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Looper's Delight
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mech wrote: "I'd agree that if an audience pays good money for a "traditional" performance, they should most likely get what they pay for. However, it's also perfectly viable to "erase" yourself from the performance and let the music itself be the center of attention, IMNSHO." I see what you mean but this one thought hits me strongly thinking about your post: If the performance (and musician) is not so important and only the music is, why will people NOT pay to go see a show where you just put your latest recording on with a fantastic sound system? There's no denying it, there is the potential for a lot of interactive energy between performers and audiences (even if the interaction is only that the crowd is really excited to see the performer play) that makes the live experience distincly different from the recorded experience. I've seen so many boring computer Goth shows in the past few years..........most of them , really, and yet, the lead singer of VNV Nation (a band that I"m not even particularly enamored of) can just make a huge sold out crowd go crazy just because he is so passionate and throws himself into his singing. He just plays to a backing track with another of my pet peeves, an electronic drummer who is obviously not playing all the drums on the track and it's compelling as all hell. I don't even own his records but I love seeing him perform. He's totally inspirational. Go figure! At the same time, I just saw the Police play their reunion concert last night. They had a hundred thousand dollar light computer/led light show. Sting was in fantastic voice............just blew my mind what a much better singer he is now than even back in their heyday. Band sounded good and they played all the hits to an adoring crowd. The band was animated and hopped all over the stage, lit incredibly well. My wife and I both confessed afterwards that it just hadn't touched us as at all, emotionally (and we're big fans). Go figure! It's the anima of the performance that connects a lot of times. Of course, it helps if the music is fantastic and compelling. All anyone needs to do is to go see Kid Beyond do a performance with a mic, an FCB1010 and a laptop looping solution to know that playing with a laptop is NOT INTRINSICALLY BORING. the point of all of this dialectic is that it is the gestalt that makes the most difference: that frequently elusive combination of wonderful music, interesting visual presentation and audience committment to the performance. It doesn't matter whether Hendrix would have used a strat or a Sony VAIO, the question is, would you go to see him if he were still making compelling music. rick walker