IDM Mailing Archive

I recently saw Mum (the good Mum from Iceland) in Seattle and for the first 4 songs I felt like I was in a dorm party. Girls screaming and laughing, I had beer split on me, some guy yelled "Turn it up" and pointless conversations all around. I was mortified by how rude people were, especially considering the nature and subtlety of Mum's music. Certain show's I would expect and maybe even contribute in this type of behavior, but not at a Mum show. I guess it all really depends on the music. I have been to countless electronic shows were the audience felt detached from the laptop performance and began socializing instead. The key, in my opinion, is to be so god damn loud that they can't hear each other talk, that is if the sounds system allows it. This has worked for me in the past, even with very atmospheric material. Loud=attention.

quoted 45 lines From: Perfect Sound Forever <perfect-sound@furious.com>

>From: Perfect Sound Forever <perfect-sound@furious.com> >Reply-To: perfect-sound@furious.com >To: idm@hyperreal.org >Subject: Re: [idm] The truth about laptop shows... >Date: Mon, 07 Oct 2002 10:16:32 -0400 > >>Date: Sun, 06 Oct 2002 19:52:33 -0400 >>To: Mxyzptlk <jpklein@telocity.com>, idm@hyperreal.org >>From: darren bergstein <eimag@optonline.net> >> >>just recently i attended a rather interesting (or should i say at least a >>_seemingly_ interesting) series roughly 100-150 people were in attendance. >>and with just scattershot observations, i noticed virtually none of them >>were quiet?most were engaged in conversation that resulted in the theremin >>mix (and backing rhythms) rendered moot as the entire performance was >>swathed in a most unappetizing coat of vocal din. >> >>i am amazed at this behavior myself. it seems as if the very practice of >>attending live music events is nothing more than an excuse to socialize. >>fine, but must the socializing take place during the performance (and in >>front of the performer)? i should add that the promoters hosting these >>events need to make a concerted effort to preach respect and quiet during >>their performer's sets. after all, isn't that why the whole event exists >>in the first place? > >Actually, the original audiences for classical music didn't sit on their >hands silently either. In Christopher Small's excellent book "Musicking" >(that's how he spells it), he details how concerts were very much social >affairs where people would chat away, walk around, eat and drink while the >music was going on around them. It was only in the last century that the >whole idea of rarifying this music came about and people were expected to >sit silently and attentively at a classical concert. > >Best, >Jason >-- >Perfect Sound Forever >online music magazine >perfect-sound@furious.com >http://www.perfectsoundforever.com > > >--------------------------------------------------------------------- >To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org >For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

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On Mon, 7 Oct 2002, Sean Horton wrote: :I recently saw Mum (the good Mum from Iceland) in Seattle and for the first :4 songs I felt like I was in a dorm party. Girls screaming and laughing, I :had beer split on me, some guy yelled "Turn it up" and pointless :conversations all around. I was mortified by how rude people were, :especially considering the nature and subtlety of Mum's music. Certain :show's I would expect and maybe even contribute in this type of behavior, :but not at a Mum show. it was at i-spy, a perfectly awful venue, and the show seemed to turn into an indie rock street cred event where being seen was more important than who was being seen. i was lucky that night and found a pocket near soundboard which provided a respite from most the crowd. it was still blistering hot though. my nominal complaint is that it took an hour from the opening act til mum played. as much as i like kraftwerk, hearing an entire cd between sets in inexcusible. mum also looked quite tired of touring by the time they got to seattle and the show, while having its moments, seemed flat. speaking of kraftwerk, this wednesday at the baltic room, RUR (rossum's universal robots) will be playing. live-action kraftwerk cover tunes. b. --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

Loud=attention<<<< EXACTLY! (attention.... or send them running for shelter....thats what i have expierienced) www.eight-frozen-modules.com --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Faith Hill - Exclusive Performances, Videos, & more faith.yahoo.com

Paramount: If people are talking during your show then fucking turn that motherfucker up and get wailing. People do not talk in the house of 108+db. They might stand there and be bored but they'll have to go outside to hit on each other. Yes, I'm all about busting the house woofers just to stop some guy with a tucked-in button-down shirt from getting play. I am a bitter man, with tinnitis. Beta: Boring is boring because I think it's boring, unless you think it's not, and then we have a fight over who's smarter. Thanks guys. I mean really. I want you inside me. i. The real reason electronic music is boring, of course, is because the lyrics are not exciting. They need to be more like 'I saw the weather girl at the club last night/ I am made of water and meat/ You can't stop me, I know tae kwan do' ii. So if anybody needs help writing lyrics I'm your man as you can see. Lastly, as a federal employee I am not allowed to comment on whether or not we plan to bomb LA, but personally it's not the worst idea I've ever heard even if Vegas really ought to go first. Tom P.S. the RjD2 album, as noted by many previously, is not boring; in fact it's quite good. Thanks for all of you who burned it into my forebrain over the past months, causing me to pick it up on sight. P.P.S. the new Cassius is hilarious. I have not listened to a record this much fun since the new Flaming Lips album came out, which I also advise listening to. The remainder of October's album funds has been redirected to Peter Gabriel's backcatalogue and dodgy Bhangra CDs. Wheee. --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

quoted 8 lines I guess it all really depends on the music. I have been to countless

> I guess it all really depends on the music. I have been to countless > electronic shows were the audience felt detached from the laptop performance > and began socializing instead. The key, in my opinion, is to be so god damn > loud that they can't hear each other talk, that is if the sounds system > allows it. This has worked for me in the past, even with very atmospheric > material. > > Loud=attention.

Hosting shows in my warehouse my strategy has been the opposite: create an environment that is clearly intended for listening, not socializing, during the performances. To this end I try to plant 'cues' to people that they're at a concert, not at a bar/club... including no beer, making it dark during the performances, posting a sign on the door saying no ins/outs during sets [though we actually do let people in ;)] etc... All about creating context and steering consensual expectations. This is the advantage I guess of controlling a space! aaron ghede@well.com http://www.quietamerican.org --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org