Re: grumpy loopers

["Colin Seddon" <colin@drumbase.freeserve.co.uk>]

This is all just missing the point.  It's like that old ridiculous argument
that used to say that synthesizers and drum machines were putting musicians
out of business.
For example,  using loopage , one percussionist in a band could set up some
wicked grooves for other players in the band to jam with.  That's what I'll
be using it for when I finally get hold of an Echoplex.
There are of course, times when use of loops gets you around the financial
constraints of a project, like when there's only money for one musician.
But it's not always about lone-loopers vs bands.
-----Original Message-----
From: Tim Nelson <tcn62@ici.net>
To: Loopers-Delight@annihilist.com <Loopers-Delight@annihilist.com>
Date: 30 October 1999 21:25
Subject: Re: grumpy loopers


>Cantankerous?! Us?!
>
>One of the things that makes me the grumpiest about playing with a group 
>of
>musicians has absolutely nothing to do with the music. Once everyone has
>shown up, set up and gets playing it's fine, but as often as not there's
>the simple logistical problem that any project involving a number of 
>people
>gets proportionately more impossible to schedule as the number of people
>involved increases, especially when the people have day jobs, lives, a
>distance to travel and/or attitudes. Concensus issues get easier with 
>fewer
>players, too. Looping technology enables us to do more with fewer people,
>thereby increasing the odds of actually doing SOMETHING on any given
>occasion! On the other hand, there're fewer hands to carry stuff when
>playing out, but at least the vast sums of money taken in at the door 
>don't
>have to be split in as many ways. (Admit it, how many of us thought of 
>that
>right away when multi-member ska or swing bands started getting popular
>again?! A $68 Tuesday night door take divided by guitar, bass, drums, 2
>saxes, 2 trumpets, a trombone, a piano player and a vocalist comes to a 
>big
>$7.50 each before deducting gas money. If you bought two drinks of
>Glenlivet and a set of those wire things that many of us use on our
>instruments but don't talk about here, you're in the hole. A loopist and a
>drummer could split that 68 bucks in half and take home a hefty $34 each,
>riding in one vehicle! :-))
>
>At 11:45 AM 10/30/99 -0700, Jim wrote:
>> I think musical collaboration is a remedy to
>>individual mediocrity.
>
>Yep, it sure can be, as long as everybody's listening to each other and
>respectful of each others' contribution. Otherwise it's the sum total of
>the individual mediocrity of everyone in the room.
>>
>>This is coming from a guy who has done more masturbatory wanking on his
>>guitar and bass and drum machine than a hermit teen male with "special"
>>magazines would do on his "instrument."
>
>Who amongst us can truly claim otherwise! We even use "special" devices.
;-)
>>
>>If you must dis Fripp's stage demeanor, please do so elsewhere. :-)!
>
>Apart from the artist-in-question's attitude, Mr. Pokorny never said how 
>he
>otherwise enjoyed the performance... Nor did he reveal who the ornery
>looper was for that matter, but since you mention RF, I wanted to include 
>a
>link to a response Fripp wrote to someone who was complaining about not
>being able to see him at a Fripp/Sylvian concert because of the "moody"
>lighting, but I couldn't find it. If anyone can locate it, it's hilarious;
>Fripp actually sent the guy a small check as a prorated refund with the
>condition that the whiner never again come to see him or listen to his
>recordings...
>
>Tim (Ernie Ball Hybrid Slinky, Rotosound Swing Bass and Dunlop nylon
>plectrum user, but let's not get started on that!)
>
>
>