[Craig]

Harald Engel, EMI Germany, confirmed on 7 January 2009 to "Rheinische Post" that Florian Schneider has left Kraftwerk. Not that it is exactly 'new' news. Schneider supposedly left Kraftwerk on the 21st of November 2008.

Schneider did not perform on any of the dates of the Kraftwerk 2008 world tour. His position onstage was filled by Stefan Pfaffe, an associate working for the band as a video technician.

Schneider's departure will not affect Kraftwerk's plans to go on tour with Radiohead in South America in March. A concert in Australia last November was called off after another band member, Fritz Hilpert, reportedly suffered a heart attack but the December concerts in Singapore and Hong Kong went ahead as planned.
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After all there's no after all