It's weird how things play out for legends. On the one hand you have Kraftwerk - now down to one original member - selling out an £80-per-ticket tour of the UK, whilst on the other you have the likes of Michael Rother playing to 300 people at Sheffield University Students Union.
As one half of NEU!, One third of Harmonia and the whole of Michael Rother, the measure of his influence on music over the last 40 years is seismic, thanks to THAT motorik sound. Remember, this is the guitarist that Bowie wanted to play on the"Heroes" album. Just think about that - Robert Fripp, who turned the title track into sonic gold, was second choice. How things could've been...
This man arguably has a bigger presence and influence on my record collection than any other artist. Probably on much of your record collection too. It was also, thanks to NEU!'s association with and brief membership in the band, how Kraftwerk learnt that a steady beat was the way forward.
Anyway, the gig! Sensational! 90 minutes of head nodding as Rother and his band surged through his finest moments from throughout his career, still sounding like the music was recorded today. Still sounding very NEU!
