Kraftwerk – Spark Arena,1st December 2023: Review

Kraftwerk, one of the all-time prime-movers and influencers of electronic music, hit Auckland’s Spark Arena last night for the last of their two Kiwi concerts, as part of their 2023 Australasian tour.

The group that gained a strong musical identity and smashed out of the early Krautrock label were warmly welcomed here again, after a 14-year absence.

One of the most influential bands ever, Kraftwerk have rippled out to many of the electronic acts that have followed them world-wide. Depeche Mode, The Chemical Brothers, Daft Punk, Underworld, Kanye West, and of course David Bowie.

They’ve been sampled by Dr Dre, Timbaland, DJ Shadow, LCD Soundsystem, The Orb, New Order, Aphex Twin, The Prodigy and many more.

Formed out of Düsseldorf, Germany way back in 1970, co-founders Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider were to procure and pioneer electro music through the 70’s and beyond with such a profound impact and forged a path for those to follow.

Their innovative approach to music remains unique and draws some continuum with other movements and key artists that came before them from that country. For example, the Weimar cinema movement of the 1920’s, and classical composer Karlheinz Stockhausen. 

 Tonight’s billing was without any support acts, so a near-full Spark Arena waited in anticipation for the machine men to arrive. Ambient music preceded the show, with images projected that represented the group members low-rendered, in their trademark formation of four behind their keyboard consoles. The atmosphere felt like we were about to be indoctrinated into a cult of some type.

Kraftwerk arrived uniformly, looking like they stepped right out one of the Tron films.

In matching neon-striped costumes they broke into Numbers, with a backdrop of algorithmic matrix green. This splendidly set up the tone for Kraftwerk’s multi-media audio-visual driven performances that they’ve established in their resurgent years.

While Schneider had left the band earlier (and sadly passed away in 2020), 53 years on Hütter remains at the helm. From stage-right he led with conviction, delivering most of the vocals, though the group is associated more as an instrumental act.

Computer World vamped on a series of spoken words, often in one to two or three groupings – “FBI”, “Scotland Yard” etc. The robotic vocal delivery, with frequent use of the vocoder is trademark Kraftwerk.

It’s More Fun to Compute/Home Computer played out while Minecraft imagery projected onto the giant screen behind the group. Who at times resembled game-show contestant’s concentrating and composing their next answers.

Spacelab visually transported the group in a UFO, with a satellite bird’s eye view of Nu Tireni (NZ), journeying on and arriving outside the entrance of Spark Arena. Cheers and whoops ensued.

Now lit in stark black and white, Kraftwerk moved like skeletons behind jumping soundwaves to Airwaves/Tango.

No dancing heroics in sight, more a gentle leg manoeuvre from each player while on display.

The Man-Machine was set up by a collage of Mondrian depictions, and evoked Human 2.0, Alan Parsons Project’s I Robot (1977) and referenced Nietzsche’s Übermensch directly. The sound noticeably edged up in volume, which would progressively increase as the night went on. Perhaps a concept written into the performance by the group.

Then the breakthrough hit Autobahn (1974), with its soundscapes complimented with film animation of that trusted German vehicle Volkswagen. Considerable applause rang out during and after this extended performance. The t-shirt was even available for the initiated.

Now Kraftwerk were peeling off their signature songs, Computer Love. Coldplay not only sampled elements of the song for their hit Talk (2005), but they also worked the melody into the arrangement. Standing on the shoulders of giants indeed.

Staccato rhythmed The Model followed, Hütter’s vocal delivered in typical deadpan spoken-word stylings.

Plenty of mileage was gained out of the group’s suits, by now changing colour with almost every song.

The sound ratcheted up once more for Geiger Counter/Radioactivity. Words shot onto the big screen pointing at pivotal low moments in human history. Hiroshima, Chernobyl, Fukushima et al.

An extended medley from their last full-length album Tour de France Soundtracks (2003) highlighted some groovy bass slaps (synth-based) and heavy breathing, juxtaposed with a backdrop of retrospective footage from the cycling event itself.

Then they had to pump up the volume for Trans-Europe Express, a signature tune famously sampled for the ground-breaking 1982 release Planet Rock by Afrika Bambaataa.

From station to station, back to Düsseldorf city/ Meet Iggy Pop and David Bowie/ Trans-Europe Express. How ice-cool are those lyrics?

There was some anticipation for the laser lights to commence, but they never came.  The Who already did that. Instead, strobe lights ignited The Robots with androgynous representations of Kraftwerk screened behind them, recalling their showroom dummy personas as well as characters from the Thunderbirds TV series.

Music Non-Stop closed out the show, utilising 80’s era MTV musings and pop art symbolism. Boing, Boom, Tschak animated like Batman punches.

The performance culminated in each band member taking a solo before individually exiting the stage. Henning Schmitz, Georg Bongartz and Falk Grieffenhagen all took a bow, leaving Hütter as the last man standing. Due respect with given to the man as he fist-pumped his chest at us before walking off-stage.

Kraftwerk is translated as Power Plant. What a spot-on metaphor for a group that has generated much musical experimentalism through the exploration of everything electronic in music while embracing the technology on offer.

 Kraftwerk, were we indoctrinated? With all those spell-casting subliminal messages, super-catchy dance tunes and mesmerising visuals, hell yes! So off we all went into the night, to dream of electric sheep and bringing back the discotheques!

Mike Beck

Photography by Leonie Moreland

Setlist

1) Numbers
2) Computer World
3) It’s More Fun to Compute/Home Computer
4) Spacelab
5) Airwaves/Tango
6) The Man-Machine
7) Electric Cafe
8) Autobahn
9) Computer Love
10) The Model
11) Neon Lights
12) Geiger Counter/Radioactivity
13) Tour de France 1983/ Prologue/ Tour de France Etape 1/ Chrono/ Tour de France Etape 2
14) Vitamin
15) Trans-Europe Express
16) The Robots
17) Planets of Visions
18) Music Non-Stop