IN what will go down in history as one of the most unusual nights in Oxford musical history, electro-pop band Kraftwerk delighted fans with a 3D show – featuring footage of a spaceship landing in the city.

A capacity crowd of more than 1,700 people packed the New Theatre in George Street, for Tuesday’s show which the venue described as historic.

The concert was a coup for the theatre, with the band adding the gig after its three shows at London’s Royal Albert Hall sold out.

It saw members Ralf Hütter, Fritz Hilpert, Henning Schmitzand Falk Grieffenhagen in identical suits, performing in front of a giant screen on which objects and backdrops were depicted in 3D. Members of the audience were handed 3D glasses.

The Dusseldorf band are credited as being the founding fathers of electronic music and a huge influence on electro, house, techno and hip hop. They played music from the past five decades, including well known tunes The Model, Autobahn, Radioactivity, Trans-Europe Express and Tour de France.

At one point they projected footage of Oxford’s dreaming spires and Radcliffe Camera, with a flying saucer passing by - before landing outside the New Theatre.

Towards the end of their show, the band left the stage and were replaced by moving robots for song The Robots.

Fans included Ronan Munro, editor of Oxford's monthly music magazine Nightshift. He said: “It was a lifelong ambition realised. I’d never seen them before and never thought they’d come to Oxford. For electronic music fans like me they are more important than The Beatles – and they didn’t disappoint.

"The Beatles started from a background of rock & roll, but Kraftwerk were completely new - nothing like that had existed before and they created their own sound and even their own instruments. Their influence on music can still be heard today."

Theatre spokesman Stephanie Tye said: “It was an historic show for Oxford and very memorable. We were absolutely thrilled to be one of the venues chosen as it had sold out everywhere. It was a fantastic show and the audience loved it. It was certainly the first 3D show I have seen here.”