In 1970, the year the band formed, Kraftwerk performed their first concert, appearing in Soest, West Germany, dressed in long hair and leather. The show was recorded by Rockpalast (Rock Palace), a German music television show that broadcast live on Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR). The lineup included founding members Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider (flute), plus drummer Klaus Dinger, who would soon leave to form NEU! with pianist Michael Rother.

After a botched relationship with a Swedish girl in 1971, Klaus Dinger, a young drummer from Düsseldorf resorts to his drums in the band NEU!