Stage Image

scott · Post by **scott** » Tue Nov 19, 2002 10:09 pm

Seems like every place that I've worked lately has one of those... Hmm...

Mbazzy · Post by **Mbazzy** » Tue Nov 19, 2002 10:11 pm

http://www.smartelectronix.com/~ghentse ... gs02/pics/

tjwett · Post by **tjwett** » Wed Nov 20, 2002 12:24 am

kewl pics...

beaker · Post by **beaker** » Wed Nov 20, 2002 12:37 am

why bother playing live at all_?
so we
can watch your eyes goggle in the club,
and your zany trance-rave mouse motions??
it would be about as cool 2 watch u eet breakfast.
no, breakfast would be cooler.
it might sound better too. (that is a joke)
if have nothing better to do better to put on a record/cd
and dance with the rest of us.

b

scott · Post by **scott** » Wed Nov 20, 2002 12:43 am

I am into improvised music, which by definition is performed live.

/S

ryansupak · Post by **ryansupak** » Wed Nov 20, 2002 1:22 am

generally i spend most of the time in a dj booth. but occasionally i'll put on a sped-up polka record or something and come out and dance around with the crowd like a maniac and then run back into the booth after a minute.

at party gigs i like to bring my longboard and bowl people in the crowd over with it. i don't think that would cut it at a nightclub though.

i also like to let random dorks from the audience dj for a while sometimes.

p.s. -- scott, are you a cutter? does the little 500 actually exist?

scott · Post by **scott** » Wed Nov 20, 2002 1:54 am

Heh, I try and leave town during Little 5. I went to the women's Little 5 once. That was cool. We had a friend in the race.

/S

stubby · Post by **stubby** » Wed Nov 20, 2002 2:30 am

i don't really get it. alot of computer musicians say they are not performers, if that is so then you should not perform. if you don't think of yourself as a performer and you go on stage and charge p[eople to see you play, don't you think that is a rediculous notion. even if you improvise
your music you should just improvise it into a recorder or the laptop and burn it to cd or record and give that to a dj to play. because it doesn't make sense for people to go see a programmer. here's an idea, maybe programmers should start partnering up with performing djs, and the dj could perform the programmers music.

metrognome32 · Post by **metrognome32** » Wed Nov 20, 2002 3:25 am

maybe the solution is to build midi controlled robots to modulate and dance in sync on stage since some need a visuals to identify the music with human motion...keep the musicians mind on creating the music.

the laptop jammer on other end of room facing the speakers so the sound is true, focus of club people on music and robot band members.

gNome

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Nov 20, 2002 3:51 am

metrognome32 wrote:maybe the solution is to build midi controlled robots to modulate...

check this shit:
http://www.octant.org

this cat builds robotic drums that not only play tunes but write music! no shit. mad scientist and the music is great too.

illsub1 · Post by **illsub1** » Wed Nov 20, 2002 4:07 am

Maybe the solution is to actually learn how to play! Take lessons, get a hardware synth or controller keyboard. Play REAL solos, what a concept. I can't wait for the revolution of actual live music to come back to put all wannabe's back in their houses where they belong so they can practice. I play keys and trumpet and mix at the same time. I play with a turntablist and drummer. I love Ableton live and can't wait until I get my new laptop so I can use it on stage, but you will see me sweating my ass off doing many things at once not staring at a stupid screen.

Ill Subliminal-
www.illsub.com

stubby · Post by **stubby** » Wed Nov 20, 2002 4:13 am

I'm serious, i'm not trying to insult anyone, most of the people that say laptop musicians are not performers are the laptop musicians ourselves. and most fans in general agree. so then why get on stage and stand behind a laptop and click. now I'm not talking about all of us, some of us with laptops actually perform, but if you're one of those who does not (nothing wrong with that) then why get on stage, the strange thing is they always say "wer'e not about performing" we're not about a show" we're about the music only" well thats cool, I think that is great, my only question is ... why are you on stage not performing at a show?

globalgoon · Post by **globalgoon** » Wed Nov 20, 2002 12:41 pm

beaker wrote:why bother playing live at all_?
so we
can watch your eyes goggle in the club,
and your zany trance-rave mouse motions??
it would be about as cool 2 watch u eet breakfast.
no, breakfast would be cooler.
it might sound better too. (that is a joke)
if have nothing better to do better to put on a record/cd
and dance with the rest of us.

b

i play live rather than dj because:

(1) i get paid more
(2) my set is only 1 hour rather than 2 or 3

globalgoon · Post by **globalgoon** » Wed Nov 20, 2002 12:44 pm

i used to use iTunes for gigs (

) but well now that ive got live=

metrognome32 · Post by **metrognome32** » Wed Nov 20, 2002 7:07 pm

"........but you will see me sweating my ass off doing many things at once not staring at a stupid screen."

word. can't wait to see you live.

Many critise the laptop musician's artistic abilities but should note it's use as an improvisational expression tool, not as a way to just DJ tracks. Personally I don't care to see "real bands" live cause most just play the same tracks they have rehearsed over and over again going through the motions and playing the same song at every show. Same with techno bands that play all sequenced arrangements and then "play" some keys on top.

I'd rather watch a guru like R.Devine stare intently at 2 laptops screens completely messing up arrangements into something even he hasn't heard before right there on the fly. Add some 3d visuals that react with the audio and I'm hooked. Forget about the rock star/diety image of being on stage. That's my take anyways. I like the way Not Breathing uses modified children's toys live with his akai MPC which does wonders for the crowds interest.

Why should solo laptop artists limit our realtime self expression to 2 hands, 10 fingers, 2 feet, and 1 mouth? There are all kinds of midi interfaces to enhance the visual feedback for the crowd. Light beam triggers, proximity sensors, ekg to midi, eeg 2 midi, knob/fader boxes, Nintendo power gloves etc. Follow your own path for expression, how can anyone claim one method is more musically expressive than another.

Just my 2 cents. I'd been performing live with analog gear/keyboards for 8 years before I switched to using reaktor/live on laptops over the last 2 years. I'd never go back!

p.s. I think this is a great topic for LIVE live users.

- gNome

Stage Image

S'thing like this ...

maybe the solution-