Hacked on Classics: TED talk-meets-lasers, ZX Spectrums & more at The Lowry

It is hard to imagine life without technology – and what with self driving cars, smart phones and virtual reality, it is easy to forget where it all started. But that’s exactly what Seb Lee-Delisle‘s Hacked on Classics show at the Lowry’s Week 53 Festival is all about. In this interactive, TED-style talk (with lasers), the BAFTA-winning coder, hacker and laserist (no really- that’s his job) Lee-Delisle pays homage to ‘classic’ gadgets, typically from the 1980s, by taking them apart and updating them with up-to-date tech (well, mainly lasers) live on stage. There are interactive parts too, offering the chance to get on stage and have a go yourself. A must for gadget fans, their friends and family. Below, Lee-Delisle outlines his favourite retro gadgets, picking out three which have changed the world, opting for Atari, Walkman and ZX Spectrum. Click here to book tickets to Lee-Delisle’s show, or via the booking link below. For more Week 53 Festival events including immersive theatre shows, real life ‘night walks’ with teenagers, a Romy and Michele themed house party and more, click here. We’re also running a competition to win one of five pairs of tickets to Hacked on Classics – enter here.

Atari VCS (later known as 2600)
The Atari Video Game System with its trademark woodgrain effect finish, launched way back in 1977 but continued to sell well into the 80s. It was the first time you could play arcade classics like Space Invaders, Asteroids and Pacman in the comfort of your own home. You may have seen its featured appearance in recent blockbuster “Ready Player One” along with the game “Adventure”; the first game with a hidden feature (or “Easter Egg”). Its golden age came to a close in 1983 with the disastrous launch of ET, (widely regarded as the worst game ever) and the so-called video game crash.
Date : 1977 and throughout the 80s in various incarnations
Outstanding features : the iconic joystick
Original price : $199 (that’s a whopping $842 at today’s rates)

Sony Walkman
I’ll never forget the first time I experienced a Sony Walkman. Michael Jackson’s Thriller, playing in hi-fidelity sound, straight into my brain, in a completely portable device. In today’s world of smart-phones and Spotify, it’s hard to imagine a time where music was a rare commodity. And up until that point our only portable music option had been crappy crystal radio sets with a single ear-piece. When it launched, it was socially unacceptable to wear headphones in public, but seemingly overnight, the walkman was the must-have gadget, and just a year or two later, Argos catalogues were filled with cheaper copy-cats (some of which did away with the rewind button – you’d have to flip the tape over and fast-forward!).
Date 1979-1984
Original price : $200

ZX Spectrum
It was the brain-child of eccentric 1980s entrepreneur Clive Sinclair, and his grand vision was to produce a computer that anyone could afford. It was a best seller, and it was an ubiquitous fixture in my friends’ living rooms. The iconic black compact design with its rubber buttons and cheerful rainbow insignia was designed by Rick Dickinson, who sadly passed away in April. There were hundreds of classic games like Jet Set Willy, Ghostbusters and Manic Miner, although many people at the time bought computers specifically to learn to program them. A whole generation of coders can thank the ZXSpectrum for their careers.
Launch date 1982
Original price : £125

Mon 28 May, The Lowry, Pier 8, The Quays, Salford M50 3AZ. Tel: 0843 208 6000, 3pm & 7pm, prices vary, www.thelowry.com