FAO lee_chaos

[haloj]

You may have seen this already but.....

Black Celebration review from the Londonist.

It says pretty much my feelings about BC and live acts. Get out from behind that laptop and play something live.

Comments

[devalmont]

The problem is, the more real instruments you get the more complicated things are and at an event like BC with fast turnovers of bands two guys with laptops are probably more desirable than a band like us.
I mean, I saw Deviant UK last night and I couldn't help but envy them for their soundcheck. Two minute setup and then they ran through their whole 45min set!

[haloj]

Yeah it is a logistics nightmare but it is doable. BC do seem to cram far too many bands in. Chop 1 band and youve got 45 minutes back in your pocket. I think Scott and everyone turned up for BC at 11am with everything kicking off at 2:30ish.

[bleepyfruhstuck]

Do-able if you have spot-on staff and crew who know what they're doing.

I may be being charitable here, but I like to think that not everyone is coming off the backing with live vox; and what backing's there is done out of logistics rather than laziness. Personally, I'm still a bassist/guitarist at heart so standing (far less miming) behind a keyboard is a tough thing to do.
Just check the pained expression every time I f*ck up for "doing it real..." :-)

On the sound-check front, we've always prided ourselves in being super-humanly quick. That said, our one in Turin last month took 3 f*cking hours. As I said, staff and crew that know what they're doing...

[haloj]

Very true and knowing what your doing comes down to experience. Maybe I was being a bit draconian in my comments but it does seem to becoming far more prevalent with people hiding behind laptops.

[nibber]

Live is comparitive.

Laptops allow people to play music to others who wouldn't be able to therwise. programs also allow users to interact and arrange music *live* but still sequenced.

I'm for effort and good music, either by a front person, visuals, lights, or all three, and a great sound system :)

[haloj]

Great sound system is hard to come by in live performances as most venues seem to put the cleaner on the mixing desk and not an audio engineer.

Yeah a bit of effort and visuals can make up for "the obligatory bloke behind a laptop" but then so can a shit load of drugs but they don't seem to supply them with your entrance fee. :D

[devalmont]

Call me pedantic, but I feel that if someone is playin back prerecorded sounds through their sampler or laptop, however complex this is, then they are a DJ, not a live artist. Fatboy Slim does not make any aspersions towards being a live artist, but instead plays in clubs. Many DJs alter other people's music to their style to the point at which I think they are artists in their own right, and I have great respect for them, but they're still not playing live.

[purrpurrpussy]

Then what is "Live" music? At what point does manipulating samples stop being DJ'ing and become live performance? Aaron Spectre? The Young Gods?

Or is it merely a case of having the right instrument?

[maxrael]

live music is so the future.

(hello btw)

[haloj]

Heh :)

I'll repost the future punk flyer later in the week so as not to spam peoples LJs.

Hello back. I didn't recognise you with CUNT written across your forehead. :D

[themadcatlady]

Hehe, love your icon. ;)

[maxrael]

thank you, it's my best side...

[miss_elysium]

but half the fun of going out to a show you spent what little money you have on is seeing a large german man pushing a button on their laptop on stage and rocking out to himself. I have long been dissillusioned with state of live acts in this scene.

BTW, I may be in London again come January for a visit. Would be fun, yeay! (sorry about the lack of communication, with how full on school has become I am rather pants about staying in touch)

[haloj]

I have long been dissillusioned with state of live acts in this scene.

Yeah as the article writer says it was the smaller acts that made Black Celebration.

It'd be great to see you! :D Could give you that jumper back as well which I'm actually wearing. :D

Don't worry about keeping in touch thats what LJs for. :D *stalk* *stalk*

[purrpurrpussy]

OTOH I've seen some pretty dire "blokes standing behind their guitars" bands that had all the stage presence and charisma of a dead horse.

Much of the problem is that there is no way a human can manipluate those sounds in realtime with their own body. There's simply too many variables in action.

TBH the only people on stage I find really good fun to watch are insane drummers!

[purrpurrpussy]

Now let's see him do it without automated mixing desks, drum machines, sequencers, a large pile of PCs and plenty of human backup!

[themadcatlady]

Hell yeah! And he already did 30 years ago! ;)