And so for the second time in my life, I found myself standing outside a Kraftwerk concert.
Over the last few years, the incredibly influential electronic band Kraftwerk have been performing consecutive concerts at selected venues - playing each of their albums in their entirety. One album per night. Berlin concerts were announced in 2014.
From what I have seen, the ticket prices have always been very reasonable yet almost impossible to get. The Berlin gigs were no exception.
The concerts were held at the Neue Nationalgalerie, a classic Mies van der Rohe building which is to be closed for minimum 3 years for renovation following the concerts. Once tickets went on sale they sold out almost immediately. I heard stories of people who lined up for hours for the special midnight release of tickets at the venue itself, and still missed out. When I checked online that following day for when tickets were available to the public...all gone.
Which lead me to stand outside, with no ticket.
So I went on Monday 12 January 2015, which was the night the band would perform 'The Mix'. I hadn't been to earlier nights as the weather has been bad in Berlin. I had hoped to take a few photos of the Galerie with the Kraftwerk sign out the front and hopefully hear a bit of music.
When I got to the Neue Nationalgalerie, I was not so much surprised that others had the same idea as I did, but how clearly I could hear the music. I had already read that the almost all glass structure would be blacked out to shield the concert from outside, so I was even more surprised to find that we outsiders could see inside quite easily.
From several vantage points you could see the large screen, and several of the band members easily in their now well known skintight black with green grid uniforms.
As I arrived, 'The Model' was playing, and being 'The Mix' subsequent hit after hit was played. It was great to hear these songs live (even standing outside!) Like the Man Machine, Trans Europe Express, the encore of 'The Robots' in which the band reappeared as robotic versions of themselves, and finishing with 'Music Non Stop'...which afterwards, ironically, the music stopped. :P
Maybe the third time I got to a Kraftwerk concert I will actually be standing inside the venue.
Over the last few years, the incredibly influential electronic band Kraftwerk have been performing consecutive concerts at selected venues - playing each of their albums in their entirety. One album per night. Berlin concerts were announced in 2014.
From what I have seen, the ticket prices have always been very reasonable yet almost impossible to get. The Berlin gigs were no exception.
The concerts were held at the Neue Nationalgalerie, a classic Mies van der Rohe building which is to be closed for minimum 3 years for renovation following the concerts. Once tickets went on sale they sold out almost immediately. I heard stories of people who lined up for hours for the special midnight release of tickets at the venue itself, and still missed out. When I checked online that following day for when tickets were available to the public...all gone.
Which lead me to stand outside, with no ticket.
So I went on Monday 12 January 2015, which was the night the band would perform 'The Mix'. I hadn't been to earlier nights as the weather has been bad in Berlin. I had hoped to take a few photos of the Galerie with the Kraftwerk sign out the front and hopefully hear a bit of music.
When I got to the Neue Nationalgalerie, I was not so much surprised that others had the same idea as I did, but how clearly I could hear the music. I had already read that the almost all glass structure would be blacked out to shield the concert from outside, so I was even more surprised to find that we outsiders could see inside quite easily.
From several vantage points you could see the large screen, and several of the band members easily in their now well known skintight black with green grid uniforms.
As I arrived, 'The Model' was playing, and being 'The Mix' subsequent hit after hit was played. It was great to hear these songs live (even standing outside!) Like the Man Machine, Trans Europe Express, the encore of 'The Robots' in which the band reappeared as robotic versions of themselves, and finishing with 'Music Non Stop'...which afterwards, ironically, the music stopped. :P
While not ideal to be standing outside, it's all I could manage under the circumstance. Surprisingly it was actually a good experience and in some cases a much better concert experience than many other gigs I've been to (with ticket).
Maybe the third time I got to a Kraftwerk concert I will actually be standing inside the venue.
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