RE: [microsound] Performing "Live"

[Dave Cronin <Dave@xxxxxxxxxx>]

> My opinion about playing live is that if you are not actually doing
> something (more than FX tweaking) and don't have enough 
> flexibility in your set up /playing method to react to the environment 
> or crowd than I would not recommend playing live.
> 
> what does that mean?  MC getting the crowd pumping, everybody 
> say 'yay-o!'

i'm sure you meant this jokingly but...

the other night some bay area folks put on a night featuring a pretty
typical microsound set-up: stacks of powerbooks with gear spotters peeping
the custom max/msp patches, and typically subdued-looking artists
(kid606,lesser) kicking out wicked digital sounds while barely nodding their
heads

but really untypical of such an event was the fact some of the artists
(while rocking difficult powerbook beats) also put on quite a PERFORMANCE.
The girls from Blechdom sang some quirky, cute and nasty pop songs and lo
and behold the evening started with a MC (Gold chains) GETTING THE CROWD
PUMPED, going for it on the mic over his powerbook playing everything from
minimal polka techno to difficult ae glitch.

and wow, it was certainly refreshing and appreciated by a crowd who has seen
more than their fair share of mouse-clickin', knob-twiddlin' "live"
performances.

which is not to take anything away from such minimal performers-- many of
whom i adore. but it *was* pretty fun and entertaining.