CityLife

Kraftwerk

Kraftwerk

ELECTRONIC music pioneers Kraftwerk launched Manchester International Festival with a sonic spectacle pedal powered by the Great Britain cycling team.

The Dusseldorf band were joined by Olympic heroes including Jason Kenny in a Manchester Velodrome show that combined striking visuals with futuristic music.

Classic tracks

Kraftwerk’s classic tracks - Autobahn Trans Europe Express and Tour De France - show a typically German appreciation of technology and speed.

Since track cycling unites the two concepts perfectly the choice of venue and the GB’s team appearance on home turf should not really have been a surprise - especially given Kraftwerk frontman Ralf Hutter’s love of cycling.

The cyclists hurtled round the east Manchester venue to the austere melody of Tour De France in a wonderful celebration of Manchester on the move.

Hip hop
 

An influence on artists ranging from hip hop impresario Afrika Bambaataa to Manchester’s own New Order and myriad electronic music producers, the band were greeted warmly by the crowd.

Audience members included Blackley MP Graham Stringer, former Factory Records designer Peter Saville, Terry Christian, Stone Roses biographer John Robb and plenty of people in cycling gear.

It was the band’s first appearance in Manchester since 2004 and the venue with its streamlined interior, girdered ceilings and post industrial surroundings was probably more in tune with the Kraftwerk sound than the old fashioned charm of the Apollo where they played last time.

Isolated

The layout of the Velodrome meant that the band seemed isolated from the spectators seated around the bowl.

But since Kraftwerk have never been known for Michael Jackson style stage magnetism - they just stand there - fans further away from the stage probably didn’t miss much.

Especially with excellent visuals which brought extra atmosphere to the band’s infectiously efficient synthetic soundscapes.

3D glasses

The concert, where fans were given 3D glasses on entry, also saw composer Steve Reich debut his latest work 2x5 with help from New York’s Bang On A Can Allstars, and continued MIF’s tradition of bringing the finest cult artists to Manchester.