2009
The subject? Do you feel that the expectations for live performance have been lowered since the advent of the laptop and the loss of so much tour support money? I was watching a Lady Ga Ga live performance on YouTube the other day and I was like "this weak-ass shit is the hottest ticket going?" It isn't even in the same ballpark as Justin Timberlake, let alone the monster stage shows of the 80s and 90s as put on by Prince, Madonna, the Jacksons, et al. I feel that it is generally indicative of the industry as a whole, where it is perfectly acceptable to get up in front of a crowd, change some scenes in Live and maybe tweak a filter freq or delay send, and call it a show.
posted December 14, 2009 by cacealian
Many thoughts.
I tend to over-write on this blog when the topic excites me. Gonna to try to rein it in on this one.
I grew up on a diet of great $5 Fugazi shows. The main thing people want from live music is a charismatic, present performer and a thrilling outpouring of human energy.
- c
posted December 14, 2009 by beauty pill
What's really sad is Britney Spears lip-syncing her whole show -- she grew up in the Disney Gulag where she had to sing & dance live 4 times a day before she was old enough to drive.
In my world -- primarily the Techno world -- the thumbtwiddling Live performance is universally ridiculed. If you're going to use a laptop and Live, it's got to be pretty hands on, and you have to project some sort of personality in what you do -- at least up to the standards of playing records for chrissakes -- or you'll get laughed off stage.
Aside from techno, I have a lot of friends who play in bands, and they perform pretty much the same as Herman's Hermits did 40 years ago. And I like some of the noise/experimental guys doing the 'play in your basement/sleep on your floor' tours, who are usually on their hands and knees with 30 stomp boxes and a beat up Magnus Chord Organ, and they are entertaining, for some values of 'entertaining.'
The Ableton Live guys I know -- Fred Giannelli, Stewart Walker, Speedy J, Chris Liebing, Ricardo Villalobos -- make compelling, dynamic music, with more or less animation on stage. Fred stands so still you wonder if he's a department store mannequin, but he still really bangs it.
So my anecdotal experience is that your guy changing scenes and tweaking EQ is a straw man. No one could get away with that with me or the people I run with.
posted December 14, 2009 by chaircrusher
I wish I could have seen the Synchronicity tour, though. (I just finished Andy Summer's autobiography, highly recommended.)
posted December 14, 2009 by synthetic
Big productions were never my idea of a good show. I think the all-glitz, backing track, lip-sync fests of the past 25 years have lowered the standards more than anything. Throw a bunch of dancers and bright lights on stage, most people seem to be satisfied.
posted December 14, 2009 by shamann
Lately, I had the unfortunate experience of watching that Lady Ga Ga crapola when my wife put the MTV music awards show on and all I could think was 'pretentious Madonna wanna be".
posted December 14, 2009 by stepwriterun
I went and saw Nitzer Ebb a few weeks ago. When i looked on stage before the bands started, all i saw were 2 small drum kits, and Mallet Kat and the rest were laptops. 3 Laptops, one for each band. Of course there were guitars for the opening band. It was quite disappointing not to see one fucking synthesizer on stage. There were 2 controller keyboards, but those were for controlling laptops.
I myself do live techno. I refuse to buy into the Ableton/Laptop hoopla. I still haul all of my gear out on stage. I see all these rants and raves about bands like Moderat who get tagged as "best live act of the year", but all they do is set up laptops and stand there like Kraftwerk for an hour or so. I don't understand what would make this the best live act of the year. The music? Play a fucking iPod and fake it, same damn thing.
When i see "Live Act" on a flier, i expect a live act, not a laptop performance. And if you ARE going to do all laptop, at least get into it! Make it pleasing on the eyes. Otherwise, you're just checking your e-mail and wanking off to porn as far as i'm concerned.
posted December 14, 2009 by Computer Controlled
exceptions: recently i'd say NIN put on a good live show w/all the lights video and digital this and that. i didn't see it live but saw some youtubes of it and it looked pretty impressive and well done in every way regardless of what you think of NIN they put a lot of effort in that tour.
also, radiohead had a lot of things going on w/their live show in the way of lights and video and it all leaned more towards the 'epic' experience.
i saw matmos a couple years ago and it was amazing. but that comes down to them. they made the videos and sync'd everything and were in control of it all. the videos were incredible btw. never seen anything like it.
so, in some cases.. yes.. people are willing to cough up the cash if they know they are in for something special but if you took a parade through genres and had a glimpse of what was going on.. beyonce's dance moves, costume changes etc.. rock band pyrotechnics.. gwar spraying fake blood and laptop musicians sitting in the glow of an LCD.. then it's really about economies of scale. does anyone do a floating spinning upside down tommy lee drum rig?
what laptop musican has a touring posse and roadie and lighting tech etc? plus, we're still in some ways dealing with 20 years of rave culture and the faceless DJ "its about the music" ethos.
i don't think laptop musicians have lowered expectations.. i think everyone already knew what to expect.. when you're talking about electronic music you're talking about something completely separate from pop music when it comes to live performance.
but.. back in circles here.. if you buy a ticket go see madonna at the mega arena then you have certain expectations.. if you are going to see mr projectile at the crown room you have a different set of expectations and i'd wager you are thinking more about the music than the 'show' and probably just hoping the PA sounds good.
posted December 14, 2009 by boobs
for me, electronic music and _especially TECHNO_ has always been about the music. i will of course take a gander by the stage/table where the gear is just to see what is going on but i don't want to stand somewhere and look at a DJ or artist doing his thing. i want to be lost in the music. i always liked it when the DJ was up in a booth somewhere and all you can see was a little light and the top of his head and occasionally he would look up and smile out at the crowd... those days are gone because everyone wants to be recognized but i think if you're doing ti right then no one cares what you are up to on stage.
oh and in the exceptions column in my previous post i'd add Jamie Lidell who's live shows are amazing and actually better than his albums by like 10 fold. he sets the bar high.
and hardware vs laptop.. we could get all anal about what it means to press a button on a controller that represents a virtual piece of hardware vs pressing a button the hardware itself but i'm not up for splitting that many hairs.
as for me i do both.. sometimes i bring a bunch of gear and rock out in a totally improvised way and sometimes i bring just a laptop .. and rock out in a totally improvised way.. it's possible to do with a laptop ya know ;)
posted December 14, 2009 by boobs
And BIGTIP#1 I talk to the audience, or SHOUT if there's no mic. They love it, especially when you tell them you've fucked up and don;t know what you're doing.
i also describe what i;m doing, quickly. its amazing how gobsmacked people can be that you're actually communicating with them. only attracts men after the show though,
fuckit they;ve all got sisters/gf's/mothers to steal,
Sorry
:#
posted December 14, 2009 by lazenbleep
