant way to plan my trips. Also the combination of Kraftwerk and what looked like an impressive castle felt irresistible, with the clash of old and new making for a brilliant contrast. I've long had my eyes on Cork too, being very dubious of repeated reports that it wasn't worth visiting, and ultimately being proved correct again. With a positive attitude, anywhere can be enjoyed, but the price of hotels was completely stupid. I did very well with Air BNB, although my first place in Cork was promptly cancelled without explanation, but for Limerick I was paying around £23 a night for a great place close to the centre, which somehow was cheaper for four nights than every other option was for one night! I didn't realise that a Florence And The Machine concert in Cork and a Madness show two nights later in Limerick were the likely reasons why prices were so stupid and availability so poor, so I did very well considering. Also I hated travelling with Ryanair, who cancelled my return flight without reason, offering me a "free" switch to a hugely inconveniently timed flight, intending to pocket the difference in cost no doubt. I was going to tear them to shreds in a complaint but instead cancelled the return flight and chose a better option coming back to Manchester, sadly still with Ryanair. Using this disgusting airline unfortunately is pretty unavoidable for affordable travel to Ireland, and they compounded this shitty customer service by doing everything they could to try and elicit more payments for unspeakably trivial reasons, such as not checking in online in the precise manner they specified and setting an arbitrarily low carry on baggage limit to try and trick everyone.

Utter fuckwits, and I'm pleased that they ultimately got me there on time and I didn't pay them an extra penny and will try and avoid them in future. I got tickets for this show in December and had given an insane amount of advance notice to my supposed friends there, but they went quiet on me in the end, which was astonishingly rude, and even more shocking when everywhere else I went in Ireland I was overwhelmed by how lovely and friendly the people were, so trust my luck to be friends with the only twats in the country! But it was their loss, I had a fabulous time and they missed the most important event in the history of Limerick, so fuck 'em. I do so hate complaining, but people letting me down is such a recurring frustration, and I find it baffling and so annoying that simple things such as wanting to come along to a life-defining show should be such a huge ask. But my visit to Ireland was mostly wonderful, with Cork being very enjoyable and I was also impressed by my two-thirds of a day in Cobh, sadly truncated as my boat trip to Spike Island was cancelled without explanation or reason. The weather was great so it made no sense, but the opportunity to come back earlier to Cork and visit the excellent Cork Gaol probably was for the best, as I managed to finish the city and take away my slightly crazy desire to come back from Limerick for a day to plug in the gaps. The weather forecast was generally terrible but apart from a shocking day in Bunratty near the end of my trip that almost destroyed my camera, I was very lucky, and the day of Kraftwerk was fantastic, with lots of sunshine forecast after a rainy morning! I felt intrigued by the possibility of seeing Madness too but it had sold out, and given they'd been near-definitive in Shrewsbury it would have been quite redundant. They didn't play Driving In My Car, so I missed nothing unexpected, and as it turned out the weather that night was terrible, so staying in was much appreciated!

My train journey from Cork to Limerick was also quite painful, as I'd reserved a seat but they'd messed up the services and it was standing room only, and with an extra change too in addition to the one at Limerick Junction. It was only the final leg from there to Limerick where I finally got to sit down, but fortunately I'd not made any real plans for the day besides travelling from A to B and seeing the show. I'd started the day by accidentally gatecrashing a pre-funeral in Cork, not quite sure if it was a good thing that I got to see inside the church before spotting the casket in the middle and making my exit. I checked in without issue and felt very lucky to have got a place so convenient for Limerick centre and also the castle. I had to share the bathroom, but that's a tiny price to pay for such affordability and convenience. I saved myself a walk too with my suitcase by using the bus app to buy a ticket, which mostly worked well except for my trip to Bunratty where they insisted on cash only and their ticket machine refused to issue a return ticket, so I had to scrounge the cash together. Without a lot of planning, I'd have been shafted. Just make it contactless guys and join the 21st century, for fucks sake!! I also was a bit amused that a child lock had been placed on my phone internet that I couldn't remove, which was strict enough to stop me from visiting a brewery tour website altogether! The cathedrals weren't open (I tried the Catholic one as they couldn't be arsed to advertise opening times online but it was shut) and I was happy enough to save everything for the next day, just popping into the small but free Limerick Museum this afternoon. I crossed the bridge and had beautiful views of the castle, which was a historic wonder that I'm amazed isn't more famous than it is. I ate at the pub opposite the entrance, enjoying a cheapish meal and wondering why beer in Ireland was cheaper than back home. I also had a cheeky beer at Treaty Brewery, which was an outstanding craft brewery near the castle, and I felt fortunate that there were no issues getting in anywhere despite the concert.

I was delighted to spot a truck outside the venue sporting the German number plate KW 2000, and it was pretty obvious who it belonged to! As I walked over the castle bridge back to my hotel I could hear Kraftwerk playing Home Computer in their soundcheck, which I tried to record but I captured mainly wind and car noises unfortunately. But I wanted to get back to my room for a shower and change of clothes, as well as to dump my camera case in case the venue were dicks about it. The concert was sponsored by Dolans, who seem to be coordinators of live music in Limerick. The concert information on the website was extremely vague, and it was rather jaw-dropping to receive an email of concert rules just 50 minutes before the doors opened at 7pm! It's a bit fucking late now, but luckily there wasn't anything too silly on there. As I'd had quite a few shows lined up I hadn't hear much Kraftwerk beforehand, but luckily I knew enough as it was. Tickets were again using a stupid app, and I had to change my Ticketmaster password again as I couldn't remember what they'd insisted I reset it to previously. I felt happy and refreshed to walk back towards the castle in the sunshine, and got to enjoy access through a very quick side entrance, never quite working out why so many were queuing for the main entrance. There was no search or bullshit at all, and the lovely castle was missing most of one side, which had been turned into a welcome area and visitor centre. I never found out what was in there tonight that was making everyone crowd inside! The bar was at the back and sponsored by Rockshore, who were a fairly decent Irish brewer, but I didn't want to have a toilet break during the main event, so I steered clear. Unusually the ground was a gravel floor, which I don't think I've encountered before at a concert and it would be downright dangerous for crowdsurfing, but luckily it wasn't that type of show. Also it was a reasonably large concert but felt intimate, with even positions toward the back having an excellent view of the stage. I felt very happy with my decision to attend, it being an excellent venue in lovely weather.

I was wearing my Street Fighter II t-shirt that had enjoyed a few notable shows such as The Rolling Stones, and was surprised by a guy pointing out that he was wearing an even more retro Street Fighter I top! Unusual as I'd be wearing a Blur milk carton top at Wembley soon after this, with that appropriate and excellent top attracting not one word of comment! I checked out the merch store and was very interested by the goods on offer but not the prices, thinking 30 euros for a t-shirt quite a piss take! I did however make a note to try and buy some online once I got home. I think the show was a sell out eventually and it did feel like an event. I visited the portaloos which were rather unappealingly dominating a corner of the castle, and asked a friendly security guy if they'd be removed tomorrow. He thought not, and I suspected he was wrong, but the castle had closed at 2pm to prepare for the show and I found out the next day that the portaloos remained, and actually blocked off part of the castle to visiting! After a few recent issues I didn't trust my text messages to not magically delete themselves so instead was drafting an email to myself with review notes as I went along. I wondered where the 3D glasses were, and was surprised to realise that this was a regular 2D show! I don't know if Kraftwerk have abandoned 3D or the logistics of this show worked against it, but it certainly made for better photo/video opportunities, and I didn't mind too much. My last minute information email said that the show was 8 to 10.30pm with seemingly no support, and the stage was already fully set up with the four decks and backing screen in place. There were no side screens, but given the size of the venue I think that was fair enough, and it helped focus everyone's attention on the stage. I do wonder how many would have missed the beginning of the show due to this 8pm start being announced at the last second?

As Limerick was on the same time zone but further west than home and as this was the height of summer, it did mean that most of the show would be taking place in daylight, and in fact the sun was rather annoyingly shining to the left of the stage in our eyes, only finally dropping below the castle line a few songs into the show. I was feeling good about my trip and determined to finish Limerick quickly to earn myself a bonus day of holiday, in the end doing a four hour round trip to Galway on the Saturday. It was an excellent holiday overall, and this concert was absolutely the best possible event to plan it all around. I heard a few German voices in the audience and I don't recall any pre-show music at all. The crowd didn't seem too busy, which I suspect was a combination of people arriving later and that they hadn't oversold the venue. Once things got underway it seemed busier, but I was far enough forwards that I didn't particularly notice what was happening behind me! Kraftwerk didn't appear on the dot of 8pm as had been indicated, but a 2.5 hour running time had felt unlikely. As usual I got the vibe that everyone else had magically worked out the actual starting time and arrived accordingly, and it was exciting when the classic Kraftwerk red robots backdrop appeared at 20 minutes past 8 to some cheers. I felt good and refreshed, and excited for the show. It was a bit breezy so my decision to wear a coat had been spot-on, and as I was outside I didn't need to worry about being too warm. I'd decided to stand slightly on Ralf's side and to try and avoid large heads in front of me, also trying to work out the ideal distance from the stage to see the full video backdrop. Apart from the sun in my eyes, I think I chose well, and the crowd were chilled enough that there was no issue at all securing and retaining my spot. And now it was show time, and with German punctuality so precise that it was hilarious, Kraftwerk appeared onstage and Numbers started up at 8.30pm pretty much to the exact second!

I shot a video of Kraftwerk walking onstage to cheers, with the Numbers introduction commencing to an empty stage, before the guys walked on in a stiff and robotic manner that no doubt was intentional! As it was still bright my camera struggled with focus, but it's a wonderful song and totally kicks the shit out of the studio version! I was thrilled to get some great photos, and amazingly had succeeded in avoiding the large heads for once. I shot a second video of the end of Numbers as it went into Computer World, and it was excellent but also reassuringly familiar. Kraftwerk were playing precisely what I expected, and the only notable difference was the lack of 3D visuals. I helped a professional photographer by tapping him on his shoulder and pointing out that he'd dropped his lens cap, and that's my good turn done for the day. Ralf had his usual Britney Spears mic for his vocals, and to my surprise there was a new member, who had much more hair on his head than his bandmates. I'm a little saddened to read that Fritz Hilpert had left the band (with typical lack of communication from Kraftwerk on the subject) around September 2022. He'd been with Kraftwerk since 1989, so this was a sad loss. Amusingly it seems that Kraftwerk operate a promotion/relegation system, with Falk Grieffenhagen being promoted from Video Technician to Electronic Percussion, and the new member Georg Bongartz cutting his teeth with the Video Technician role. I'd like to say it made no difference, but I do wonder if some of the technical hiccups that came later were due to his inexperience, or just bad luck. Not that it did any harm, it's quite charming to see things go a bit wrong during a Kraftwerk show, and I'd witnessed perfection from them enough I think. I shot a video for the It's More Fun To Compute introduction to Home Computer, and it was good to hear it again as it had been dropped at Field Day 2022, clearly a concession to a limited timeslot. This was my first time since Birmingham in 2017 to see a full-length Kraftwerk show, and that was quite the privilege.

Spacelab had blown me away last time, edging its way into my favourite Kraftwerk songs. I shot a video of the start and it sounded wonderful, and also looked much better on my footage without the 3D effect. The spaceship coming out of the screen was missed of course, but there was a huge cheer as the Kraftwerk spacecraft zoomed in on Limerick, before landing at the castle. I got some great photos of this, and next up was Airwaves, which I barely knew but it sounded good and I see they'd played this in Birmingham too. It featured waves on screen, and reassured me that we were getting the full length Kraftwerk experience tonight! I shot a video on my phone for The Man-Machine to send to some friends, but it was unbelievably loud and my phone made it sound muffled. At points in the show I could feel the ground vibrating, but my ears didn't whistle at all afterwards so Kraftwerk had clearly again achieved sonic perfection of pushing the sound but not high enough to hurt my ears. Soundwise everything was perfect, but I was a bit miffed to see the video screen fall out of sync during The Man-Machine - feels like a new guy issue, but it was amusing anyway. My phone captured the crowd cheering but also talking amongst themselves, but the fans did seem to be enjoying it, albeit in a dignified way as a moshpit feels wrong and unappealing for Kraftwerk, even more so with gravel underfoot. There also were a few issues with the lights on the suits and Ralf made a mumbled comment, which I'm told was "I think the computers need a break, or a Guinness!" Things got back on track with Electric Café as I shot a short video. It had a black and white backdrop mirroring the red backdrop from before Kraftwerk had taken to the stage. I didn't really know it but it sounded good. But things were absolutely on track for Autobahn, as I shot a video of the introduction, capturing the motorway logo and heavy distortions on Ralf's vocals, this time intentional rather than the result of my camera/phone failing to capture it properly.

However, my camera had picked up some kind of shake and that slight jerking could be seen in my footage sadly. Mostly the focus remained good, but my camera can struggle when zooming in and out and I do wonder how long before I need to replace it. Computer Love was alright but remains far from my favourite, which probably is a title that would be best given at this moment to The Model! I've been hearing live versions of it a huge amount in the near-four week period before I wrote up this review, and I do love it. I shot a video of the opening, starting just after the first note. I didn't record up until the instrumental solo, but I shot a second phone video for my friends. Sadly my phone muffled it a bit, but the crowd were singing along and I shot this second video up until the end. Many others were filming too, but so they should, this is a spectacular moment! I was delighted to hear Neon Lights live for the first time since 2017, barring Wolfgang Flür's pleasing rendition of it in 2018. It was probably his take on it that had elevated my opinion of the song, and I shot a video capturing neon logos drifting gently past, and Ralf singing in presumably German. I wonder if he'd forgotten where he was, or if this is how they normally do it live? I shot two videos for Radioactivity, firstly of the introduction which was slow to focus amid the minimalist video footage. My camera struggled a bit with the sound, and Ralf unusually was now singing in what could have been German again, but likely it was Japanese judging from the letters onscreen. My second shorter video of the red lights during the outro was much better, and this glorious run was continued with the excellent Tour De France. I've grown to appreciate this one more over time, and now I enjoyed the suite rather than wondering why they were throwing so much time away on it. Ralf shielded his mouth with his hand to sing along, and the intro was loud, exciting and good quality. The bands electronic suits now had blue stripes, and this was a strong contender for my Facebook video posting later.

Trans Europe Express was backed by the usual footage, which felt different in 2D but my phone did struggle quite a bit with the focus anyway. It was terrifyingly loud but fantastic, and after my video footage of it had been randomly corrupted for the Field Day Festival, it was perhaps inevitably that The Robots would be my Facebook video upload later. I shot from the very start as I'd correctly anticipated it as the next song, which meant a couple of seconds of recording without a video backdrop, but it sounded and looked amazing. Presumably the robots themselves don't appear at these outdoor shows, I've only had the honour of seeing them once at the Birmingham show! Planet Of Visions was a surprise, with video footage like an upgraded matrix version of Music Non-Stop. My video footage showed that the new guy Georg now only had half a working suit, with only the left half now lighting up. There were a few Spinal Tap moments where roadies tried to restore his lighting, but the reminder that Kraftwerk can make mistakes was more sweet and amusing than anything, not making me feel any frustration or disappointment at all. I do wonder what the underlying issue was though, and if Ralf was happy with the performance? But the end was surely coming, with my camera struggling with the contrasting brightness during Boing Boom Tschak, before I later shot a snippet of Techno Pop leading into the inevitable Music Non-Stop! I've really got into Techno Pop and enjoyed it hugely, and by the end I think everyone's suits had been deactivated, rather than trying to battle the ongoing gremlins. At least the video footage seemed to be working now, with The Man-Machine being the primary blip on that front.

As it was now getting darker, my camera was struggling to make out the faces of the band, and they left one at a time in typical manner to delighted applause. Ralf put his hand on his heart before departing, but my camera just couldn't capture it as he was on the opposite side and just a bit too far away when he made the gesture. The crowd had really enjoyed it, and it was a busy but tolerable rush to get out. I took some nice photos of the castle, before deciding to backtrack and take some night shots of Limerick. It was still a bit light and I just didn't fancy staying out this late again another night, so I decided to grasp the opportunity! Once I got back to my room I watched a few Kraftwerk videos, and the next day I saw pretty much all I wanted to do in Limerick city centre. I finished up at the castle, which was an excellent attraction but I wasn't too pleased to spot the portaloos still in place, so I guess the early closing time was for soundchecking, not concert prep. There was no concert the night after so I could stay at the castle until 6pm, but Madness played the Friday night and I got to hear some of their soundcheck that day, but the rain was unpleasant and I didn't stick around as long as planned. In the end it was good that I wasn't attending both! That night the restaurant I went to were playing Madness songs on a loop, and I wonder if they'd done the same for before Kraftwerk too? If so, I'd missed out! On the Saturday night a totally unknown Irish band called The Stunning were playing the castle, but I guess it's natural that Ireland doesn't only listen to the same music as we do. I was low on time to write up this review as I had one week back at work before another holiday to see Blur at Wembley, which I'd extended into a full week with four nights in Porthmadog also. I did find time to watch the Kraftwerk live DVD though, and I have also purchased a few pretty t-shirts as well as the full live Catalogue album featuring all eight albums! This show had totally reinvigorated my love for Kraftwerk! They'd played nothing I'd not seen before, except apparently a never-released track called Tango which may have been a snippet. They had changed the setlist order from Birmingham 2017 though, and the venue and experience had made it totally worthwhile. Still waiting to hear Pocket Calculator live, but I'm happy to watch Kraftwerk again and hope for it as many times as is necessary!
Setlist
Numbers
Computer World
It's More Fun To Compute
Home Computer
Spacelab
Airwaves
Tango
The Man-Machine
Electric Café
Autobahn
Computer Love
The Model
Neon Lights
Radioactivity
Tour De France 1983
Prologue
Tour De France Étape 1
Chrono
Tour De France Étape 2
Trans Europe Express
Metal On Metal
Abzug
The Robots
Planet Of Visions
Boing Boom Tschak
Techno Pop
Music Non-Stop

Mark: 9.5/10