Live Review: Einsturzende Neubauten

German industrial pioneers Einsturzende Neubauten are one of the major draw cards of this year's Dark Mofo, and there are probably few other acts in the world that could be as well suited to this festival. Their career has spanned a stunning 37 years, yet this is only their third ever visit to our shores, so it's no surprise that the die-hards have flocked from all over for this one.

The six members walk out onto a brightly lit stage with little fanfare and get straight to work. They kick things off on a subtle note with The Garden, before unleashing a joyous racket on Haus Der Luge and Let's Do It A Dada. Their visual presentation is light on theatricality, aside from a slight lighting effect, which splashes an alternating pattern of silhouettes on the backdrop for a select few songs. With Dead Friends (Around The Corner), Unvollstandigkeit, and Youme & Meyou following, it starts to become apparent that the primary focus of this 'Greatest Hits' setlist is on the latter - more refined - half of their career. Given the rich cultural history and beauty of the Odeon Theatre, proclaimed in 1916 to undoubtedly be the finest building in Tasmania, it's probably a lucky thing they've retired the jackhammers for the time being.

During Die Befindlichkeit Des Landes, Sonnenbarke, and Von Wege, frontman Blixa Bargeld continued to deliver a variety of aural thrills. Bargeld commands quite the stage presence, standing poised and resolute behind his microphone. Between songs his communications to the audience bring an added sense of intimacy to the occasion; most often this is to introduce the next custom-built instrument and detail the compromises that had to be made due to travel limitations, but occasionally it's just to crack a little joke like, "I bet you haven't been this amused since you last saw Rammstein." Their inventive use of scrap materials is captivating, but perhaps even more so is the droll manner in which NU Unruh performs with them. There is a wonderful tension between solemnity and humour at play throughout the band's approach, and this tension permeates the very fabric of their live performance, making each and every moment a joy to behold.

Sabrina, Susej, and How Did I Die? round out the set, but they soon return with Silence Is Sexy commencing the encore. The song's extended pauses for silence prove to be a little too provocative for some in the audience, whom can't help but blow their load, directing a torrent of verbal affections toward Bargeld. The infectious Die Interimsliebenden gets the crowd really grooving for the first time of the evening, but it doesn't take long for Total Eclipse Of The Sun to return the contemplative calm, before the band exit for the second time.

They return for a second encore, with two final offerings, Ein Leichtes Leises Sauseln and Redukt wrapping things up neatly. They bow their final farewells and Bargeld steps forward for a last word, "Now when you die and meet your creator, you can say, 'I've seen your favourite band!'"