I've been in love with Kraftwerk ever since listening to Danny Walton's older brother's LPs in the very early 80's and I've been listening and loving them, even more, ever since. I'd probably go as far as saying they've exerted a profound influence on my life, certainly the fundamental reason why I love electronic music. So, seeing them perform live, twice in the past week, at Tate Modern, has been an absolute dream come true and the best concerts I've ever been to since Prince's Lovesexy concert at Wembley Arena in 1988.
Any description of mine can't really do the experience justice except to say it was an absolutely thrilling audio and video experience, with the perfection of the quadraphonic sound production and breathtaking 3D video projections. My initial worry that I'd booked the wrong night, (they were playing each of their 8 albums, in their whole, over 8 consecutive nights) proved to be unfounded, I'd booked tickets for the Trans Europe Express night but then realised my favourite album is actually, by far, Man Machine. After about 25 minutes of TEE, the remaining 1 hour 35 minutes was given over to playing, in strict chronological order, all their best tracks, from every album so we got to hear the best tracks from Man Machine. The whole concert was at times haunting (Radioactivity), moving (Neon Lights, Computer Love) at times funny (Pocket Calculator, Autobahn)and exceptionally funky (Numbers, Tour de France)
But above all; a truly exceptional experience which I feel completely privileged to have witnessed.
Five years ago, on this very day (and the first day of British Summer time)at about 10.00 in the morning, we discovered Ibolya was pregnant with Ruby, and one of the most monumental days of our lives. I could never have imagined back then that 5 years later, I'd be hunting for Easter eggs, in our garden, in my pyjamas with these two beautiful, incredible and totally amazing little people - who have completely transformed our lives and give meaning and joy to every second of our lives. These have been 5 impossibly incredible years and I'm so glad (despite my current tardiness) I've been able to document a lot of it in this blog. Happy Easter everyone and hope you are having a great long weekend.
