on 10/7/02 7:12 AM, Tosh Cooey at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > It always amazes me just how bad my writing is. For how else can so > many people mis-interpret my meanderings. > > Anyway, Jeff had some good points, so I think I need to clarify. > > First, to everyone who thinks I am bagging laptop shows, that is not the > case. A laptop is a tool to do something, the laptop does not sing and > dance for you, nor will it be scoring groupies afterwards, although > oddly enough the damn things can still get viruses, but I digress. It's > only a tool, so just as an Apple Mac won't make you a better designer, a > laptop won't make a boring performance. > > Second, Kent decided to bring up Fred Gianelli.
It's GiaNNelli. ; ) >I don't know why. I have never heard anyone describe his performance as boring (well maybe his ex-girlfriend ... laugh Fred laugh ...) What ex-girlfriend ? I didn't know I had an Ex-girlfriend. They never stick around long enough to be considered girlfriends. >and to my current knowledge he doesn't use a laptop as his main performance >piece. Well Tosh, you've been out of the country too long. I now use a laptop since Ableton Live came out last year. By the way I may be in your neck of the woods soon. Where are you living these days ? >Sorry, there was no second point, I just wanted the cheap laughs of the >ex-girlfriend joke. I understand where you are coming from. In fact after years of lugging around heavy equipment, I now have more flexibility and options in a live set by using a laptop and Ableton Live. I pre-prepare my live set but the actual arrangement can be completely spontaneous if I choose. I suppose I could pre-arrange everything and just hit play, then jump around on stage and near the end of my set jump up on a keyboard and strike a crucifix pose and have a bright white light shine on me. ie: f--- Moby. (past & present) ; P However, I did struggle with the visual aspect of using a laptop live. It does appear to look ridiculous just staring at a screen. In fact my friends refer to laptop acts as "Screengazers", much like UK "Shoegazer" bands. Stewart Walker and I have debated this point a lot. I think he's crazy lugging around heavy equipment in this day and age. He's doing more International dates than I these days and dealing with the same old heavy equipment problems. He even went to the trouble of designing Persona Records T-shirts with a logo of a "no laptop performance" on it. He also asked me to get a copy of Ableton Live for him from Ableton (since I am an endorsee) and they gave it to him .... and he still doesn't use it. I had to pay for my copy before I got the endorsement deal ! Although he does admit that Native Instruments new laptop Sampler may replace his hardware sampler. I have a Native Instruments endorsement deal also and Kontakt is a great sampler so there is no point in lugging around hardware unless you are a masochist or can't deal with spontaneous computer glitches. Your back will thank you in a few years, believe me. Now the point of all this is that I don't think I would sound any different using hardware equipment vs. what I do now with a laptop. I also don't think Stewart would sound any different by using a laptop. It's what the composer/arranger does musically that matters. Whether you like Boring Laptop music or not. I personally don't mind some "boring" laptop music. Performance wise, it's all boring to those not interested in the process. I don't consider doing electronic music live as a performance anyway and always refer to an appearance as a "Live Electronic Demonstration" or "L.E.D." Hope this helps. telepathic regards, the kooky scientist PS. if anyone is interested in booking me in Europe in November feel free to contact me ASAP. -- Upcoming Live Electronic Demonstrations: Oct. 17th - Chicago, Smart Bar. Oct. 26th - Detroit, Citi Club. November - Germany & Switzerland -------------------------------------------------------------- TELEPATHICA - P.O.B.80337 - Boston, MA 02180-0010 *****new CL # 617.905.9619 and FAX 781.944.8996 http://www.mp3.com/fredgiannelli http://www.telepathica.com ******New E-addresses********* [EMAIL PROTECTED] and/or [EMAIL PROTECTED] > So here's my refined point about boring laptop shows in some kind of > logical notation: > > IF you go to a performance > AND the performance is BORING * (see note below) > AND the performer primarily uses a laptop > THEN > BECAUSE a laptop is inanimate and cannot be blamed > AND BECAUSE the performer is only expressing their art and cannot be > blamed > THE only conclusion left is that the music is boring. > > Elementary my dear Watson. > > * BORING. Thanks to all you boring people telling me about subjectivity > I have refined the definition of BORING to be anything which you find > boring, for you personally, not for anyone else. > > Also notice the difference between BORING and boring. BORING is > subjective and boring is universal in that we all know how boring feels. > > SO.... > > The next time you go see your favourite act perform AND they are boring > AND they are using a laptop, PLEASE DON'T BLAME THE LAPTOP, it's the > MUSIC which is BORING * > > * (according to the above definition) > > Thank-you for allowing me to clarify. > > Tosh
