I got into Kraftwerk really really late, they were formed in 1970 and by 1974 were essentially the first real synth band in the world playing like real songs and not doodling or acting like it was a weird coloration or experimental, or even Krautrock, but, in effect, Kraut pop.
But it took another three years and Trans Europe Express, in the midst of the summer of punk no less, for me to be bowled over. The weirdness of top Of The Pops, the otherness of the sound, and of course, the way they influenced Brian Eno, David Bowie, and then everybody else in the world. Still, I’ve never seen them live and after seeing folk of them live on tape, they were all banks of synth . I did see Wendy Carlos –the person who first played Beethoven’s Ninth on a synth, and she wasn’t all that thrilling.
I didn’t bother even trying for a tix to the Kraftwerk retrospective at MOMA last year, and stories of tix changing hands for $5K a pop but in reading on Brooklynvegan about their performance April 1ST and 2 nd at United Palace and then getting the BV password (COMPUTERS HAR HAR) the decision was made and a hundred bucks later I am planning my first sighting of the Kings of (OK) Komputers and I am not sure what to expect except… it is in 3D. So I guess we have to see a 4D concert with 3D glasses! Cutting edge!!!