Kraftwerk

Colston Hall, bristol, June 17, 2017

Do androids dream of electric blankets?

- Stephen Dalton

ONCE rare as comets, Kraftwerk tours have become increasingly regular over the past decade. More accessible and yet more mysterious than ever, the band’s third run of British shows in five years is the latest iteration of their ever-evolving 3D spectacle. Disillusioned old-school fans may deride the Dad’s Army of technopop as a creatively sterile heritage act, but there are screaming millennials in Bristol who were not even born during their late-’70s peak. Their mesmerising brand of sublime banality clearly has pan-generational appeal.

Judged by pop norms, of course, Kraftwerk can be easily faulted for their Betamax futurism, their thin latterday output and their endless reworking of ancient source material. But judge them as a living, breathing, constantly self-refining artwork and they are peerless. Decades in development, this immersive live show is the richest Kraftwerkian experience yet, a ravishing sensory feast that combines painstakingly sculpted sound design, exquisite visuals, absurdist comedy and a potent undercurrent of human emotion.