German Krautrock legends Kraftwerk are one of the most celebrated electronic bands ever, but evidently that's not enough to make them welcome in China, since the country has denied the band's visa application.
According to AFP [via The Daily Swarm], Kraftwerk had been booked to play Beijing's annual Strawberry Festival, which runs from April 29 to May 1. The group was allegedly banned, however, due to their involvement in a 1998 Free Tibet concert in Washington, DC.
Ironically, Kraftwerk didn't even play the Free Tibet show in question due to bad weather. Still, this evidently wasn't enough to sway China's Ministry of Culture, which has not publicly commented on Kraftwerk's banning.
An anonymous source from China's Modern Sky Records, who applied for Kraftwerk's visa, told AFP, "Kraftwerk were not allowed to play...because they participated in a Free Tibet concert. We had already arranged the show, it's a pity they can't come, it's a great shame."
China's Global Times newspaper, which is owned by a subsidiary of the government, noted that Kraftwerk's planned headline slot had fallen through due to unspecified "political reasons."
The Strawberry Festival will feature performances from Travis, Deerhoof, Lenka and more.
According to AFP [via The Daily Swarm], Kraftwerk had been booked to play Beijing's annual Strawberry Festival, which runs from April 29 to May 1. The group was allegedly banned, however, due to their involvement in a 1998 Free Tibet concert in Washington, DC.
Ironically, Kraftwerk didn't even play the Free Tibet show in question due to bad weather. Still, this evidently wasn't enough to sway China's Ministry of Culture, which has not publicly commented on Kraftwerk's banning.
An anonymous source from China's Modern Sky Records, who applied for Kraftwerk's visa, told AFP, "Kraftwerk were not allowed to play...because they participated in a Free Tibet concert. We had already arranged the show, it's a pity they can't come, it's a great shame."
China's Global Times newspaper, which is owned by a subsidiary of the government, noted that Kraftwerk's planned headline slot had fallen through due to unspecified "political reasons."
The Strawberry Festival will feature performances from Travis, Deerhoof, Lenka and more.
