Heart of Noise

Well, you know what they say. Time flies when you’re having fun and all that… I mightn’t have writing my weekly updates, but never fear, dear Readers! Come rain, or shine, I have still been going to my weekly gig.

Here’s a bit of a round up so far.

Week 30: Three Tales by Steve Reich and Beryl KorotPerformed by Ensemble BPM (starring the Ligeti Quartet) as part of the Tete a Tete opera festival at Riverside Studios

I have nothing but good things to say about this piece and about this particular performance. It’s a video documentary opera, lasting about an hour, and covering three main events of the Twentieth Century - the crash of the Hindeburg Zeppelin, the nuclear bomb testings at Bikin Atoll and the cloning of Dolly the Sheep.

It might sound like something that’s a bit worthy, or a bit ambitious. I thought beforehand that with the music, the singing, the lights, the documentary, that there might be too much going on. But nothing about this performance was gratuitous. The percussive, minimalist music that Reich is famous for was performed brilliantly and just highlighted the impact and power of the documentary images.

Check out this link to the documentary with the music - not quite the same as it would be live, but you get the idea.

Week 31: The Emperor Self at the Arcola Theatre

The only good thing about this physical theatre piece was the music - arrangements of Nordic folks songs and minimalist string quartet music, that played a major role throughout. The rest of it was self-indulgent, tedious, typically pretentious drama student rubbish based on Ibsen and his concept of ‘the self’ - “to be oneself, is to slay oneself” being the theme being explored. For no less than two hours. The kind of thing you are guaranteed to find in Dalston of course. 

Much as I didn’t like the performance, I love this photo of the quartet with their top hats and fake beards, taken by my lovely friend and amazing photographer Paulette Waltz, (who, it has to be said, thought the whole piece was great)

Week 32: Dead Cat Bounce at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival

An Irish Spinal Tap meets Flight of the Conchords. In short - hilarious. With songs like Christians in Love and Rugby(click on the track at the bottom), and emulating Westlife, Bon Jovi and Beyonce in the course of one hour-long set, this four piece had the crowd on the floor with laughter. A must-see if ever you get the chance. 

Phew! Thanks for bearing with me this long. Got some amazing gigs coming up in next few months (including Arcade Fire in December, ahh!) Will get back onto my weekly updates from now on, in between weddings, holidays, work, life etc etc….