Published
Wed, Nov 9, 2016, 21:50
- Following deaths at Time Warp Argentina, the city banned large concerts where "synthesizers or samplers are the primary instrument."
Kraftwerk's Buenos Aires show this month may be canceled because of the city's ban on electronic music events.
The German band was set to bring their audiovisual 3D show to the iconic Luna Park Stadium on November 23rd. Argentine newspaper Clarín reports that the promoter applied for a permit to put on the event in July, and two weeks ago—when they had already sold 70 percent of the tickets—the city notified them that the show couldn't go forward.
This is due to a ban on large electronic music events that mayor Horacio Rodriguez Larreta instated after the April deaths of five people at Time Warp Argentina. A representative of the city government told Clarín, "After Time Warp, Judge Lisandro Fastman's court ruling prohibited all electronic music festivals. Because of that, and despite the fact that they presented their paperwork with the required 30 days notice, we cannot authorize the permit." They went on to say that, while it may not be a dance music festival in the traditional sense, the ruling still applies because the band "uses synthesizers or samplers as their primary instrument."
The promoters, Move Concerts, maintain that the event shouldn't qualify based on the criteria of the ruling. "They use synthesizers, but what we're proposing is a different format," they said in the same article. "It's a concert that's open to the public and runs between an hour-and-a-half and two hours. There will also be no alcoholic drinks served." They've submitted an appeal to the city government and local court and are waiting on a reply.