10th April 2014
Welle:Erdball
WELLE:ERDBALL is celebrating their 20 year anniversary for some time now. Their roots go back to 1990 but it was not earlier than 1993 before the name WELLE:ERDBALL came into existence. The music is inspired by the first computers like the Commodore 64.
The sound has remained throughout the years and even now, 20 years later, the sound is not that much different. Although WELLE:ERDBALL is still leaning on their anniversary, the main reason for their tour is the new album ‘Tanzmusik für Roboter’. Percussionist and female singer Plastique has left the band last year and her place is now taken by Lady Lila. And so WELLE:ERBALL remains a band with two male members, Alf and frontman Honey, and the two female members Frl. Venus and Lady Lila, who both mainly take care of the visual appearances on stage. http://www.welle-erdball.de / https://www.facebook.com/WelleErdball
Music & Performance
Those who already have seen WELLE:ERDBALL know exactly what to expect. The stage is looking nice as ever, with the two large robots in the back and all the visual projections. Alf is taking his usual place in the back and singer Honey is looking as always with his blue sunglasses and black suit. Even his hair is still the same. The two female members take care of the visual part of the show. They sing, play some instruments and are dancing on the music that is typically WELLE:ERDBALL; a mixture of futuristic sound effects that by now seem to have lost the word future in it. The lack of rhythm is striking. It looks like the two are doing their own thing without any notice of one another.
Although they are smiling, it is not convincing. Perhaps they are all grown weary of doing the same thing for years without any new elements in their show - except Lady Lila who is new at it. After playing songs of the new album ‘Tanzmusik für Roboter’ in the first part of the show, the second part is dedicated for the requests that all visitors have made by filling out a small form. This way all the popular old songs pass the revue. But when the song ‘Commodore 64’ is chosen a second time they just shrug and play the song again. One thing can be said afterwards; they don’t know how to quit. The keep on playing requested songs until almost midnight as if they were robots themselves; without much feeling or conviction. But maybe that in itself is a compliment.
Setlist
00. Welle: Erdball – Intro
01. Die Roboter
02. Das Passwort
03. Computersex
04. Computerklang
05. Herzschlag
06. Der Flipperkönig
07. Mensch gegen Maschine
08. Des Wahnsinns fette Beute
09. Die Liebe der 3. Art
10. Gib mir meine Zukunft wieder
11. Vielen Dank für die Information
12. Ich mach mich schön
13. Mimikry
14. Die Gedanken sind frei
15. Tanzmusik für Roboter
Rating
Music: 6
Performance: 6
Sound: 7
Light: 8
Total: 7 / 10
All pictures by Nando Harmsen (http://www.nandoonline.com)
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