UPDATE (11:30 EST AM): Argentina’s Asociación Civil de Música Electrónica has announced that a court appeal was successful and that Kraftwerk will indeed perform on November 23 as planned.
Let me unilaterally apologize to our readers, because apparently it’s not just a governmental segment of London that has their priorities thoroughly screwed as they relate to tackling potentially fatal drug use. Earlier this year, the mayor of Buenos Aires in Argentina (temporarily) banned electronic music festivals for the entire city in response to the tragic deaths of five Time Warp Argentina attendees, and as if that “band-aid” weren’t absurd enough while the city attests to getting its drug laws in order, now a legendary electronic music outfit is being stiffed a scheduled and already-selling Bueno Aires performance for similar nonsensical reasons. You know Kraftwerk? Ever taken a moment to appreciate just how obviously hopped up on Ovaltine their listeners are in the 21st century?
Kraftwerk’s renowned 3D audiovisual show was scheduled to take place November 23 at Luna Park Stadium in Buenos Aires, and just now, after 70% of the tickets had already been sold according to Move Concerts, the city notified the German band and their team that the performance couldn’t go forward. More specifically, it’s reported that the mere use of synthesizers or samplers as the “main instrument” was and is apparently the bar for prohibition.
Gestapo-esque bullshit, yes? The festival ban remains and remains ridiculous. Nonetheless…