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Looper's Delight
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>>At the risk of starting another, what is loop music thread - Why does a "loop" show have to be about somebody putting the loops together - and does the audience really need to be aware of this?<< Need? of course not. there's no 'need' involved in any of this. there are laws of likely cause and effect at work though, and knowing something of your audience and the way they think is going to help you should you choose to take any notice of their opinions and reactions to what you do. Ultimately, it's obviously all about music. But we're turned on by different things. I doubt there's anyone here who hasn't encountered particular music in a particular setting and not liked it, only for it to become a fave when the context was right. That's certainly true for me. I've also got albums that didn't work because they didn't fit my expectations, but when I adjusted those, I loved 'em (Dancing in the Dragon's Jaws by the wonderful Bruce Cockburn springs to mind - was expecting something that sounded like James Taylor, didn't get that, was initially dissappointed, but later fell in love with it). So in once sense the term 'loop show' shouldn't actually exist. Except that people are drawn to it in some contexts, so it works. As a musician who uses looping, I like seeing what other people do with it, so it's another point they've scored towards getting me along to the gig. backing tracks have no such mystique, and so score minus points. If the music's good enough I don't care (Peter Gabriel, Squarepusher etc.) but a live looping show is going to get an initially more favourable reaction and doesn't have to earn my attendance by my being exposed to years of God-like genius ala the two examples given above... Ultimately, rubbish music that features looping won't last as long in my player as programmed stuff that's musically wonderful. Live looping at a gig won't turn me into a fan, but it might get me along to the show to listen in the first place... Where's this going? ah yes, a 'looping show' - I guess such a billing and what's expected depends on whether it's advertised as such (like Rick and his fantastic looping festivals) or not (me opening for Level 42) - what 'should' it contain? isnt' that the wrong way round? shouldn't we listen to the music and then make the call on how it should be described? So, if someone emailed me saying 'I do this live looping thing, it's really cool, you should come to my gig' and when I got there it was them with a load of backing tracks and a DL4 doing the occasional repeat, I'd be a bit disappointed, and they'd have to work harder to win me round, as my dispensation towards them would have gone from positive to negative... The lesson? be careful how much hyperbole you use in promoting what you do on any level. Getting people to your gig is one thing - that's where 'looping festival' names and stuff are great - but if the music is a pile of gnu faeces, your big-up-yourself promo methods are going to work against you, and against anyone else using the same route for promotion. So tread carefully, and make sure you spend at least 5 times as long practicing for the gig as you do preparing the press release and posters. As I always tell my students - being a good player will never get you a gig, but it will keep you the gig when you get it. this is the opposite. Billing yourself as a looping musician won't make people like what you do, but it cause people who are drawn in by the title to check out your sounds, and hopefully then your great choons will ensnare them for life. Just be careful not to pidgeonhole yourself too tightly. I'm very glad whenever I get an email from someone saying 'normally I can't stand solo bass stuff, but I like what you do' - not just because I've managed to not sound like the legions of slap happy NAMM muppets, but also because I've managed to find a marketing route that has caused someone who expressly doesn't like solo bass to listen to what I do - Success!! phew! Steve www.stevelawson.net (gig details, news, MP3s, paypal CD orders etc.) www.pillowmountainrecords.co.uk (buy CDs) www.pmrecords.gemm.com (buy the same CDs) www.solobassnetwork.org.uk (other people making solo bass noises)