Written by Taking a whole band, plus equipment, on tour from Innsbruck to Amsterdam, by bike. Master percussionist and handpan pioneer Manu Delago is known worldwide as an excellent player of the handpan: a steel percussion instrument that resembles an inverted steel drum and is played by hand. Over the years he has collaborated with Björk, Cinematic Orchestra, the Metropole Orchestra, and Ólafur Arnalds, is doing it. Via Bonn and Cologne, the group arrives in Heerlen on June 22, to cycle on to Culemborg (June 25), Rotterdam (27), and Amsterdam (28).
In 2021, right through the corona pandemic, Delago first got on the bike-with-trailer for a ReCycling Tour. That first round took him to Germany, Austria, and Italy. Now it is the Netherlands’ turn for the first time; with concerts in Parkstadtheaters Heerlen, the Gelderlandfabriek in Culemborg, Lantarenvenster in Rotterdam and, as the very last concert of this tour, Bimhuis in Amsterdam, the Austrian musician shows that climate-conscious touring is both possible and of social importance. “We want to show people that this really can be the future,” Delago explains. “We want to inspire people, not just artists, to live in a more environmentally friendly way.”
Delago, in turn, was inspired by his tours with Björk, Ólafur Arnalds, and sitar player Anoushka Shankar, among others, and thought, after hours of flying, driving, and trains: there must be a way to do this differently. The trailers his group uses to transport equipment and instruments in were designed specifically for this project, and both the stage lights and Delago’s electronics run on solar power.
The six-piece caravan will travel from Austria to the Netherlands via 20 venues, consisting largely of the same group as 2021, except for singer and multi-instrumentalist Isa Kurz who has been working regularly with Delago for more than 15 years, and appears on their new single “From The Alps” that describes the journey that awaits the six-piece this summer.
The Dutch tour dates are:
June 22, Parkstad Theaters Limburg, Heerlen,
June 25, De Gelderlandfabriek, Culemborg
June 27, Lantarenvenster , Rotterdam
June 28, Bimhuis, Amsterdam
ReCycling Tour Line-Up 2023 is:
Manu Delago Handpan, Drums & Team Captain
Isa Kurz Violin, Piano & Vocals
Alois Eberl Trombone & Supplies
Simon Schindler Solar & Lights Engineer
Lukas Froschauer Sound Engineer & Navigator
Simon Rainer Photos & Videos
More Information can be found at the recyclingtour2023.com
Featured Image: Manu-Delago | Photo by Simon-Rainer.
Last modified: July 3, 2023
