Michael Rother + Friends (GER) Play NEU!
ABOUT THE SHOW
Michael Rother and Klaus Dinger’s landmark self-titled album NEU! defined an era of underground music. Five decades after its release, the album’s influence continues to be enormous. A former member of some of the most influential German bands (Kraftwerk and Harmonia amongst them), Michael Rother is a foundational artist whose influence changed the face of music.
Across its six tracks, the 1972 NEU! album dismantled every hierarchical structure in rock music. Clearing the path soon trod by Brian Eno and David Bowie, and later countless others who were searching for a way out of established rock-and-roll formats toward something more transcendent and profound. Direct lines can be traced to Radiohead, Devo, U2 and Iggy Pop, to name just a few who note Rother as a point of influence.
In an electrifying fusion of krautrock, post-punk and avant-garde, Michael Rother and friends conjure the legendary NEU! canon and recasts it in a transcendental and touching tribute to Klaus Dinger and ongoing recognition of Rother’s profound exploration and evolution of music-making.
Rother performs alongside long-time collaborators Hans Lampe on drums (La Düsseldorf), Franz Bargmann on guitar (exCamera) and Vittoria Maccabruni (electronics and vocals).
Michael Rother is joined in support by Melbourne based trio Panghalina. Brining their own distinctive approach to sound, grounded in improvisation and experimentation.
Michael Rother + Friends are supported by the Goethe-Institut.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Born in Hamburg, Germany, Rother gained prominence as a founding member of the influential bands Neu! and Harmonia during the 1970s. His innovative guitar work and use of electronics reshaped the musical landscape, influencing countless artists across genres. In the early ’70s, Michael Rother quit Kraftwerk, a move that may seem insane if not for his going on to take part in several seminal krautrock bands that influenced the likes of Brian Eno, David Bowie, Stereolab, and Thom Yorke. As part of Neu! and Harmonia, Rother pushed rock and electronic music towards a more rhythmic and experimental future with hypnotic percussion, stripped-down arrangements, and post-psychedelic soundscapes.
Michael Rother is joined in the night by Melbourne/ Naarm trio Panghalina, in support. Panghalina is comprised of Helen Svoboda (voice, double bass), Bonnie Stewart (voice, drums, percussion) and Maria Moles (synth, drums, percussion). Each musician in the trio is an established composer and performer in their own right and has developed their own distinctive approach to sound, often using instrumental preparations and non-conventional techniques to extend their mastery on their given instrument.
Michael Rother + Panghalina is supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland.
PERFORMANCE DATES & TIMES
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Suitable for ages 15+
Contains strobe lighting
