Einstürzende Neubauten
Tuesday 7/25/00 - Granada - Lawrence, KSWow.
This was my first EN show. Despite all the complaints I'd read about the new personnel on the previous tour, it would now seem that the new guys have coalesced with the old guys. This band was very tight and very intense. I was thoroughly impressed with all of them. They played 2 to 2 and 1/2 hours with 3 encores. And after hearing nearly all of the songs from the new album "Silence is Sexy", which I originally regarded most of to be rather bland and uninspired, I have a whole new appreciation for it and the band in the year 2000 ...
The Band:
Blixa Bargeld - vocals, cigarette, air compressor, remote controlled tv, vibraphone
Alexander Hacke - bass guitar, vibrator, backing/chorus vocals, percussion
N.U. Unruh - metal and plastic percussion, bass and electronic drums
? - keyboard and rackmount stuff
Jochen Arbeit - electric guitar, backing/chorus vocals
Rudi Moser - acoustic/electric drums, metal and plastic percussion, blue bin, jet turbine, chorus vocalsThe Set (not in order, only the ones I'm fairly certain of ... I'm sure some are missing):
Silence Is Sexy
Sabrina
In Circles/Newtons Gravitatlichkeit/Zampano
Heaven Is Of Honey
Beauty
Die Befindlichkeit Des Landes
Sonnenbarke
Musentango
Alles
Redukt
Dingsaller
Installation No. 1
Nnnaaammm
Ende Neu
Der Schacht Von Babel
The Interimlovers
Zebulon
SalamandrinaBlixa ... what an incredible voice and stage presence! From the opening baritone "silence ... is sexy" to the cigarette exhalation into the microphone and ensuing silent break, Blixa had the crowd in the palm of his hand. At least, he did on the second try. He was unhappy with a level, the bass guitar I believe, so the song began again. I was amazed at just how quiet (at the right times) and respectful the audience were. The silent sections of the song were for the most part just that. A few minutes in to the song it became apparent to me that this was going to be the first time a band was actually going to sound good at the Granada rather than a big muddy mess. Everyone and everything came through loud and clear from where I was standing. I suppose 20 years of live show experience helped ...
Hacke's bass guitar propelled each song with authority as did the percussion of Unruh and Moser. They played all sorts of miked objects: bass drums, various metal sheets and pipes, a large blue barrel, empty plastic containers, pvc tubes, midi triggers, a spinning jet turbine with drum sticks, etc. Unruh is especially fun to watch as he does a funky little up and down dance in every song. The keyboard player handled much of the atmospheres and strings and spinned knobs on his rack mounted gear. His Ensoniq keyboard cleverly had the 'soniq' part removed/blacked out. The guitar player did the least of the lot, adding tinitus inducing tones here and there on some songs with his odd shaped guitar. Hacke played the bass with a vibrator on one song and percussion with all the others on "Ende Neu". His backing vocals in particular were lush and all of them did a fine job on the many chorus parts. Blixa emits a controlled and sustained, high pitched scream that I didn't know was possible from a human. The first few times he did it, it took me awhile to realize that the sound came from him. Blixa 'played' a tv set with a remote control during "Die Befindlichkeit Des Landes" and, later, an air compressor as introduction to "Ende Neu". He pointed the air nozzle at the microphone and interrupted/shaped the flow with his hand, then at his mouth up next to the mike to create all sorts of wonderful whooshing sounds. Blixa reminded me a great deal of Michael Gira (of SWANS, the Angels of Light) in his passion and intensity and the way that he conducted events on stage and demanded perfection from the sound man and fellow band members ...
Blixa told a story, a bit at a time in-between songs throughout the show, about the last show in the area on the previous tour. It took place at a Catholic school kindergarten in Kansas City. It was really amusing when Blixa was explaining the scene backstage ... legos and tiny plastic chairs everywhere. During one of the more intense moments of 1 song, FM Einheit threw a large metal sheet into the air and fell to his knees and the sheet badly injured him, nearly cutting off his legs. The band continued on unaware of what had happened until Blixa turned around to find Jim Thirwell (of Foetus, the opener) in place of Einheit playing his part. "Hmmm ... that's odd. Why is Jim playing Mufti's part?" The tour manager, Jessamine, ripped strips of clothe from her dress to bind Einheit's wounds, then took him to the hospital. On the way, Einheit insisted on vodka first so they stopped at a liquor store. She was asked for identification so she retrieved her tour management briefcase, rifled through the few dozen passports for hers, then bought the liquor. It must have been a curious sight: this woman covered in blood with a ripped up dress and dozens of passports buying vodka. The next night was a day off in Los Angeles. Henry Rollins, a friend of the band, came to visit EN at the hotel. Blixa explained, in what seemed to be a condescending manner, how Rollins had an EN tattoo but had to the point never actually seen them live. He also made jest of Rollins' very physical performance manner referring to the puddle of sweat around him on stage as "Lake Rollins" and that he looks like "Groucho Marx trying to get mad". They figured that Rollins was impressed with them since they were all beat up, Einheit in particular, a sign of physical work. A really funny story that made for a great balance of 'intellectualism' and humor ...
It was brutal. It was beautiful. It was passionate. It was humorous. It was thoroughly impressive and remarkably memorable. One of the finest shows I've ever seen ...
The Merchandise:
3 short sleeve t-shirts at $25 apiece:
1 - cream, same as "Ende Neu" artwork with eye on front and band name on back
2 - black, eclipsed sun on front with glow in the dark EN logo in center, nothing on back
3 - black, EN name and logo on front (I think), tour dates on back2xVHS video set, "Konzert 01.04.2000" - 20th Anniversary Concert, Columbiahalle Berlin - $35
Recommendation:
Go! Remaining shows:
Thu, 7/27 - Chicago, IL - Metro
Sat, 7/29 - Boston, MA - Axis
Sun, 7/30 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
Tue, 8/01 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza
Wed, 8/02 - New York, NY - Irving PlazaThanks:
Einstürzende Neubauten and the audience ...
Links:
Einstürzende Neubauten
Einstürzende Neubauten at Mute Records
Blixa Bargeld