Live Review: Einstürzende Neubauten

Before Blixa and co made it on stage, fellow-ex Bad Seed Mick Harvey took centre spotlight accompanied by his regular double bassist and electric guitarist. “We'll do our best to keep you interested” as an opening remark fitted Harvey's modus operandi, and the ensuing 40 minutes of old and new Harvey tunes certainly held the crowd's attention easily. Harvey's always been more suited as a sideman, but as an opening act, his brand of inoffensive, dark folk was perfectly pleasant – even if musically it wasn't the most suitable sound before the main act.

And what a main act it was. Older Einstürzende Neubauten shows were infamous for their flames and physical destruction, but from the restrained passion and menace of the opening, In The Garden, it was clear that this was a modern Neubauten who let their music do the damage. Since they were last out, by Blixa Bargeld's best estimate in '92 or '93, there was no lack of desire for older material from the crowd, and between a sample of early haunting Halber Mensch and powerfully metallic industrial Haus der Lüge, there was little chance to be disappointed.

A Neubauten show is unlike any other in modern music, with hollow pipes, homemade tubular bells, random assortments of metal and even two vibrators being brought on and off stage for percussive purposes. Rather than being cacophonous though, apart from when it needed to be during, say, set highlight Let's Do It A Dada, the music was all so cohesive and listenable, even danceable at times. Einstürzende Neubauten have a confrontational and often impenetrable air around them and, yes, this was intelligent, brilliant and challenging music, but the humanity and humour of the band – and the joy they took in performing – couldn't be held back.