Support
Looper's Delight
|
Support |
|
|
I agree; that's the central challenge with digital instruments from my
opinion, as amazing as they are at doing things _exactly_ how do you
take that energy from the crowd and turn it back around into more
energetic playing? click harder?
Still frustrated that there's no midi controller for tuba...
-Miles
On 6/15/07, RICK WALKER <looppool@cruzio.com> wrote:
mech wrote:
"I'd agree that if an audience pays good money for a "traditional"
performance, they should most likely get what they pay for. However,
it's also perfectly viable to "erase" yourself from the performance
and let the music itself be the center of attention, IMNSHO."
I see what you mean but this one thought hits me strongly
thinking about your post:
If the performance (and musician) is not so important and only the music is,
why will people NOT pay to go see a show where you just put
your latest recording on with a fantastic sound system?
There's no denying it, there is the potential for a lot of interactive
energy
between performers and audiences (even if the interaction is only that
the crowd is really excited to see the performer play) that makes the live
experience distincly different from the recorded experience.
I've seen so many boring computer Goth shows in the past few
years..........most
of them , really, and yet, the lead singer of VNV Nation (a band that I"m
not even
particularly enamored of) can just make a huge sold out crowd go crazy just
because he is so passionate and throws himself into his singing.
He just plays to a backing track with another of my pet peeves, an
electronic
drummer who is obviously not playing all the drums on the track and it's
compelling as all hell. I don't even own his records but I love seeing him
perform.
He's totally inspirational.
Go figure!
At the same time, I just saw the Police play their reunion concert last
night.
They had a hundred thousand dollar light computer/led light show.
Sting was in fantastic voice............just blew my mind what a much better
singer he is now than even back in their heyday.
Band sounded good and they played all the hits to an adoring crowd.
The band was animated and hopped all over the stage, lit incredibly well.
My wife and I both confessed afterwards that it just hadn't touched us
as at all, emotionally (and we're big fans).
Go figure!
It's the anima of the performance that connects a lot of times.
Of course, it helps if the music is fantastic and compelling.
All anyone needs to do is to go see Kid Beyond do a performance with a mic,
an FCB1010 and a laptop looping solution to know that
playing with a laptop is NOT INTRINSICALLY BORING.
the point of all of this dialectic is that it is the gestalt that makes the
most difference:
that frequently elusive combination of wonderful music, interesting visual
presentation
and audience committment to the performance.
It doesn't matter whether Hendrix would have used a strat or a Sony VAIO,
the question is, would you go to see him if he were still making compelling
music.
rick walker
--
---Miles Ward