Electronic group Kraftwerk was forced to cancel its November 23rd performance in Argentina’s capital after the promotor had already sold over 70% of the event’s tickets due to the ban on large scale electronic music events. Following the deaths of people at Time Warp Argentina in April of this year, Buenos Aires mayor Horacio Rodriguez Larreta ordered the cease of any further dance music performances in the area.
Even though the promotor in charge of setting up Kraftwerk’s show had submitted the proper paperwork back in July to obtain a permit, they were denied the right to host the November event. A representative of the Buenos Aires government told Argentine newspaper Clarín the following:
“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.”
The representative said that while the planned event did not display the attributes of a conventional dance music festival, the group’s use of synthesizers and samplers as primary instruments made its cancellation valid. The promotors, Move Concerts, responded by saying that use of synths would be in a different format, and that no alcoholic beverages would be served. They are currently submitting an appeal to the city government.
“They use synthesizers, but what we’re proposing is a different format. 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.”
Source: Resident Advisor, Clarín| Image: Andriy V. Makukha