British Rock Band Klaxons Lampoons 3D Printing to Hype Tour

British rock group Klaxons have announced that the world’s first 3D-printed tour will kick off in October. The band claims everything used on stage will have been created by way of 3D printing, though a quick viewing of their promo video reveals the announcement to be a joke.

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

What’s the Latest?

You may remember new rave band Klaxons from their 2007 debut album Myths of the Near Future, which debuted at #2 on the UK charts. But now the British quartet is making headlines for something only tangentially related to their music. Klaxons have announced that they are about to embark on the world’s first 3D-printed tour. Everything on stage, from guitars to lights to amplifiers, will have been produced by way of 3D-printing technology. But as some outlets have noted, the announcement has the air of a something akin to a publicity stunt. The band has released a video detailing their vision:

Content not available

What’s the Big Idea?

If you skipped the video above, I’ll just go ahead and spoil it for you: the “3D-Printed Tour” is obviously a hoax. In fact, Klaxons seems to be shining a satirical light on the hype behind 3D Printing and other modern tech trends. It’s an amusing video that features awkward encounters between the band and a goofy 3D Printing Firm Managing Director. It’s worth a watch.

Despite its discernible tongue-in-cheek tone, the video seems to have fooled at least a few publications. Perhaps this is because 3D printed instruments aren’t exactly a far-fetched concept. In fact, 3D printed guitars and drums could conceivable be used by a rock band on tour. 3D printed roadies, on the other hand, are still a work in progress.