Tangerine Dream - Live 2025.06.29 Volkstheater, Vienna, Austria

While in Vienna for the Nine Inch Nails show, I saw advertisements for this show. Rarely does that work on me, but for once it did! My friends were as excited as I was to see the legendary band in a beautiful venue, so for our last night in town, that’s what we did.

I’d last seen Tangerine Dream in a church in Berlin six years ago, and I loved it. Since then, Ulrich Schnauss left the band, but Paul Frick has gone from being a mere “guest” to a become a full member. Thorsten Quaeschning remains the central figure and Hoshiko Yamane continues to perform violin and pads. This show was apparently originally scheduled for the village of Grafenegg but had to be moved. Too bad for anyone who was excited for that, but I would’ve missed it in that case.

Quaeschning opened the show by announcing the outline of the show: first a main set of old songs, new songs, and really old songs, next an improvised piece, then by a break, and finally another set of old, new, and really old songs. He said the improv would be in the key of D minor because that’s what sounded best in the space, and he played a few deep synth tones and explained their effect: one shook the screws loose of the building, another gave a sense of well-being (“Wohlgefühl”), and so on.

[Tangerine Dream with video of Yamane.]

The show proceeded as planned. The main set was about an hour with very few pauses. I recognized some parts (particularly something akin to the classic synth sound of “Phaedra”) but not most. I let the music wash over me instead of hyperfocusing on the details, which seemed to be the appropriate means for enjoying it. There were distinct sections, but the pieces generally flowed seamlessly from one to the next. Most featured sequencers controlled by Quaeschning, keyboard melodies by Frick, and violin by Yamane, but they all switched it up and played synths, pads, loops, and other electronic instruments of indeterminate nature. Yamane’s violin was often heavily effected, sometimes to the point where I couldn’t even tell what sound was being conjured from the instrument, and while she rarely played virtuosic parts, she consistently played with sharp precision and fluid grace. It was usually hard to see what exactly Quaeschning was doing, but for one song he served up an impressive keyboard solo effected to sound similar to electric guitar. If it had been guitar, I probably would’ve dismissed it as self-indulgent, but on the synth it sounded sick!

The improvisation began slow and dark in the expected key of D minor, but shifted and expanded dramatically over the course of 45 minutes. I hadn’t expected it would be quite so long, and while there were of course some dull moments, I was impressed by how varied and engaging it was for most of its course. Quaeschning triggered a couple voice samples on his laptop that felt a bit out of place, but he manipulated them to give them some extra texture. One sounded like someone recounting a dream, and the other was just wordless vocalization. Otherwise, the band incorporated a wide array of different rhythms, sequencers, and moods throughout the piece. It wasn’t quite as smooth or dynamic as the main set, but it came close, which is remarkable for an improv.

[Note the on-stage disco hemispheres.]

After the break, the band’s second main set was similar to the first, but was a little more energetic, rhythmic, and powerful. In retrospect, the first half was calmer, quieter, and more atmospheric. I again recognized a few parts, but most was a bit of a blur. It grooved more and I felt like I woke up a bit and wanted to move more. They didn’t play an encore, but after two and a half hours, I didn’t really expect more.

I didn’t find this show to be quite as successful as the last one I saw. While this show sounded quite good and was instrumentally solid, I suspect having four members on stage made for a bigger, fuller sound, and I missed a bit of that this time. And while the video and lighting were quite good, the light show in the Passionskirche was on another level. Regardless, it was still a very enjoyable show and a welcome bonus for my brief trip to Vienna.

[The ceiling of the Volkstheater with the reflected disco lights.]

Score: B+

Thanks to Keagan and Dave!

P.S. The weirdest moment of the night was that early in the show, an older man near us in the balcony turned around and punched another man in the face. He was escorted out, and his presumptive partner left with him. I have no idea what the context was, but I’ve never seen something like that, least of all from older men seated in a classical venue. Who would’ve guessed that the Tangerine Dream show would be more violent than a Nine Inch Nails concert?

Nine Inch Nails / Boys Noize - Live 2025.06.27 Stadthalle, Vienna, Austria

Sometimes life’s coincidences seem a lot like omens. Earlier this year, in the midst of dealing with various health concerns and pining for the live music experiences I haven’t had much of since 2019, I told my partner that I’d really like to see Nine Inch Nails if they ever toured again. I was a fan as a teenager but lost my enthusiasm when With Teeth (2005) and Year Zero (2007) didn’t carry the same nuance and impact as earlier albums. Well, just a few days after my pronouncement, rumors started swirling, and soon enough the Peel It Back tour was announced. On top of that, one-time guest author Keagan got in touch, as he got frustrated with Ticketmaster’s antics in the USA and was considering coming to Europe to see me and the band. We ended up getting tickets along with some other like-minded friends for Vienna, where we’d spent a semester studying together in 2007. (That’s when I saw John Cale the first time, which was the show that inspired me to start the blog.) Sometimes, the stars align.

Anyway, suffice to say I was excited. The throngs of Nailers outside the venue were a sight to behold, and the presence of gummy candy and popcorn vendors in the venue made it seem like some sort of goth carnival. I caught the entirety of the opening set from Boys Noize, who performed a solo techno set with plenty of samples, including Kraftwerk’s “Tour de France” and Fehlfarben’s “Paul ist tot”. He was set up on a small stage in the back of the venue, and I was in a seat close to the main stage, but I don’t think there was much to see even if I’d had a better view. He performed for a solid hour, and while the beats were good, my spot wasn’t well suited to dancing and I got pretty tired of it.

[Trent solo at the keyboard.]

But then at just about the hour mark, Boys Noize suddenly stopped and knelt down while the curtains fell around another stage in the middle of the venue, revealing Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails sitting at a keyboard. He performed “Right Where It Belongs” alone, and after starting into “Ruiner”, Atticus Ross eventually joined on keyboards and whatever else he does (samples? electronics? programming?), followed by Alessandro Cortini on keyboards and bass. “Piggy” was the Further Down the Spiral (1995) version with minimal bass and frantic choruses with wild guitar provided by Robin Finck. As the song ended, the high-energy drumming continued while the band members left the stage, walked down a corridor, and then mounted the main stage. Meanwhile, a projection on the curtains showed Ilan Rubin drumming, and he was revealed to be already on the main stage as the heavy curtain rose.

The moment Ilan finally stopped, band launched into an intense set with almost no pause between songs. I was immediately taken in. A videographer ran around the stage, shooting the various members while the feed was projected on assorted curtains on, behind, and around the stage. The videographer must’ve had an exhausting job, but the effort totally paid off. On top of that, the lighting was incredible. It was full of surprises and rarely fell back on just flashing and blinding the audience. There were loads of patterns and techniques I’d never seen before, like lines of red lights moving through the crowd like waveforms, presumably only fully apparent from up in the seats. For “Copy of A”, Reznor’s silhouette was projected live with varying delays across the many curtains for a disconcerting effect.

After six songs, the band walked off while noise continued. I noticed Boys Noize in the middle stage, and Trent and Atticus joined him there for techno remixes of two Year Zero tracks and “Came Back Haunted” from Hesitation Marks (2013). I’ve come to appreciate the latter album (and NIN’s subsequent work), but while those mid-00s albums still don’t do much for me, the live remixed versions gave them vitality that they’d previously lacked. Boys Noize’s dance-oriented sensibility fit right in and the songs were total jams. Again, the lighting was in top form, and the change of pace was a welcome variation. I would’ve taken more, but after the three songs, Boys Noize kept up the noise and then once again knelt and disappeared while the other two rejoined the rest of the band on the main stage.

[Trent and Atticus with Boys Noize.]

The band went right back into the high energy from the first main set. “1,000,000” isn’t a standout song, but all the rest were absolute winners. I mean, we got “I’m Afraid of Americans” and “The Perfect Drug”!? And “Heresy”?  I could always do with more Pretty Hate Machine (1989) and I would've liked anything from The Fragile (1999), but it's hard to complain. “Closer” was done with a little surprise segue into “The Only Time” while Trent sang the outro lines. “Head Like a Hole” went hard even though the band did without the usual bassline. And “Hurt”, I mean, what can I say? I was on the verge of tears.

The band were in top form. There were no flaws, no mistakes, and no technical problems. Despite that level of precision, it didn’t feel restrained or constrained at all. They were raw and full of energy. The sound was quite good, particularly the vocals. My only complaint was that the bass was a bit muddy, but that’s likely due to my position up in the seats. Robin sang the chorus parts of “Gave Up” and “Head Like a Hole”, presumably to give Trent a break from screaming, and he also did backing parts in several songs. Alessandro switched between keyboards, bass, and guitar, and also sang some backing parts, but lower in the mix. Ilan focused on the drums, but occasionally played keyboards, most notably on “Hurt”. Who knows what exactly Atticus was doing.

The combination of the aggressive songs, the constant movement, the pacing, and the brilliant lighting kept the show highly engaging. The stage design felt dynamic, alive, and full of action. There was no encore, but after about an hour and 45 minutes with that setlist, I don’t know what else they could’ve done. It was an emotional ride. Trent admitted to having had a rough day with depression and anxiety, and his thanks for being present and making a connection felt real. The heavy nature of the music is a lot to hold, but it still hit me as hard as it did when I was younger. This was an incredible show.

[Trent on tambourine with the band. Note the projection of Robin in the back.]

Here’s the setlist:

Second stage:
01. Right Where It Belongs → Zero Sum [partial] [Trent solo]
02. Ruiner
03. Piggy (Nothing Can Stop Me Now)
Main stage:
04. Wish
05. March of the Pigs
06. Reptile
07. The Lovers
08. Copy of A
09. Gave Up
Second stage with Boys Noize:
10. Vessel
11. The Warning
12. Came Back Haunted
Main stage:
13. 1,000,000
14. Heresy
15. Less Than
16. Closer / The Only Time [partial]
17. I’m Afraid of Americans [David Bowie song]
18. The Perfect Drug
19. Head Like a Hole
20. Hurt

Scores:
Boys Noize: C+
Nine Inch Nails: A+

Thanks to Keagan, Dave, and the rest of the gang!

Wiener Symphoniker - Live 2015.05.22 Konzerthaus, Vienna, Austria

Artist: Wiener Symphoniker (Vienna Symphony)

Venue: Konzerthaus

Location: Vienna, Austria

Date: 22 May 2015

Program:
1. Overture to The Magic Flute, K. 620, composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1791
2. Sinfonia Concertante for Oboe, Clarinet, Horn, and Bassoon in E flat major, K. 297b, composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1778
3. Prague Symphony in D major, K. 504, composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1786

Eight years after I studied abroad in Vienna, I finally returned with my spouse. While we were there, we couldn't resist the opportunity to see one of the major orchestras perform in a beautiful venue. I even sprung for tickets slightly more expensive than the cheapest available so we could be in a balcony and get a good view. It was well worth it!

[The fantastic Großer Saal (Great Hall) of the Konzerthaus.]

The performance opened with the overture to Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), a quick, six-minute run-through of the high points of the opera. It was active, vibrant, and strong, but of course, as an overture, that's exactly how it should be. It was an energetic start to the evening.

The stage was then rearranged to highlight the four soloists of the Sinfonia Concertante: Paul Kaiser on oboe, Reinhard Wieser on clarinet, Eric Kushner on French horn, and Patrick de Ritis on bassoon. This work is well known for the dubious authenticity of the commonly available arrangements, but the version performed here was a reconstruction (presumably by Robert Levin) that supposedly approximates the original lost score. I found it to be good and consistent, but rarely remarkable. In several parts, it seemed as if all the strings were all playing a single, unified melody, which is musically rather trite, but it was nonetheless fun to watch the bows all glide and jerk about simultaneously. Close listening to the soloists was well rewarded, as these were performers of the highest caliber, and their careful attention was subtle but delightful. The segments of trade-offs between the soloists and the orchestra were particularly exciting, and the final crescendo was quite a thrill as well.

The final piece featured no specific soloists, but the wind instruments were still very important. The first and third movements were some of the best parts of the night, but the second was a bit of a drag. The first movement started very dark and gloomy before gradually lightening up. Once it got going it became very active and driving. The combination of the timpani and bass was perfect: they worked in lockstep to build a great rhythm. The second movement was conspicuously slower and dreamier. It left me feeling like I was drifting in the clouds, which might be pleasant in some sense, but my focus wandered. The final movement restored the mood with full energy and I was even pleasurably caught off guard by the false endings.

[Conductor Ádám Fischer can be seen departing on stage right.]

This was what I presumed to be conclusion of the night, but the show actually continued on in the central foyer of the venue! This event happened to be one of four in this concert season that were designed to be a little short and without intermission, but which then provided an opportunity to hang out a little longer and meet the orchestra musicians while a smaller ensemble entertained. In this case it was the Quintetto Sinfonico, a wind quintet that provided light, airy background music from a small stage in front of a large Beethoven statue cast in sinister red light. Their performance was pleasant but insubstantial; it was a nice bonus but was no major draw in itself. Due to the lack of documentation, the ambient noise of conversation, and my inability to adequately parse the group's spoken comments in German, I do not know what they performed, but I gathered that it continued the Mozart theme.

[Quintetto Sinfonico on a temporary stage under Beethoven's dark countenance.]

I might have favored a slightly more substantial primary program over the Konzertausklang (finale) provided by Quintetto Sinfonico, but the idea is not without merit. Similarly, the overture to Die Zauberflöte may have been a little brief, but at least it was a high-quality distillation of the larger work. The best parts of the Prague Symphony were likely the high points of the evening, but since the middle passage dragged it down, the Sinfornia Concertante was the more consistently satisfying work. Furthermore, the interplay between the soloists in that piece was a clear highlight. Even if no piece was perfect, they were all of high quality, and I'd be hard-pressed to pick a favorite.

Score: B+

John Cale - Live 2007.03.06 Arena, Vienna, Austria

I still haven't gotten around to really telling people about this blog of mine, but I may as well write another post. Well, actually, I'm cheating a bit: I'm just going to revise a review I already wrote and submitted to the Fear Is a Man's Best Friend website. If the name of the page didn't clue you in, I'm talking about ol' John Cale, former bassist, violist, and organist for the Velvet Underground, producer of Nico, Squeeze, Siouxsie & the Banshees, the Modern Lovers, the Stooges, and others, collaborator with Brian Eno (effectively the god of music, or rather patron saint if that suits your tastes better), and veteran of 37 years of a solo career. So, here we go:

Artist: John Cale
Venue: Arena Wien
City: Vienna, Austria
Date: 6 March 2007

Setlist (thanks to Fear Is a Man's Best Friend):
01. Intro Drone
02. Evidence
03. Model Beirut Recital
04. Save Us
05. Helen of Troy
06. Walkin' the Dog [Rufus Thomas Jr. cover]
07. Sold Motel
08. Heartbreak Hotel [Elvis Presley cover]
09. Reading My Mind
10. Hey Ray
11. A Day in the Life of the Common Cold → Big White Cloud
12. Hush → Outta the Bag
13. Chinese Envoy
14. Ghost Story
15. You Know More Than I Know
16. Dancing Undercover
17. Buffalo Ballet
18. Cable Hogue
19. Things
20. Dirty Ass Rock 'n' Roll
21. Venus in Furs [originally performed by the Velvet Underground]

First Encore:
22. Fear Is a Man's Best Friend
23. Pablo Picasso [Modern Lovers cover] → Mary Lou

Second Encore:
24. Chorale

While studying abroad in Vienna, I happened to see a placard for this concert and I knew I had to go. My sister was in town that week, so we went together. We figured that I was probably the youngest person in attendance, but that hardly affected my enjoyment of the show, which I thought was rather awesome. There was no opening act, and the medium-sized venue (a former slaughterhouse, I'm told) was fairly crowded and anxious for the show to begin. After a long wait, a loud drone enveloped the building, and finally the band walked out. After the intro drone, the band started out in full-on rock mode: Cale on electric guitar, accompanied by three guys I didn't recognize on lead guitar, electric bass, and full drumset. I don't remember the setlist exactly, and I'm unfortunately still in the process of becoming familiar with all of Cale's material, so I can only guess at an approximate order and the precise content. [Edit: I have since found the correct setlist.] I think I remember five rocking songs before Cale moved over to the keyboard for the first time. The setlist was fairly varied. Cale focuses on his heyday, the mid 70s, but he threw in songs from all over his career (but sadly just one Velvet Underground song). I'll comment on a few specific parts.

Cale played two new, unreleased songs: "(A Day in the Life of a) Common Cold" and "Hey Ray". "Common Cold" I remember as fairly good, but despite the thorough introduction that "Hey Ray" got, I have to say it was the song I was least impressed with the whole night. The lilting lyrical delivery and choruses ticking off the years just didn't strike me strongly. I picked up on most of the cultural or historical references he was making in the song, but I just didn't like the way it coalesced. The other song that I felt didn't work too well was "Heartbreak Hotel", an Elvis Presley cover that normally rocks really hard both on album and in most live bootleg versions I've heard. This time, through, the song featured dense keyboards and such a strong pitch shifter on Cale's voice that I couldn't understand the lyrics and I wasn't even sure exactly what song it was. I think if the effect hadn't been quite so strong it would have worked really well.

About halfway through Cale started playing some of his more melodic old classics, such as "Big White Cloud", "Ghost Story", "You Know More Than I Know", and "Cable Hogue" (apparently referred to these days as "The Ballad of Cable Hogue"). These four in particular earned some serious applause from the audience. After setting down his electric guitar after the first five songs, Cale tended to favor his acoustic guitar and keyboard most the rest of the night. For about four or so of the various softer songs, the drummer came around to the front of his set for a while and sat down on a box [Edit 2019.01.07: specifically, a cajón]. It was well-mic'd and he knew what he was doing, because he kept a solid beat going just by beating on it the whole while. I was impressed by the effectiveness of the simplicity. Now and then the bassist would also trade his electric for an acoustic stand-up.

I had noticed at the start of the show that I didn't see a viola anywhere on stage, and I told my sister that I just knew Cale would have to bring one out. Sure enough, right before the encore, he pulled his viola out from behind an amplifier or something and went right into "Venus in Furs". Some of the audience members really got into it, despite the fact that it's not an easy song to dance to. Anyway, that was pretty cool.

After Cale left the stage, the audience kept cheering until he came back out for an encore. He went right into "Fear Is a Man's Best Friend", which got a great crowd response. (As it's one of my favorites, too, I was rather enthralled.) He followed the first chorus with a classical-styled interlude not present in the studio recording, and the bassist did a good job of capturing the noisy finish of the song as heard on record. They then rocked through a medley of "Pablo Picasso" (a Modern Lovers cover) and "Mary Lou", which featured some extended jamming. After that, the band left the stage, the audience applauded, and the lights came on, so me and my sister figured the show was over. She went to the bathroom and I went to pick up my camera, which had been confiscated at the door. While waiting for my sister, Cale came back out to do "Chorale", so I not only got to hear the beautiful finale, but I got to take a few blurry photographs. After that, my sister and I left for good, but for all I know he did another encore. I wouldn't put it past him, but I'm pretty sure that was the end, as I heard a loud drone much like the intro one as we left. All in all, it was a pretty great show. For the sake of public record, here is the better of the two photographs I took, but I warn that it really is not a great shot:

[Retrospective Score: A-]