The 50th anniversary of a legendary album from the pioneers of technopop will be celebrated in Coventry this Autumn.
Kraftwerk were the pioneers of electronic music and were acclaimed globally for their innovations with technology and robotics.
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the band’s international breakthrough album Autobahn, music technology expert Mark Jenkins will perform Kraftwerk – a tribute within the spectacular London Road Cemetery’s Anglican Chapel between 7pm and 9.30pm on Saturday, September 21.
His solo performance will feature some of the German band’s hits, experimental tracks rarely seen live and music they might have played in an alternate future reality ruled by computer graphics, vocoder vocals and artificial intelligence imagery.
Mark’s Tubular Bells + Dark Side of the Moon show in the Anglican Chapel in July is already sold out.
Jennie Rutte, of Historic Coventry Trust which led the restoration of the Anglican Chapel, said this promised to be a memorable evening.
“Kraftwerk are widely regarded as the inventors of modern dance music and Autobahn which was their fourth studio album is the one that really catapulted them into a different stratosphere,” she said.
“Mark is renowned as a synthesiser expert and he has been immersed in electronic music since the 1980s.
“It is going to be fantastic to watch and hear his performance of Kraftwerk’s hits and experimental music in such an historical location like the Anglican Chapel.”
Before then, the Anglican Chapel is hosting three totally different sorts of events.
Tomb Tales – crisis in the Coventry ribbon trade, which will be a fascinating historic talk, is being held on Saturday, July 6 from 2pm until 4.30pm.
The Cobden-Chevalier treaty of 1860 which eliminated French import prohibitions and lowered tariffs between France and Great Britain badly affected Coventry's ribbon trade.
This talk will reveal the stories of John Cash, ribbon manufacturer; Charles Bray, ribbon manufacturer and host of the Rosehill Circle; Thomas Stevens, inventor of the Stevengraph; and Lizzy Stuart, singer of Scottish songs - and wearer of ribbons.
This will be followed by refreshments and a tour of the cemetery to find the graves of these historic residents.
Writing the Senses will then take place on Saturday, July 13 which will led by Jo Roberts at London Road Cemetery.
Jo was BBC Coventry & Warwickshire’s First Poet Laureate and has been writing for over 40 years as well as running writing workshops throughout the area.
The short session from 11am until noon is suitable for writers and non-writers and is an opportunity to reconnect with the senses, stimulate the imagination and appreciate the surroundings.
July’s eclectic events continue with Dead Good Death Café between 10am and 11.30am on Friday, July 19 which is an opportunity for people to talk about anything and everything to do with death.
This will be led by local celebrant Lisa Dundas and it is an opportunity to discuss thoughts and feelings as well as listen to and learn other people’s ideas. Refreshments and cakes will be available.
For tickets for all the events, please visit: https://www.historiccoventrytrust.org.uk/whats-on/
Caption: Mark Jenkins, who will be performing Kraftwerk – a tribute at London Road Cemetery’s Anglican Chapel