Kraftwerk live

Message Bookmarked
Bookmark Removed
Kraftwerk's coming to Madrid next april, and tickets go on sale this wednesday...thing is, -nobody- knows what they'll cost and I'm expecting the worst (anywhere from 30-50 bucks) and I'm flat broke right now, -but- I just know that the tickets will sell out really fast...i like Kraftwerk very much and they truly are legends, but what are they like live? are they truly worth seeing?

manuel (manuel), Monday, 17 November 2003 13:49 (twenty years ago) link

Yes

Dadaismus (Dada), Monday, 17 November 2003 13:51 (twenty years ago) link

fookin ell i was just listening to a chunk of their Paris gig last year and thinking 'i HAVE to see them live again' - i may well try and get a ticket for this

stevem (blueski), Monday, 17 November 2003 14:01 (twenty years ago) link

are they coming to the us?

geeta (geeta), Monday, 17 November 2003 14:10 (twenty years ago) link

they're playing Finland, Norway, Sweden and Japan in Feb/March - what's up with that? they seem to only like playing Europe and Japan - they haven't come to England for 7 years now (unless they did that gig at the South Bank a few years back but i'm sure that was cancelled), snot fair

stevem (blueski), Monday, 17 November 2003 14:17 (twenty years ago) link

i really enjoyed their performance at the MTV EMAs - the TDF album has grown on me a fair bit

stevem (blueski), Monday, 17 November 2003 14:18 (twenty years ago) link

i'm going in february - envy me!

Jay Kid (Jay K), Monday, 17 November 2003 14:43 (twenty years ago) link

where where?

stevem (blueski), Monday, 17 November 2003 15:02 (twenty years ago) link

i may have to start a 'which city is best to visit - stockholm, oslo or helsinki?' thread...

stevem (blueski), Monday, 17 November 2003 15:03 (twenty years ago) link

Even if you have to peddle your mom's ass on the street, do so immediately! Do whatever it takes to be at this concert.

Nihilist Pop Star (mjt), Monday, 17 November 2003 20:38 (twenty years ago) link

I'm in a band with two guys who've seen hundreds of shows between them. Both of them agree that Kraftwerk was the best show they've ever seen.

jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 17 November 2003 20:41 (twenty years ago) link

It was a weird experience for me. I was so bored. Magic was most definitely completely absent. There was nothing qwrong with the sound. The tracks had been rejigged somewhat, but were fairly faithful. I treasure my K'werk albums, but standing in a large room watching four motionless guys at 4 laptops with a reasonably competent video show go through competent versions of those tunes for an hour was dull. And the protestations of my friends that it was 'amazing' didn't convince me otherwise: I thought they were trying to persuade themselves. K'werk are probably my all time favourite band, but live, well... I'd rather go down the road and see some band at the pub, if it's a spark of electricity or energy I want. The muse left these guys high and dry about twenty years ago. I'll tell you what, if you like the new album at all, you'll probably like them live too. Just one more opinion, this one.

colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Monday, 17 November 2003 20:52 (twenty years ago) link

Just waiting for Kraftwerk to do an "Unplugged" tour. That would be interesting :-)

Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 17 November 2003 20:52 (twenty years ago) link

is it original members?

Pablo Cruise (chaki), Monday, 17 November 2003 20:56 (twenty years ago) link

Even better, the original robots!

Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 17 November 2003 20:57 (twenty years ago) link

I personally would like to see them go acapella. 4 Germans, four microphones. Boing, boom tschak!

colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Monday, 17 November 2003 20:58 (twenty years ago) link

I guess "Boing, Boom tschak" was the only thing they'd be able to do unplugged :-)

Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 17 November 2003 21:01 (twenty years ago) link

You know what I like about you, Geir? In spite of copping a lot of stick, you never lose your general good humour.

colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Monday, 17 November 2003 21:11 (twenty years ago) link

I have to disagree Colin, Kraftwerk at the State Theatre in 98 was the best show I have ever been to.

Imagine everybody you ever knew from electronic music(like everybody who was anybody from the midwest came in for this show) all geeked out of their mind to see Kraftwerk, everybody was running around like sugarshocked school kids. The joint was sold out and it was such a diverse crowd, you had young white techno people and middle aged black folks just getting ready to see Kraftwerk play their first gig in Detroit since 1981. People were so into it that for 15 minutes before Kraftwerk went on stage the crowd was chanting Boing, Boom Tschak Ping at the top of their lungs. When KW finally took the stage the place went wild. If there is one thing you can say about Michigan, it is that we love us some Kraftwerk. People were crying and getting down. It was fantastic.

Nihilist Pop Star (mjt), Monday, 17 November 2003 21:14 (twenty years ago) link

I was going to describe the Chicago show from that tour, but it pretty much was what Nihilist wrote. They are great live, and I don't think it's wrong to say that the audience's enthusiasm was a major reason as to why I enjoyed it.

hstencil, Monday, 17 November 2003 21:28 (twenty years ago) link

I was at that '98 Detroit show too. It was like a family reunion -- the city's entire techno population was there to pay tribute. Separating the music from the sheer emotion of the event was impossible for everyone there, whose collective introduction to electronic music was most likely hearing Mojo drop Trans Europe Express 20 years earlier.

d.w., Monday, 17 November 2003 21:39 (twenty years ago) link

wuaw. sounds amazing. historic. i'll have to settle for copenhagen, tho.

Jay Kid (Jay K), Monday, 17 November 2003 21:53 (twenty years ago) link

Kraftwerk in Detroit in '98 is one of my top dozen shows of all time. I remember standing outside, waiting to get in, and there was a massive downpour for about 20 minutes. We entered the State, soaked from head to toe. The anticipation was so high, it was bound to be awful, I thought. But no!!! Sounded Great! Looked Great! Twas....GREAT!!! One of those shows where the audience played a huge part in making it an event. You can't plan that.

They had a mock-up of their studio on stage (I can't believe most of the gear served any purpose...kinda like empty Marshall stacks). A video screen behind each member, and at the end of the show, the screens lowered to reveal the robots! The humanoids left the stage and the robots "played" the last song. Very appropriate.
I'm not really sure that they played a live note at all that night, but I really didn't care. I've never heard anyone who was there suggest that it was less than amazing.

(I remember marvelling at the age of the crowd, ranging from about 8 to 80.)

peepee (peepee), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 02:32 (twenty years ago) link

Not five minutes ago, I looked in my closet for stuff to get rid of...and my eyes fell on the Kraftwerk t-shirt I bought due to that sudden downpour in the summer of '98. Ah, sweet memories. I have to agree with all the Detroit people...and I never want to see them again 'cause it can never be as good as that show. For me, one of the coolest things was looking around, seeing all the great artists, and realizing that they're all fans, too. Go go go to the show, and I hope you catch some magic.

Erick H (Erick H), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 03:30 (twenty years ago) link

And remember when every producer in Detroit was hanging around outside after the gig? The entire sidewalk was overflowing with every single person of note in the Detroit techno community.

Nihilist Pop Star (mjt), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 03:35 (twenty years ago) link

Instead of hanging around, we went for coneys.

peepee (peepee), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 04:38 (twenty years ago) link

And remember when every producer in Detroit was hanging around outside after the gig? The entire sidewalk was overflowing with every single person of note in the Detroit techno community.

not too dissimilar scene at Luton in '97 seeing as there was a huge Detroit contingent DJing at the same event. according to accounts i read the likes of Mills were down the front going mental rather than watching from backstage too.

stevem (blueski), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 11:26 (twenty years ago) link

Best gig I've ever been to. Punkt ab!

Jez (Jez), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 12:19 (twenty years ago) link

Saw them twice in Melbourne earlier this year, once at The Big Day Out and then again at the Metro. Both stunning shows. I had a lump in my throat when they did "Neon Lights".

The sound was just unbelievable, the clarity, depth, the BASS! On a few occasions it was a little full-on at the Metro, the digitised voice in "Radioactivity" felt like it was perforating my ear-drums.

steve, Wednesday, 19 November 2003 06:43 (twenty years ago) link

I saw them in Sydney in January at the Big Day Out and at the Enmore as well. I feel i can die happy now. It is also a visual extravaganza, Kraftwerk also being known for the movies they apply to their tracks.

Also at then end as they walked off one by one, Rolf (or was it Florian) even gave a small wave at the crowd and did a little skip. Which of course is the equivalaent of Iggy stripping naked, surfing the crowd, and smothering his knob in peanut butter.

mentalist (mentalist), Wednesday, 19 November 2003 07:43 (twenty years ago) link

Rolf (or was it Florian) even gave a small wave at the crowd and did a little skip

That's Florian without a doubt - he often behaves like an embarrasing dad, hahaha (playing the keyboard through his legs for example).

Jez (Jez), Wednesday, 19 November 2003 07:54 (twenty years ago) link

one year passes...
The live album "Minimum Maximum" has leaked. I'm listening to it now ... if you heard any of the zillion bootlegs from the 2004 tour then you know what this sounds like.

The DVD (with all the tour videos plus surround sound) should be something else.

MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Monday, 9 May 2005 05:02 (eighteen years ago) link

they're on tour again! (either this month or next)

Amon (eman), Monday, 9 May 2005 05:12 (eighteen years ago) link

How did they choose which version of "The Robots" was the best one for this live album?

StanM, Monday, 9 May 2005 06:56 (eighteen years ago) link

Going to see Kraftwerk live is bit like visiting New York for the first time, where you stand about just boggling at the tall buildings and the grandness of it all.

mzui (mzui), Monday, 9 May 2005 07:24 (eighteen years ago) link

I was the only one who almost fell asleep then?

moley, Monday, 9 May 2005 08:41 (eighteen years ago) link

why did you go?

$V£N! (blueski), Monday, 9 May 2005 08:52 (eighteen years ago) link

A very good friend gave me a free ticket. I'm a big fan of their reocrded work, but their live thing was a bit dull. Nothing much happened... it might as well have been on backing tape.

moley, Monday, 9 May 2005 08:54 (eighteen years ago) link

Not trying to cause any controversy or anything, but it's astonishing how enthusiastic some of you are. Hmmm. It was not that great.

It was the live equivalent of 'The Mix': derivative, recaputulatory, motionless, lacking in vision. I wonder. It seems they lost their magic some time ago and no-one wants to admit it. Live they are just as dull as their new records, and in much the same way.

moley, Monday, 9 May 2005 09:00 (eighteen years ago) link

Astonishingly enough, I disagree.

$V£N! (blueski), Monday, 9 May 2005 09:02 (eighteen years ago) link

If anything their 'old magic' is what's lost on me. I found 'Autobahn' the least exciting part of the latest set, whereas the most recent works from the TDF album just sound great live. There's something I hear in them which seems to retain some ideals and equities that are perennially Kraftwerk, not the sort of thing that can be imitated well (if not easily) by others, though I actually do love the co-opting of the Detroit 'influence' (more like the return of a returned serve) on 'Expo 2000' and it's 'business'. Lack of motion or vision are criticisms that I don't think apply to Kraftwerk's current show any more than they did at other points in their careers.

$V£N! (blueski), Monday, 9 May 2005 09:10 (eighteen years ago) link

I invented a word in my last post and I think I got away with it.

moley, Monday, 9 May 2005 09:13 (eighteen years ago) link

What did you expect, breakdancing?

mzui (mzui), Monday, 9 May 2005 10:45 (eighteen years ago) link

I really want to go to the nyc show but $45 is like my electric bill. its a tough call, but the tickets may already be sold out! does anyone know for sure?

vanessa novaeris (novaeris), Monday, 9 May 2005 12:07 (eighteen years ago) link

I bought way too many tickets for the NYC show, if anyone needs a ticket or two at face value email me. They're floor tickets, which I think are sold out at this point.

57 7th (calstars), Monday, 9 May 2005 12:31 (eighteen years ago) link

I just emailed you thanks

vanessa novaeris (novaeris), Monday, 9 May 2005 12:45 (eighteen years ago) link

three years pass...

These guys had the funk

baaderonixx, Friday, 19 December 2008 14:23 (fifteen years ago) link

This thread makes me miss Detroit so much.

Your original display name will be displayed in brackets (Display Name), Friday, 19 December 2008 16:15 (fifteen years ago) link

Great clip, dancing AND audience participation. Is there any more like this?

Home made ectoplasm (I am using your worlds), Friday, 19 December 2008 16:23 (fifteen years ago) link

is anonymous KW nr. 2 cracking up at 0:30?

baaderonixx, Friday, 19 December 2008 16:36 (fifteen years ago) link

That is a crime against humanity... ugh.

― (*゚ー゚)θ L(。・_・)   °~ヾ(・ε・ *) (Steve Shasta), viernes 19 de diciembre de 2008 19:13 (1 hour ago) Bookmark

Fortunately, no one's forcing you to attend.

Turangalila, Friday, 19 December 2008 20:27 (fifteen years ago) link

I would go and then leave... which I've done that many times, friendo.

(*゚ー゚)θ L(。・_・)   °~ヾ(・ε・ *) (Steve Shasta), Friday, 19 December 2008 20:28 (fifteen years ago) link

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t214/ZachRScott/kk_02.gif

(Z S) (Z S), Friday, 19 December 2008 22:42 (fifteen years ago) link

three months pass...

I would go and then leave... which I've done that many times, friendo.

― (*゚ー゚)θ L(。・_・)   °~ヾ(・ε・ *) (Steve Shasta), viernes 19 de diciembre de 2008 20:28 (3 months ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Not to provoke or anything, but truly (and I say this with genuine Kraftwerk fanboy disappointment) doing this would have been very, very stupid at the Mexico shows. :(

The music was fantastic, as usual, and the setlists were changed up a bit from the first to the second night, but it could have really been just been the mannequins standing there with programmed iPods, for all I care, and the show would have been just as "exciting."

I never expected them to come across as so weirdly pointless and minor to experience in a live setting.

Turangalila, Friday, 20 March 2009 20:33 (fifteen years ago) link

-been, or something

must sleep

Turangalila, Friday, 20 March 2009 20:35 (fifteen years ago) link

four years pass...

http://kraftwerk.laphil.com/

This should be great. Curious how this will sound at the Walt Disney.

oscar, Wednesday, 4 December 2013 19:56 (ten years ago) link

I saw em in the summer and they were really fucking good

paolo, Thursday, 5 December 2013 17:13 (ten years ago) link

I fucking love Kraftwerk

paolo, Thursday, 5 December 2013 17:14 (ten years ago) link

otm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF6Uzzr-DEU

tylerw, Thursday, 5 December 2013 17:15 (ten years ago) link

Two Oakland shows in March - thanks to a buddy I am in

Brakhage, Friday, 6 December 2013 20:14 (ten years ago) link

one month passes...

ummm they are playing Chicago huh
http://jamusa.com/events/kraftwerk-3d-concert/

holy shiiiiit

frogbs, Thursday, 16 January 2014 03:36 (ten years ago) link

Also doing the whole 8-album thing in Vienna in May.

my father will guide me up the stairs to bed (anagram), Thursday, 16 January 2014 08:12 (ten years ago) link

is Vienna sold out already? Might be good to combine with a weekend there

licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Thursday, 16 January 2014 10:11 (ten years ago) link

no, tickets aren't on sale till 28 Jan:

http://www.festwochen.at/programmdetails/?tx_mqprogramm_pi1[eventid]=34&cHash=dee1fc31edb9f563346c82dd45b9e40b

my father will guide me up the stairs to bed (anagram), Thursday, 16 January 2014 10:28 (ten years ago) link

yuk, you'll have to c&p that link

my father will guide me up the stairs to bed (anagram), Thursday, 16 January 2014 10:29 (ten years ago) link

We are going to Chicago! What hotel is best? Is there transit to the Riviera?

Artichoke, Badger, Cornflower, Daisy (doo dah), Monday, 20 January 2014 15:27 (ten years ago) link

Vienna tickets went on sale this morning, still seats left for most shows.

my father will guide me up the stairs to bed (anagram), Tuesday, 28 January 2014 11:15 (ten years ago) link

Kraftwerk's coming to Madrid next april, and tickets go on sale this wednesday...thing is, -nobody- knows what they'll cost and I'm expecting the worst (anywhere from 30-50 bucks) ― manuel (manuel), Monday, November 17, 2003 8:49 AM
It's been just over ten years since this thread was started and I think that "the worst" for a ticket to a show now would be considerably more than "$30-50."

Loud guitars shit all over "Bette Davis Eyes" (NYCNative), Tuesday, 28 January 2014 11:34 (ten years ago) link

Yep. Tickets are $55 plus service charges in DC. But its a 3d show...

curmudgeon, Tuesday, 28 January 2014 16:40 (ten years ago) link

Anybody know a good way to swap my Trans-Europe Express tickets for Computer World? Er ... Craigslist, I guess?

cristalnacht (lukas), Tuesday, 28 January 2014 23:33 (ten years ago) link

Tickets are normally personalized so you might have a problem there.

my father will guide me up the stairs to bed (anagram), Wednesday, 29 January 2014 08:53 (ten years ago) link

one year passes...

closeups of their "workstations":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=la7CTPNTDb4

anthony braxton diamond geezer (anagram), Tuesday, 10 March 2015 08:46 (nine years ago) link

one year passes...

been trying all morning for bristol.

website is totally dead.

had tix booked several times, but site crashed each time.

mark e, Friday, 30 September 2016 09:51 (seven years ago) link

Booked for TEE in Antwerp. Psyched

licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Friday, 30 September 2016 09:52 (seven years ago) link

xpost

A group of three of us managed to get tix for Glasgow ok, hope you get yours mark

Foster Twelvetrees (Ward Fowler), Friday, 30 September 2016 09:55 (seven years ago) link

Had 4 for Sheffield, crashed after submitting CC data. Don't hold out any hope.

Horizontal Superman is invulnerable (aldo), Friday, 30 September 2016 09:56 (seven years ago) link

the site for colston hall/bristol is truly awful.
was warned about it yesterday while at work.
the link from kraftwerk took you to gigsandtours.com
they never had any tix available.

mark e, Friday, 30 September 2016 09:59 (seven years ago) link

sold out.

mark e, Friday, 30 September 2016 10:03 (seven years ago) link

Glasgow now sold out too

Foster Twelvetrees (Ward Fowler), Friday, 30 September 2016 10:08 (seven years ago) link

We struck lucky for Nottingham, using the venue's own website. It was down for the first 20 mins, then miraculously came back to life, after Ticketmaster / See / Ents 24 were all saying "sold out".

mike t-diva, Friday, 30 September 2016 10:13 (seven years ago) link

A group of three of us managed to get tix for Glasgow ok

When did you get yours? I was trying to buy tickets for either Glasgow or Edinburgh from 10am and it seemed like they sold out right away :(

paolo, Friday, 30 September 2016 10:22 (seven years ago) link

yeah, i was trying to get tickets for glasgow and they were all gone by 10:02!

the devastation is very important to me (bizarro gazzara), Friday, 30 September 2016 10:27 (seven years ago) link

A pal of mine emailed me at 10.17 am to say he'd got them - he went through the Concert Hall website, just like Mike, so I guess that was the way to go.

I'm sorry that people will miss out on the chance to see them - and I hate to think what greedsters are going to try and resell tickets for - but also very pleased they're not playing an enormodome like the Hydro.

Foster Twelvetrees (Ward Fowler), Friday, 30 September 2016 10:31 (seven years ago) link

suspect a UK arena tour would have been v much undersold unless it was like two dates. their popularity is prob being exaggerated by (a) everyone who wants to go having 24/7 internet access and (b) the % of tickets going straight to tout gangster scum sites

The Codling Of The London Suede (Legal Warning Across The Atlantic) (DJ Mencap), Friday, 30 September 2016 10:36 (seven years ago) link

This was way less stressful than for Tate Modern, when I didn't get through on the phones until 4pm, the sole website having irretrievably crashed in seconds. Many hundreds of calls, but totally worth it in the long run.

mike t-diva, Friday, 30 September 2016 11:14 (seven years ago) link

Oh for the days when you'd queue up outside the venue in the rain instead

めんどくさかった (Matt #2), Friday, 30 September 2016 11:25 (seven years ago) link

Third row, Robotfuckers!

Sehr Kornisch (Branwell with an N), Friday, 30 September 2016 11:29 (seven years ago) link

xp my wife was rehearsing at the concert hall in glasgow today and people were apparently there queueing in person! so 20th century!

the devastation is very important to me (bizarro gazzara), Friday, 30 September 2016 13:57 (seven years ago) link

Oh for the days when you'd queue up outside the venue in the rain instead

― めんどくさかった (Matt #2)

my brother (who hates computers) got tickets for one of prince's last concerts by doing exactly that

a confederacy of lampreys (rushomancy), Friday, 30 September 2016 14:02 (seven years ago) link

queued at concert hal, 60 people in front. phoned up at 10 on the dot and got 3 front ow tickets. hung up the call and suddenly everyone was turned away as it had sold out already. virtually everyone was turned away

PaulTMA, Friday, 30 September 2016 16:17 (seven years ago) link

ya (lovely) lucky bastard.

mark e, Friday, 30 September 2016 18:32 (seven years ago) link

I didn't manage to get tickets and therefore hope that these are all acoustic gigs.

pen pineapple apple pen (Turrican), Friday, 30 September 2016 19:37 (seven years ago) link

one year passes...

On 20 July 2018 around 21:50 local time, ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst welcomed the legendary electronic band Kraftwerk and 7500 visitors to the Jazz Open Festival on Stuttgart's Schlossplatz – live from the International Space Station

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCQEzgtWv-E

http://blogs.esa.int/alexander-gerst/de/2018/07/21/good-evening-kraftwerk/

meisenfek, Saturday, 21 July 2018 11:47 (five years ago) link

five years pass...

Nine nights at the Walt Disney Hall here in May - one night for each album + a finale
https://www.laphil.com/events/performances/2912/2024-05-24/kraftwerk

It's been 15-16 years since I've seen them last (Florian was still there), but I kinda want to see this - The Disney Hall's acoustics are very very good.

Elvis Telecom, Wednesday, 10 January 2024 11:16 (three months ago) link

I think I still have my 3D glasses from seeing TEE at the Disney concert hall. It was a real good show. This is tempting.

what you say is true but by no means (lukas), Thursday, 11 January 2024 07:06 (three months ago) link

/r/kraftwerk had the presale code - got floor tickets for Trans-Europe Express night and am completely stoked for this.

Elvis Telecom, Thursday, 11 January 2024 07:33 (three months ago) link


You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.