The Semi~Automatic Bandstand
The Bandstand is our current touring show, featuring a traditional looking sonic structure and our very untraditional collection of 'Improvised Entertainment Devices'. The devices play together as an ensemble - there are a few few songs, some atmospheric and ambient bits, and some all-out clunk & crash grooves; with the public drawn in to get down with some hands-on interaction. Over the summer last year we had a few grand improv. sessions emerge from the public mind - when you have a Scots gent in full dress and a young toddler on the microphone you know something just left-of-field is taking place...?. Sometimes sublime, sometimes chaotic; always entertaining.
Photo Gallerys
I know they're very small but please do click on the thumbnail pics on the right and skip around the galleries, hopefully this will give you a reasonable impression of what the thing was like...
Video Clips
A visual mash-up of snaps and photos from the summer shows. It was a bit like this. Some bits were chaotic and some were sublime. I think it depended where you stood or what perspective you had. Whilst performing in Birmingham there was a conference for Young Musicians, one of the accompanying staff wandered through our set-up and was actually heard to decry: " Why does all Art these days end up as Circus ? ". I don't know. Why did a Urinal become a work of Art ? Another staffer told us "This is just the sort of thing we need in our schools ." Can't fault that. Yet another beetled over as we were packing up to say " That was the best thing I have ever seen. Honestly. It was Fantastic - Thankyou !".... Like I say, all depends on the perspective. Anyhow, to business - the music backing on the vid is similar to a well known dancehall favourite from the late 30's... and is one of our performance tracks from the show; 'Machine' - here now with the vocals. Hit it !
FEEDBACK One thing we will definitely do this year is ensure we get some proper video footage and audio recordings from the shows, as this got kind of overtaken by the build, and logistics of getting the show on the road last summer... you live & you learn.
Soundfiles
These recordings are a couple of tunes from the set of songs performed in the Bandstand show. Give 'em a listen, let us know what you make of them ? They're meant to be a bit comic, a little bit populist, toe-tapping and cheeky. But not cheesy eh...?
My Sweet MangoA love song for Joe the Jar, now enlisted in our 'Therabrain' device, a mass-manufactured clone of Stalin's brain with which the Chinese invaded the Soviets some years ago. Vocals by Miz Wilkinson & Jon Large | Arranged by Jon Large (Credit Racket) | Produced by Iain Thompson (English Electric)
MachineA paean to... machines, cos we love em. The dub version on the player below has comments to indicate which of our devices is featured..... Vocals by Miz Wilkinson & Chris Jam (Speakeasy) | Words by Tony Cairns | Arranged by Jon Large (Credit Racket) | Produced by Iain Thompson (English Electric)
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