Re: leaving the stage -- was Re: CONSTRAINT OF RANDOMNESS

["David Kirkdorffer" <vze2ncsr@verizon.net>]

Larry -

You're a hoot.

On Friday, December 03, 2004 12:29 PM -- Larry Cooperman wrote:

>
> On Dec 3, 2004, at 8:43 AM, David Kirkdorffer wrote:
>
> >
> > Andreas Wetterberg wrote:
> >> -btw, has any of you ever walked on stage, set up a cool loop, then
> >> strolled off to the bar and brought back a beer? Cheap gimmick, but
> >> I'm
> >> a bit of a sucker for those.
> >
> > Yes.  But I stopped doing it.  It tends to draw attention to the wrong
> > things, in some ways making the performance more like a circus act or
> > something.
>
> Not if you leave a loop so debilitating that while you have a beer and
> talk to someone, all attention is focused in between and therefore
> intriguing.  I solely depends on your sense of tension.  This is no
> gimmick but performance art or mindfucking stand up comedy that is
> weird.
> >

The biggest trouble with going to the bar to get a
drink while leaving the loops running is that,
invariably, while your waiting peacefully for your
drink to arrive someone will ask you a question
- often accompanied by their bad breath, and
possibly (if you're lucky) even spitle.

For example: "Have you heard of Robert Fripp."


> > Different people react to the gimmick differently.  On one extreme, I
> > was
> > asked not to come back to a particular club.  At that club I had two
> > 1-hour
> > sets with a looping didgeridoo player, with a 30 minute break between
> > them.
> > We left our loops running during the break.  Because we did that, the
> > club
> > was not sure if we actually were playing any music before.  They
> > thought it
> > was in some way dishonest and not representative of the kind
> > performances
> > they wanted to promote.
>
> Then you have done an important thing not to be asked back.


If only it were that easy!


> I wish I would have been there.  Me too, although I haven't not been 
>asked
back
> with my group but we drove out all of the neighborhood beer drinkers
> because they are old hippies.  But the young college students that were
> left were all for it and stayed.  This was in Fresno.
>
> We, on the other hand made strange music constantly and there was no
> doubt that we were going to play through at least 45 minutes.  Our
> music is so debilitating that old hippie beer drinkers can't play
> billiards.  I am an old hippie.
> >
> > On the other hand, it is good to be able to get a beer when you need
> > one.
> > :-)
>
> Now this looks like a question of low self esteem.  I mean you have to
> have, at least, slow self esteem to not give a crap what anyone thinks.

Actually, thirst is a great motivator.

David