Re: Visuals in performance

[Kevin Cheli-Colando <kevin@minds-eye.org>]

  Having dabbled in lights and projections for live music I have to jump 
in here.  I personally love to go to a show that has a good light show 
simply for the fact that it makes for a far more satisfying sensorial 
experience (for me at least).  I can understand the whole 'let the music 
stand on its own' kind of thing and the presence of bad visuals can 
certainly be a distraction but I think a good light show with a 
performance can take the whole thing to a much higher place.

The strangest experience I've had doing lights involved projecting 
abstract films behind a band while they played.  Keep in mind, this was 
behind the band, they couldn't see this at all.  There was one short 
segment that dramatically changed the intensity and the quality of the 
music (improv) when it came on.  We only did this twice so no 
statistical accuracy here, but both times, the performance changed 
direction and got more intense for the duration of the film (and no the 
audience didn't signal any kind of change either).  At the end of the 
clip, the band changed pace again and moved off in another direction. 
 It was very odd and very cool.

I think that a good visual presentation of any sort serves to engage 
'more' of the audience's attention and this is I think, a good thing. 
 Sure, they may not be staring at your feet trying to make out what 
pedals you're using, or what fret you're playing (sorry non-guitarists), 
but I think that they are nonetheless 'engaged' in the performance in 
ways that music alone may not match.  

And no, I'm not saying I can't or don't enjoy music without anything to 
look at.  I frequently close my eyes at gigs to check that world out as 
well.  But, I have eyes that are capable of registering things that my 
ears can't and I like to be open to a wider response to music than just 
the sound alone.  I wonder then, if I start spontaneously hallucinating 
during a performance, does this mean I'm part of the "non-auditory 
audience" since I had to work the visual thing in :-)

Kevin

jim palmer wrote:

>>>so why don't you just buy the video?
>>>
>>I like improvisation, and I like something real.
>> 
>>me too.  note: nothing visual required for either...
>>