anyone who gets the chance should check out Dubtribe - they are a
collective of musicians who are optimised for live performance. i've
seen them at shows where they integrate the DJ into the setup as well.
it's really great. they don't really have songs per se, they have
elements which they can bring in and out. live percussion, vocals,
guitar, whatever, also might feature in any given performance. kevin,
the main technology person, has a rack full of gear, with a mixing
board. he can bring in any of the elements he wants. they really
have invented a new style of jamming, actually. kevin fires up some
rhythm. the percussionist adds something. the vocalist kicks in.
the DJ matches up a record and mixes that in as well. it's an
integrated performance, and when they're on, they really kick hard.
amusingly enough (or perhaps i should say ironically), they have a 12"
out on Organico called Mother Earth and i think it's not all that hot.
i've seen the songs on it done live and they just work better in the
live setting, mainly because they can tailor the performance to the
audience. on record, it sounds too "canned" and repetitive.
now, two years ago, who would have thought that a techno band could be
better live than on record... :)
it's all a question of what you set out to do, i guess.
from what i've read in the british music press, Underworld (hi darren)
are basically doing the same thing over in europe. i hope more groups
get into the act (pun intentional).
/jon