West German musician Michael Rother will be celebrating 50-plus years of NEU! – the band he co-founded in 1971 – in Australia next February. Rother is on the lineup for Perth Festival and Brisbane’s ΩHM Festival of Other Music and has now announced a show at Sydney’s City Recital Hall. Rother and friends will perform songs from the NEU! catalogue at the CBD venue on Thursday, 22nd February. Rother and co. are also set to play Melbourne Recital Centre on Friday, 1st March.
Rother formed NEU! with drummer and multi-instrumentalist Klaus Dinger in Düsseldorf, West Germany, in 1971. The group’s 1972 debut album included the songs ‘Hallogallo’ and ‘Negativland’, which foregrounded Dinger’s repetitive motorik drumbeat that remains influential to this day. Dinger died in 2008 and Rother will be honouring his legacy at the upcoming Australian shows.
NEU! – ‘Negativland’
NEU! remained active from 1971-1975, after which Rother formed Harmonia with Cluster’s Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius. NEU!’s discography includes four self-titled albums. Their final record, NEU! 4, was recorded during Rother and Dinger’s brief reunion in 1985-1986. The album wasn’t released until 1995, however, and in 2010 it was revised and reissued under the named NEU! ’86.
Rother will be joined in Sydney by regular collaborators Hans Lampe (of La Düsseldorf) on drums, Franz Bargmann (formerly of Camera) on guitar, and Vittoria Maccabruni on electronics and vocals. Rother has recently invited the likes of Alex Taylor (Hot Chip), Paul Weller, James Holden and Stephen Morris (Joy Division/New Order) to join him in celebrating 50-plus years of NEU! It’s anticipated there’ll be some special guests at the Australian shows.
Michael Rother & Friends: 50+ Years of NEU!
- Thursday, 22nd February – City Recital Hall, Sydney NSW
- Friday, 23rd February – The Rechabite Hall, Perth WA
- Sunday, 25th February – Mona Lawns, Hobart TAS
- Wednesday, 28th February – Powerhouse, Brisbane QLD
- Friday, 1st March – Melbourne Recital Centre, Melbourne VIC
Tickets: Sydney, Perth, Melbourne, Brisbane, Hobart
Further Reading
Melbourne Recital Centre’s 2024 Contemporary Program: Calexico, Arooj Aftab, Moor Mother + More
Lineup for Brisbane Powerhouse’s ΩHM Festival of Other Music 2024: Yothu Yindi, Boris + More
