"That said, I wouldn't be okay if someone just put a boombox up on stage, inserted a CD, pressed play, and then sat down and read a book while it played. I like to know that they're having at least *some* active influence over the sounds being created. :)"
That's the problem I have with some laptop performances. Even if the music is good, to me it's not a performance if you're just pressing play. A lot of the time this happens with Laptop p.a.s because they can usually have the fully produced track on the computer. I really don't want to hear the same thing that's on the vinyl. I want to hear A PERFORMANCE of that song. A Performance to me doesn't mean a dog and pony show, but an actual different musical interpretation of the song. These kind of "press play" performances are not solely indicative of laptops ( I've seen plenty with MPC's also) but they do tend to happen more often with computer performers. I've also seen a decline in Live P.a.'s in this area (South east USA) and I think it's because all the producers are now producing solely on their home p.c.'s and CAN"T or at least won't perform their material until they get a laptop also. Personally , this is sad. -----Original Message----- From: John Coleman [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, June 24, 2004 11:02 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: (313) Laptop performances Just my personal preference here, but I don't really care what they're doing on stage or what tools they're using. All that matters to me is the music they create. It's about the ears and not the eyes. If the music isn't good then no amount of visual stimulation is going to change that. At that point, they should just change their name to Britney, hire a choreographer and move to a genre where appearance is valued over substance. Again, just my personal ideals here, no offense intended towards anyone. That said, I wouldn't be okay if someone just put a boombox up on stage, inserted a CD, pressed play, and then sat down and read a book while it played. I like to know that they're having at least *some* active influence over the sounds being created. :) john. > So I've been having a bit of a discussion on a local messageboard > about laptop performances. > > By and large, they're really BORING. It looks like people are checking > their email. Or, if they're bopping along, it looks like they're > checking important email but really need to go to the toilet. > > What's the solution? Name some laptop performances you've seen that > were really good SHOWS. And say why they were. Is it really simply a > case of having stellar visuals as well, or is there a whole new > paradigm out there for this type of performance? > > I liked Kraftwerk's minimal-movement-black-suits-and-plinths affair, > but that sorta ties in with their aesthetic, and I heard Aphex Twin > did a show where he just lay on the floor and twiddled with the laptop > - no effort at all. That appeals to me in a twisted way but is > somewhat gimmicky. > > I personally wonder if laptop performances are more suited to more > artistic interpretations - ie having a gig in an office, with extras > sat at desks with PCs as well, and only one of them is the musician. > Stuff like that.
