Carlswerk Victoria, Cologne, Germany24th November 2024
The Human League - “Generations Tour” 2024 - DJ Support: Elvis Rashidi
We had to wait a long time for THE HUMAN LEAGUE concerts in Germany. But on 24th November 2024, the time had finally come and the British cult band performed at the Carlswerk in Cologne. Cologne has a special significance for THE HUMAN LEAGUE. As Phil Oakley explained, the band’s first concert in Germany took place in Cologne in 1978.
DJ Elvis Rashidi
But before THE HUMAN LEAGUE took to the stage, the audience was entertained by Cologne scene DJ Elvis Rashidi with 80s hits of all kinds.
The Human League
The entire stage was covered by a black cloth, so you could only guess what the stage looked like. When the first movements behind the curtain could be seen, the audience began to clap and whistle. When spotlights illuminated the curtain and people and music could be heard, everyone knew it was about to start. When the curtain fell, a bright white stage with a bridge-like gallery was revealed. The two singers Susan Ann Alley and Joanne Catherell stood to the right and left respectively. Phil Oakley then joined them from the right as the music for the song ‘Hard Times’ played.
The three were supported by a drummer and two keyboarders, who also liked to take to the stage with their portable keyboards. Depending on the song, corresponding films or animations were shown on a huge LED wall in the background. Since the beginning of THE HUMAN LEAGUE, the band has been very fashion-conscious and dress accordingly at their concerts. Susan and Joanne started out wearing black dresses, which they occasionally changed to white or glittery dresses. Phil wore a tight-fitting suit with wide-leg trousers. His jacket was very padded at the shoulders, which was very reminiscent of 80s fashion. Later, however, he took off his jacket and performed the rest of the concert in a white shirt.
The song selection was from the entire era of the band. From the minimalist ‘Empire State Human’ from the 1979 album ‘Reproduction’ to ‘The Lebanon’ and ‘Electric Dreams’. The classic ‘Don’t You Want Me’ was also included, which the band played in an extra-long version. However, Phil mixed up some of the lyrics and had to laugh himself when he realised it. The only low in the setlist? ‘Being Boiled’ was NOT played in Cologne and fans were really sad about this. Nevertheless, the fans had fun during the show and roared along to almost every song. Even when the visitors slowly left the hall, many still had a smile on their faces. https://thehumanleague.co.uk / https://www.facebook.com/thehumanleague
Setlist
01. Hard Times
02. Love Action
03. Mirror Man Soundtrack
04. Heart Like A Wheel
05. Life On Your Own
06. The Lebanon
07. One Man In My Heart
08. Path Of Least Resistance
09. Empire State Human
10. Louise
11. Behind The Mask Open Your Heart
12. All I Ever Wanted
13. Sound Of The Crowd Tell Me When - Long
14. Fascination
15. Don’t You Want Me - Long
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16. Goodbye Bad Times
17. Electric Dreams
Rating
Music: 9
Performance: 9
Light: 10
Sound: 9
Total: 9.3 / 10
All pictures by Andreas Klüppelberg
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