Musikexpress interview

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2003, Musikexpress (help on exact date would be appreciated)
translated by dv8 at gmx dot de

Who is Herbert Grönemeyer?

Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante is a dedicated fan of the German 1970’s cult electronic duo NEU! His idol: NEU!-guitarist Michael Rother. But do the two of them have something to say to each other? In bringing them together Musikexpress made the test.

When does one have a chance to feel not completely innocent about a groundbreaking concert? When the Red Hot Chili Peppers played in Hamburg at the end of March, more than 16,000 fans were extremely happy ­ not only because of the brilliant concert but also because of the encores. The free section expected after shows of this size was with its 83 minutes (!) longer than the entire show of some newcomers. The Hamburg audience celebrated the band, during the followings days the newspapers wrote about a concert event that you get to experience only once in a while. On what occasions did it happen before that the encore was more impressive than the show itself? So what had happened in the “Color Line Arena”?

Anthony Kiedis had long left the stage, when thousands of fans were still romping in the arena ­ because they were witness to a spontaneous jam session. On stage: guitarist John Frusciante, bassist Flea ­ and amongst them a slender, nearly plain man, greyish hair, but with a grip on his guitar a steady as ever. Michael Rother, 53 years old and from 1971 till 1975 guitarist with the 70’s electronic legend NEU!. [translator's comment: and ­ omar rodriguez.] For decades the duo consisting of Rother and Klaus Dinger influenced legions of musicians through its minimalist mantra-like beats. John Frusciante also likes to mention in interviews how much he’s been influenced by Rother’s way of playing the guitar. But this evening Frusciante, normally rather introverted, stands on stage yelling: “You can go home now. This is Michael Rother ­ and we are going to play until the early morning!” [translator's comment: I'm quite sure that it was Chad Smith saying this, laughing and then leaving the stage. John repeated the introduction of Rother by saying "This is Michael Rother of NEU! ­ go buy their records!"] Hardly ever before, says Anthony Kiedis, has anyone seen the shy musician more high-spirited than on that night.

A few hours earlier during the backstage meeting between Rother and Frusciante, the RHCP-guitarist was indeed at bit more unobtrusive. But this changed rather quickly since he turned out to be an interested interviewer with an excellent knowledge of NEU!’s work.

Musikexpress: John, you’ve often stressed how much NEU! has influenced you. Is there a song which you would consider ground-breaking for you and your work?

Frusciante: Nearly the entire work of NEU! is overwhelming for me. Each song is like piece belonging to the whole. Each song is important and has it’s function, and that’s why for me NEU!’s songs belong together. It’s nearly like a work of art. Michael, what do you do, for example, with your guitar on “Negativeland”?

Rother: That’s not a guitar we are playing there. Klaus Dinger plays a Nagoya harp, an instrument from China or India. You pluck it with your right hand and play the melody with your left one. It’s a bit like playing the piano.

Frusciante: (pull a piece of paper with questions from his trouser pocket) What was the biggest difference between you and Klaus Dinger in NEU!?

Rother: Klaus was more rock-oriented than me. I wanted to try more new sounds, which didn’t work out with him. In 1973 I met Dieter Möbius and Hans-Joachim Rödelius, and apart from being in NEU!, I played in the band Harmonia with them. Klaus and I had already been quarrelling by then, and the Harmonia tour with Möbius and Rödelius opened new horizons for me. Even though we sometimes played in front of 3 people. I don’t know if I would have had the energy to record “NEU! 75″ with Klaus. It’s likely that we would have broken up before that.

Frusciante: Onthe first song on Harmonia is a whirring sound. What’s that?

Rother: Oh dear! You really do know your way around these songs. I can’t remember cause it was Möbius’ idea. Even today Möbi still has the strangest ideas, strange noises he integrates in songs. He discovered things that don’t have anything to do with music and builds them into the songs. A maniac. We often failed to play these songs live. Möbi is an intuitive worker.

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