X, Herford, Germany
17th November 2012
The Human League, Goldkint
THE HUMAN LEAGUE, legendary and ground-breaking Synth Pop pioneers of the 1980s, made their live reunion a couple of years ago and proved that their are still a force to be reckoned with. In 2012, they're cerebrating their 35th anniversary and for hat occasion brought a colourful program with them.
Goldkint
GOLDKINT formed in Hanover back in 2010 and ever since has grown a widely popular electronic duo that has garnered a lot of live experience. The band has one release in its catalogue so far titled ‘Kopfkino’ and being released in November 2011. GOLDKINT is Jana Kint (vocals) and DJ Lübke (electronics). http://www.goldkint.de / https://www.facebook.com/pages/goldkint/139568859448366
Music & Performance
It shouldn't take too long for the duo to have the audience eat from their hands. The marching route was going straight forward with a mixture of unpretentious electronic beats and clean German vocals. Especially the beats hooked the audience in no time and the joy of Jana performing wildly on stage spread throughout the crowd. Not surprised there were a few encore shouts after the band had closed their little set. Entertaining few minutes of a band that I hadn't heard anything of before.
Setlist
01. Voodoo
02. Kopfkino
03. Paris
04. Piraten der Liebe
05. Das Mädchen und der Roboter
06. Himmelfahrtskommando
07. Labyrinth
Rating
Music: 7
Performance: 7
Sound: 7
Light: 7
Total: 7 / 10
The Human League
When the band started in the late 1970s it was an all-male quartet producing pioneering electronic music outside the then Rock-dominated mainstream. The original line-up consisted of Philip Oakey, Philip Adrian Wright, Martyn Ware and Ian Craig-Marsh. Ware and Craig-Marsh left HUMAN LEAGUE in 1980 after a few minor hits, including a certain song called ‘Being Boiled’, to form HEAVEN 17. Oakey teamed up with two female backing singers, Joanne Catherall and Susan Ann Sulley, and this became the second incarnation of THE HUMAN LEAGUE, and the new line-up soon had major hits like ‘Sound Of The Crowd’ and ‘Love Action’, which were the build-up for THE HUMAN LEAGUE’s million-selling and influential album ‘Dare!’, released in October 1981. The success was crowned with the release of the third single off the album, ‘Don’t You Want Me’, which stayed eight weeks in the pole position of the UK charts in winter 1981/82 and is still one of the big 1980s Pop classics. With the album ‘Credo’ THE HUMAN LEAGUE eventually released new music this year and of course - surprise, surprise! - they did not hesitate to present the new album on yet another tour! http://www.thehumanleague.co.uk / https://www.facebook.com/thehumanleague
Music & Performance
For the main act, the stage setup's colour turned into bright white, including the keyboard racks and the instruments itself. Style and character that you miss with other bands. To the sounds of 'Seconds' Phil Oakey entered the stage to open the evening. He performed that song without the girls. They wouldn't appear before the politically-charged 'The Lebanon' under wild applause. The set continued with a song from the past 'Sound Of The Crowd', an overly catchy and fluffy tune to encourage a crowd. Quite a contrast to the earnest subject matter of the previous one. But THE HUMAN LEAGUE were always traversing between these two poles like it was a walk in the park. Quite early in the set they gave the crowd something to go crazy with 'Being Boiled', just to let follow something with a balladry touch with 'One Man In My Heart' performed by the girls who apparently still know how to make the guys go nuts according to some reactions. 
With 'Night People' came something of the more clubby material from the last album which I admit I didn't like that much. For a concert on the other hand you couldn't find anything better to heat it all up a bit more, even though songs like 'Tell Me When' and 'Mirror Man' did a lot better in a achieving this if you ask me. Following 'Don't You Want Me', the band left the stage to be demanded back shortly for two more song before they released their fans into the night or to the after show party. I for one enjoyed the show very much. A glamorous performance if I may say so
Setlist
01. Seconds
02. The Lebanon
03. The Sound Of The Crowd
04. Open Your Heart
05. All I Ever Wanted
06. Louise
07. Being Boiled
08. One Man in My Heart
09. Night People
10. Electric Shock
11. The Things That Dreams Are Made Of
12. Heart Like A Wheel
13. Tell Me When
14. Love Action
15. Mirror Man
16. (Keep Feeling) Fascination
17. Don't You Want Me
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18. Good-Bye Bad Times
19. Together in Electric Dreams
Rating
Music: 8
Performance: 8
Sound: 8
Light: 8
Total: 8 / 10
All pictures by Daniela Vorndran (http://www.vorndranphotography.com / http://www.black-cat-net.de/ / http://www.myspace.com/vorndranphotography / http://www.facebook.com/blackcatnet)
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