SV: making a spectacle of yourself

["Per Boysen" <per@boysen.se>]

> Från: Victor Nicholls [mailto:victornicholls@mac.com] 
 
> One reason why i'm reluctant to take out my rack is the fact 
> that it can look cluttered, and because I haven't found my 
> own way to make this interesting visually. Therefore, the DL4 
> gets more use than the JamMan/RDS. I'd love to know how other 
> people have found a way to incorporate their gear into their 
> performance in a way that looks interesting to the audience.
> 
> v


Very interesting and important issue IMO! When I started doing gigs with
non-repeating improvised music back in -83 I was surprised that people
could really appreciated the unfamiliar, and for some really strange
sounding, music. Now I believe that it's the setting and the atmosphere
by which your performance is presented that actually makes it possible
for most listeners to take it all in. No matter how good you are or how
inspired the gig turns out - if the setting is wrong only a few among
the audience will be getting it. I've experienced this many times both
from the stage and from being in the audience. 

Ten years later I suddenly lost most "performer spirit" after having
focused on recordings for some years. I found myself thinking that the
whole situation of standing on a stage making music was unnatural and
even ridiculous ;-)  I mean, why should I be doing this? Why making
these sounds? What are they thinking out there when they are looking at
me on this stage..? Well, you get the picture. Anyway, then I got into a
hit music oriented artist project, signed up with a major record label
and started making videos and doing telly shows. As for "artist
development" we were  working hard on improving the "performance" on top
of the "music". This experience once again opened me up for the simple
fact that "what you feel when you do perform does NOT have to be what
the audience are taking in". Actually I got so inspired with making
music again that I started to hate being in a  commercial genre that
leaves very little time for playing live and exploring new musical
worlds. So off I went ;-)

Lately I've been doing a lot of speaking at seminars and I have found
that it's almost the same thing as doing a musical gig. To succeed you
have to (1) make sure the setting is right, (2) know your shit, (2) do
your thing, (3) be prepared to change direction completely on any moment
of the show. Then you go with the flow and you just can't go wrong :-) 

Best wishes

Per Boysen
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