Immortalised in pop culture by a multitude of spoofs, such as half-man, half-hobbit, musical comedy genius Bill Bailey’s, German minimalist-robo-industralists Kraftwerk bring this career-spanning, album-centred series of shows to London.
So enthusiastic were the music aficionados and devotees when hearing the news of these eight gigs, Kraftwerk: The Catalogue 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8, that the Tate’s website crashed when tickets went on sale due to the influx of Man-Machine-ers.
Kraftwerk will take refuge in the eye-catching Turbine Hall at the Tate Modern (their name translates as ‘power station’, making their choice of venue extremely apt) for a series of shows that spans their futurist take on electronic music.
Each of the performances will see the foursome play one album from their eight-record back catalogue in its entirety.
They kick off with their debut, 1974’s seminal Autobahn, before moving on through Radio-Activity (1975), instant classic Trans Europe Express (1977), The Man-Machine (1978), Computer World (1981), Techno Pop (1986), The Mix (1991) and Tour De France Soundtracks (2003).
The shows, which were premiered at New York’s Museum Of Modern Art (MOMA) last year, will also see the band’s iconic men-at-keyboards line-up accompanied by dazzling 3D visualistations and effects, which will no doubt look truly spectacular at the Tate.
They may not get the credit, but Kraftwerk have been as influential as your Led Zeps and Beatles, yet still retain a cult, offbeat sensibility. A one-off opportunity.
Feb 6-14 (not Feb 10) |
Doors at 9pm | £60+
Tube | Southwark
tate.org.uk
Photo: Getty
