I hear what you are saying about MUSIC having the priority. In an ideal world, maybe it would be that way.
BUT BUT BUT: The average person is more visually-oriented, I think you really have to "sell" a lot of people with the visual presentation in order to get them to have a closer listen. That is just the nature of performing, the average person does relate to things as much with their eyes as their ears. A pleasing visual aspect can really help more people understand what you are doing musically and win a broader audience, and it by no means needs to be cheesy or Britney choreography. Unless you think that this music is only for the elite who don't need visual cues, of course. ~David ---------- Original Message ------------- Subject: Re: (313) Laptop performances Date: Thu, 24 Jun 2004 11:01:51 -0400 (EDT) From: "John Coleman" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <313@hyperreal.org> Just my personal preference here, but I don't really care what they're doing on stage or what tools they're using. All that matters to me is the music they create. It's about the ears and not the eyes. If the music isn't good then no amount of visual stimulation is going to change that. At that point, they should just change their name to Britney, hire a choreographer and move to a genre where appearance is valued over substance. Again, just my personal ideals here, no offense intended towards anyone. That said, I wouldn't be okay if someone just put a boombox up on stage, inserted a CD, pressed play, and then sat down and read a book while it played. I like to know that they're having at least *some* active influence over the sounds being created. :) john. > So I've been having a bit of a discussion on a local messageboard about > laptop performances. > > By and large, they're really BORING. It looks like people are checking > their email. Or, if they're bopping along, it looks like they're > checking important email but really need to go to the toilet. > > What's the solution? Name some laptop performances you've seen that were > really good SHOWS. And say why they were. Is it really simply a case of > having stellar visuals as well, or is there a whole new paradigm out > there for this type of performance? > > I liked Kraftwerk's minimal-movement-black-suits-and-plinths affair, but > that sorta ties in with their aesthetic, and I heard Aphex Twin did a > show where he just lay on the floor and twiddled with the laptop - no > effort at all. That appeals to me in a twisted way but is somewhat > gimmicky. > > I personally wonder if laptop performances are more suited to more > artistic interpretations - ie having a gig in an office, with extras sat > at desks with PCs as well, and only one of them is the musician. Stuff > like that.
