We only have The Drones to thank for inviting Einstürzende Neubauten down to Australia for the 2013 ATP I’ll Be You Mirror bash, and having committed to making the long trip south iconic and infamous German avant-industrialists are taking full advantage of the opportunity, announcing their own headlining shows in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
The band’s fearsome live shows have long been legendary for (mainly) all the right reasons, literally trying to bring down the house (with jackhammers) on more than one occasion. Founded in West Berlin in 1980, before the fall of the Berlin Wall, they quickly became renowned for their intense noise assaults, blood- curdling screams and trenchant use of eclectic instrumentation – often constructed themselves from scrap metal and then bludgeoned and dismantled onstage with building tools – to augment their already visceral sound.
Frontman and founding member Blixa Bargeld should need no introduction to Australian audiences, having been guitarist in the final stages of equally revered Melbourne act The Birthday Party before spending two decades as Nick Cave’s right hand man in the Bad Seeds, quitting in 2003 to focus on his first love, Einstürzende Neubauten.
Far more than mere musical visionaries, Einstürzende Neubauten have long been innovators in the offstage realms of the music game as well, leading the push towards fan-funded projects as long as a decade ago and quickly grasping the internet’s limitless potential as a tool to be integrated into their entire band ethos, embracing it as an avenue for experimentation and sonic exploration while most other bands were still contemplating the pros and cons of setting up a MySpace page.
But despite this inimitable vision and having releasing over a dozen acclaimed studio albums in their more than three decades together, it’s in the live sphere that the band have carved their fearsome aura, which is why Australian fans should be excited and scared in equal measure at the prospect of the arch sonic manipulators’ impending southern sojourn. Be aware, sparks will fly (figuratively and most likely literally) so bring your earplugs (and possibly goggles) when you check out the band who thrives on railing against convention of any description, Einstürzende Neubauten.
Einstürzende Neubauten – February 2013 tour announced
Presented by Handsome Tours, Street Press Australia and Triple R Tickets on sale 9:00am AEST Wednesday 19th September.
Tuesday 19th – Palace Theatre, Melbourne
Tickets: www.handsometours.com, www.ticketmaster.com.au, www.oztix.com.au
Friday 22nd – Enmore Theatre, Sydney
Tickets: www.handsometours.com, www.enmoretheatre.com.au, www.ticketek.com.au
Saturday 23rd – Tivoli, Brisbane
Tickets: www.handsometours.com, www.thetivoli.net.au, www.ticketek.com.au
The band will also perform at ATP’s ‘I’ll Be Your Mirror’ – www.atpfestival.com/events/australia2013.php
