Hello Mark, We are preparing a page with parts of reviews from several fans about the last Kraftwerk Paris concerts, and we would like to use some parts of your reviews, giving all the respective credits. Do you agree with the use of your review? If you agree, please send your name, city and country, for the credits. Best regards, Marcelo Duarte Dante de Conti http://kraftwerk.technopop.com.br Brasil MJS> Having seen 2 of the Paris shows (1st and last) I thought I'd stick my oar MJS> in and add a few further observations that no-one else seems to have picked MJS> up on, along with a couple of personal thoughts... MJS> APRES SHOW MJS> No beer, just wine, mineral water or champage at the bar... very civilised! MJS> INTRO MUSIC MJS> The familaiar warm-up music from previous tours (that low level computer MJS> "data" noise) has been replaced with a constantly-evolving pattern using the MJS> same sound as the "Antenna" home-page from www.kraftwerk.com. About 10 mins MJS> before KW came on, I saw the front-of-house guy set a DAT (or possibly MJS> minidisc) going, solo the signal on the desk to check the level in MJS> headphones, and then slowly fade up the track. Gotta say I quite like MJS> this... it could be the basis of a great new track. MJS> EXPO2000 MJS> Not just based on the Underground Resistance main mix, but also contains MJS> elements of the DJ Rolando mix (the opening arpeggaited riff), along with MJS> bits of KW's original (the "stab" riff, and the lead "string" melody, but MJS> sped-up to the new tempo). Topically, I don't think the phrases "Expo" or MJS> "2000" were used at all, though all the others were, particuarly "Planet Of MJS> Visions" which surely would be a more appropriate title now. There was also MJS> that "Germany/Detroit/so electric" stuff from the UR mixes. Curious how this MJS> is the most open KW have been in collaborative terms... recycling material MJS> from other peoples' remixes. They obviously like the whole Detroit/UR vibe a MJS> lot. MJS> NEON LIGHTS MJS> As reported, quite like the 1981 live version, i.e. faster than the original MJS> album take. It basically splits into 2 neat sections, the first with vox MJS> from Ralf (one verse in English, the next in German), then, after a small MJS> breakdown, the syncopated bass riff starts and the lead line meanders nicely MJS> above it. Great to hear them do this track, seemingly one of most fans' MJS> favourites, but to be honest I reckon they could have done a bit more with MJS> it. The rhythm is very rigid, and surely would lend itself to a nice MJS> shuffle-groove if you were to update it more completely. Just a thought... MJS> POCKET CALCULATOR MJS> Must be the funkiest song of the show. Taking off further from "The Mix" MJS> version, the rhythm is not always straight house-style, but often morphs MJS> into a great breakbeat-style groove, which together with the choppy MJS> stab-like synth, rocks like mad. After a verse in English, Ralf sings the MJS> rest in French. Must say that I didn't mourn the loss of the hand-held MJS> devices at all; I think the music and graphics more than make up for that, MJS> and also allow KW to kind of grow-old gracefully, not having to attempt to MJS> boogie down at the front any more. Did kind of miss Florian's occasional mad MJS> calculator soloing though! MJS> MUSIC NON STOP/CONSOLES MJS> On the final midnight show, I got a good opportunity to look at what they MJS> were actually doing onstage, as I was watching from the second balcony, and MJS> moved right down the side of as far as you could go. Besides the laptops, MJS> all of the consoles are the same size, but have subtle differences. Henning MJS> and Fritz's seem identical; a small musical keyboard to the right, and rows MJS> of switches and faders to the left, with Fritz making particular use of MJS> these, creating reverb and delay FX on the drums. They also appear to have MJS> some kind of jogwheel on the top left. Ralf's console has a more full-length MJS> keyboard across the whole of the front, while Florian's has the shorter MJS> keyboard but replaces the fader panel with some kind of green-lit MJS> LED-covered device showing text; I'm guessing that this is something to do MJS> with the famous "Robovox" unit spotted on previous tours. I really do MJS> believe that they are doing most of the mixing on-stage; the front-of-house MJS> guy only had a dozen faders pushed up, seemingly in stereo pairs, and I'm MJS> guessing that 8 of these are the straight stereo feeds from the 4 KWers MJS> onstage. When it was time to make their exit, an illuminated "pathway" on MJS> the floor at Florian's side lights up, guiding the guys away. On the first MJS> show, Florian and Fritz gave shy little waves, otherwise I didn't notice any MJS> of them acknowledge the audience in any way at all. Robots to the end! MJS> AND FINALLY... MJS> Afterwards, I was chatting to a couple of fans who I'd seen before at MJS> previous shows. One told me that he's spoken to Gunther(?) from KW's crew, MJS> who told him that they were taking the show to Japan and then to Australia MJS> in Dec and Jan. Must say that this makes sense, given that they were going MJS> to play Australia at the end of the last tour. When pressed about when they MJS> would be touring more fully, Gunther said "they have to finish the album MJS> first"! Whether this is a joke or not, I've no idea, but don't hold your MJS> breath. MJS> Cheers, Staggboy. MJS> _______________________________________________ MJS> Kraftwerk mailing list MJS> Kraftwerk@mailman.xmission.com MJS> http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/kraftwerk -- Best regards, Electram mailto:electram@terra.com.br