Killer Road: Patti Smith and Soundwalk Collective, Barbican Centre

Epoch-defining New York singer-songwriter Patti Smith performs with electronic arts trio Soundwalk Collective at the Barbican on 22 October.

Performing the poetry of Nico - darling of Andy Warhol and collaborator with the Velvet Underground  – Smith and the Collective present a set focusing on the cycle of life and death – with a view to Nico’s own premature death in 1988.

An influential musician and songwriter, Smith first came to prominence as one of the key figures in the New York underground punk scene in the 1970s. Her debut album, 1975’s Horses , is regarded as one of the absolute classics of the period and has been cited as an influence on many key rock acts since its release – including REM, The Smiths, and Siouxsie and the Banshees. 

Soundwalk Collective is an international arts collective based in Berlin and New York City. Their musical landscapes consist of atmospheric recordings of everyday sounds, as well as minimalist electronic instruments, set against a backdrop of video recordings for an immersive experience. 

Using turntables, tape machines and laptop computers, the Collective creates dramatic and ambient soundscapes that underpin Smith’s emotive reading – half whispered and sometimes sung – of Nico’s poetry. The result is unsettling; the ever-provocative Smith’s dynamic reading ebbs and flows with the swooshing electronics to form primal, elemental textures.

A challenging ambient song cycle, the intense Killer Road is a must for Nico and Patti Smith fans alike.

Please note: this performance was previously advertised as taking place on 22 October in the Barbican's Hall and has been moved to Union Chapel on 27 October.

All ticket holders will receive a full refund and will be contacted shortly with the option to rebook their tickets for the Union Chapel performance.

Existing tickets will not be valid for the Union Chapel performance.