Seeing Moderat play live was the initial motivation for this adventure. Despite an agonising wait to get in to the stadium, it was an experience to remember.
The concert I wanted to see was New Order playing at the Royal Albert Hall. I was hoping to see some music while overseas. Some of my favourite artists are touring Europe right now but I just miss them each place I go. Also, I'd seen Royal Albert Hall in TV show just recently and wanted to go there.
Although I know of New Order I never quite got into their music for some reason, but knew I'd like them enough to make this the show to go to. It was part of a series of concerts in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust. Until the show began, I didn't know Roisin Murphy was the support.
The guy sitting next to me had only got his ticket this morning too. He flew over from Germany just to attend. He's a huge New Order fan and had seen them in Cologne just recently.
The hall is spectacular. So many levels. People were standing between the arches in the top tier.
And an equally spectacular ceiling.
Roisin came on shortly after 7:30. She has a great voice live. Some of her music I really like, but I'm really only familiar with one album. She's mad though - the whole performance was about how many costume changes and masks she could fit on, most while she was still on the stage. Kind of looked like she was just doing it to keep herself amused but I guess there must have been more to it than that.
New Order came on at 9:00. You could tell the audience was filled with enthusiastic fans. That always helps create a great vibe. They were brilliant. I still don't think I'd listen to their albums that much, but live was a whole other experience. By the end of the show the entire audience was standing.
And the lighting and visuals were spectacular.
The show ended around 11:00 and I walked the 10 min walk back to the hotel very pleased I had made the effort. Then fell into bed!
For me at least, Tuesday was the dress rehearsal but last night was the main event. After weeks of uncertainty and frustration, I picked up my ticket for the second night from the box office. To my surprise it was another of the ornate fan tickets; I had assumed it would be a cheap reprint job. But I wouldn't have cared, just as long as I had my row F seat. Or, once you subtract the non-existent rows A to D, my centre of the 2nd row seat!
On the tube to Hammersmith I bumped into Jeffrey and Melissa, two of the lovely people from America I had met at the Swan the night before. They too had tickets for last night so we were able to get to chat some more. At the Swan I met many others; American, Australian, English, Irish, French - a United Nations of fans. And that's been one of the most unexpected and remarkable things for me about this journey - all the connections that have been made. And as well as the expected excitement and anticipation there were even some people who had managed to pick up tickets only that afternoon, after weeks of trying unsuccessfully to snatch the odd ticket that popped up online.
So, at 7:00 we made our way the short walk to the theatre. I felt much more calm than I had the night before, probably due to the tiredness. I took some pictures before the show to try and capture that memory. I would have loved to be able to take one of Kate but we all respected her wishes to not use our cameras during the show.
This was the view as I entered the stalls.
The stage from my seat. The area in front of the band was a vast space for Kate to wander.
And the view of the crowd filling up behind me.
I took one picture on the way out. Again from my row, but with people standing you get a better sense of just how close the stage was. The guy sitting next to me was able to reach out and touch it; he asked me to film him as evidence.
So, was it a different experience from the night before? Hell yes!
Tuesday night the view was panoramic but last night was immersive. The stage occupied my full width of vision. And being in the centre, the sound quality was far more balanced. Kate and the band sounded magnificent. The deep roaring storm in segments of The Ninth Wave, especially Hello Earth, shook the theatre and reverberated inside me.
And then there was Kate; so close you could see into her eyes, notice every detail on her face, see that incredible smile. Did we make eye contact? Probably not, but I'd like to think we may have.
And from the rapturous, thunderous applause as she and the backing singers shuffled onto the stage, to the recurring standing ovations (I can remember at least 8), to the entire theatre on their feet all through the final song Cloudbusting, singing in unison "yeah-e-yeah-e-yeah-oh" - I clapped so hard my hands were sore. The crowd seemed even more vocal last night, and Kate appeared to be genuinely impressed and moved.
So that was it. The event I had given up all hope of witnessing. But even in my wildest dreams I would never have imagined it could have been like that.
After waking up to another beautiful London morning I did some domestics then headed out with my camera in the general direction of an exhibition of Kate photographs. On the way I encountered the kind of diverse architecture I've come to expect and love from London. Here are some of my favourite
I made it to the exhibition and bought two books; keepsakes, reminders and things of beauty.
After that it was time to make my way back to the apartment and get ready. I was feeling a really strange mixture of excitement, nervousness and disbelief.
First objective was to catch the tube from Russell Square to Hammersmith (and play spot the Kate goers with myself on the way). On arrival I eventually found my way to the box office and the illusive ticket. Relief, excitement and disbelief (again). I knew some people were meeting at the Swan beforehand but I needed some time to chill out. Sounds so melodramatic to me now, but it still rings true to the moment.
Made it to the Swan, met some lovely people, shared our love of Kate. Then it was time to make my way to the venue for the hospitality package. This hadn't been my choice, but was the only option for a second night ticket. The venue was a church next to the theatre. I'm kicking myself now for not taking a pic of the interior, but here is one of the outside.
Inside we were seated for a gourmet hamper.
I must admit, I struggled to eat ... too excited, but it was delicious all the same. I kept the menu.
Seated in between total strangers I felt shy but brave enough to reach out and chat with my neighbours. So many different stories, nationalities, ages ... but one thing in common. The chap to the left of me, Dan, was from Bedfordshire and we talked quite a bit. When it came to the topic of seat location we realised we were seated together in the theatre also! That's pretty coincidental considering we had been seated at random in the church. I have to admit it was nice to have a new Kate buddy to share the excitement with. We were seated in row S.
The first row was row E, so S is a good distance. Tonight I will be in row F, which will be a whole different experience! But I feel privileged to have had the contrast of both. And the venue was perfect for this event.
And as for the show? My words can't do it justice, so I will leave it to the others who have already reviewed. This is just one.
Just got back to the apartment from Before the Dawn and I'm not sure exactly how I feel. Still shaking. Not so much because of the show, though it was TRULY shake worthy. Maybe because it's been quite an emotional journey and this is part of the culmination. Either way I'm drained.
But one thing I AM clear on:
I think it highly unlikely I will ever attend another concert so overwhelmingly filled with love from the audience. Every standing ovation, and there were many, was a heartfelt outpouring of pent up admiration and adoration so thick you could touch it and leave a fingerprint.
And the tube ride back to Russell Square was priceless. Shared with total strangers who would look at you and smile: "Wasn’t that amazing?".
I will post some details in due course. Right now, I need a glass of wine to calm me down and settle me for sleep. (Will I dream of sheep?)
It's early morning; another beautiful, clear and mild morning in London. I was in bed early last night and slept solidly until 2:00 when my body obviously decided it was morning. After a couple of hours of tossing and turning I managed to get back to sleep for a little while. But now it's light I know there's no chance of any more.
I read a post on one of the Kate Bush fan groups on Facebook a moment ago that surprised me. We're seeing her on the 9th of the 9th, a major part of the show is her Ninth Wave and it's her 9th show. Added to that, I believe tonight will be a full moon, mysterious and foreboding like Kate herself. I know these are merely coincidences. But all the same I will choose to believe they are signs of something magical to come.
As for the day today, I plan to visit an exhibition of photographs of Kate and wander a bit more with my camera to see what London wants to show me. But first a bowl of muesli with delicious fresh summer berries and some very strong coffee!
As I was sitting in the O2 I had a moment. The same time the night before I'd been sitting in the Krakow Philharmonic listening to abstract, avant-garde pieces for Unsound and now, only 24 hours later, I was in the massive O2 London waiting to watch and hear Peter Gabriel. Not bad. I feel very privileged. And I feel proud of myself for getting off my bum and pulling this all together. So, back to the beginning.
I left Krakow quite early yesterday and made my way to the station to catch the airport train. I was flying back to London. My swollen luggage was a challenge and I thought I'd injured myself. Luckily I've recovered.
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I got to the airport in plenty of time and had to wait until I could offload my bags. That done it was just a matter of waiting. I noticed a couple of fellow Unsound-ians in the queue.
Krakow airport is quite small for such a large city. Seemed much smaller than Adelaide. They are doing a massive development though, so that probably won't be for long. A bus took us to our plane. I had paid a little extra to get a good seat near the front and had both a window seat and no one else in the row!
Taking off I could see all the small hamlets of houses in the outskirts of Krakow. They were clustered in the small valleys and depressions. Large roofs and timber. I wish I could have taken photos. By the time I could get my camera we were up in the air going over another Polish city. Not sure which one it would be.
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The middle of the flight was over clouds so there wasn't much to see. However, I was amazed how many other planes were in the skies. You don't often see others when flying in Australia.
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I flew easyJet and I'd been nervous because of the TV show. Thought they might be a bit rough. They were wonderful. I would definitely fly with them again.
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As we approached the English Channel the skies cleared a little. That made me happy. As we approached the English coast I noticed farms of wind turbines in the sea.
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Unfortunately when we got to the coast I needed to turn my camera off. Damn! Because the countryside was absolutely stunning! Green fields, hedges, small towns with stone cottages, farms, everything you imagine the south of England to look like. I've missed that on previous flights so I was so pleased to see it this time.
By the time I cleared border control, caught the Gatwick Express to Victoria station then a taxi to the hotel it was already 4:00. Time to clean up and work out how my plan of attack for the evening. The last few days I'm staying in a small boutique hotel around the corner from Soho square. The room is tiny but really well appointed. The hotel is very recent and it feels clean and fresh. It will be perfect for the end of my trip.
After a shower I worked out which tubes to take to get there. I decided to go straight away and get dinner there. Yay, travel on the underground again. Don't know why but I've really enjoyed making my way around here. Last night was very busy though. But that's all part of it I guess.
I made it to the O2 while it was still light so I could take some pictures. The website made a big deal about cameras so I had to make do with my phone.
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I had dinner at one of the restaurants. One of the very few times I've dined out alone this trip and now I know why. Boring and the odd one out. Plus I'd left my reading glasses behind so I couldn't even occupy myself reading the program. So glad I hadn't tried to do this more. I have to say, though, it's been so nice to be able to speak in English and ask for things, respond, etc confidently. Having said that, my waiter had such a broad South American accent I still struggled to understand him a little. Hilarious.
Inside it was a long wait but the venue filled slowly.
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All the equipment is from sound plus a film crew. They would film the two London nights and there will hopefully be a DVD coming out.
As support act, Peter Gabriel introduced his two backup singers who performed some of their own music. I thought Jennie Abrahamson in particular was amazing and I'll be checking her music out online.
Before Peter came on to play the film director addressed the audience. Firstly he needed to explain that there was one song they wanted us to film on our mobiles and upload to the website. They plan to use the footage in the film. Secondly they needed to film some audience participation scenes so we all got to be actors for a few minutes. My only slight criticism of the evening was actually that you could almost feel you'd paid to come and be an extra on Peter Gabriel's movie set. The film crew were a little invasive at times. But, I'd pay to be an extra on a Peter Gabriel movie set, so I guess I shouldn't complain!
The show was amazing. He started playing some acoustic numbers before getting into darker and more electronic territory which is when the amazing visuals started to kick in. A benefit of having a film crew on site was that it was clear the show was being staged for film and the side screens and back screens had amazing live visuals built from the vision being taken at the time. It was almost like looking at a finished, edited movie ... but live.
The last part was the band playing the entire "So" album start to finish. Brilliant! They put in an amazing performance with no break. Here are some quick snaps from the program just to give a taste for what the staging looked like. I'll be keeping my eyes out for the DVD for sure.
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I had considered going out afterwards, but by the time I took 2 tube lines back to the hotel it was getting late. There will be time another night.
Last Unsound performances. Held at Krakow Philharmonic - a large concert hall maybe 1 1/2 times the size of Adelaide town hall. First performance. A guy with some electronics and field recordings. Plus a pianist, violinist, tuned percussionist and tenor sax player I think. Field recordings play, giving a feeling of open space, maybe a forest, nothing distinct. Musicians creating dreamy textures. Dappled images of leaves or similar projected onto the back of the stage. I actually almost nod off at first but that's probably fall out from last night. I regain my focus and find it mesmerizing. The subtle interplay of electronic and "real" instruments works well.
Second performance. A guy with a guitar and some electronics. Plus a drummer with standard drum kit and a 12 piece string section. Guy with guitar starts making sounds. Drummer comes in with a light cymbal rhythm. The strings come in but indistinguishable as strings. Actually making sounds I've never heard before. Guy with guitar and drummer intensify. Turns into a full on jazz/rock improvisation but with electronic drones instead of electric guitar. Every now and then the strings come back in, but again with sounds unlike strings. Almost atonal. Pretty amazing, unlike anything I have ever heard. Not sure I liked it, but I really enjoyed the experience.
Leaving the hall it's the last time I'll see so many faces I have come to recognize, for people I have not come to know. Probably some really interesting people. I've lost the opportunity now. I'm very disappointed with myself.
Back at the apartment. One last tidy up before heading to bed. I have to be up earlyish to get to the airport.
Performance number 1 tonight was Pantha du Prince & The Bell Laboratory. The concert was in a hall at the engineering museum. The stage was set with all manner of tuned percussion, including a carillon.
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The place was packed ... and boiling. When they started the 6 musicians came out bell ringing, dressed in what could be laboratory coats but not in a sterile or cheesy way, in an intentional and matter of fact way. They played a haunting melodic tune that floated over the audience. Then they retired to their positions on the stage.
As well as tuned percussion there was a full drum kit which I think was augmented with electronic beats. From the soft introduction they slowly built into a magnificent rhythm that was quite unexpected but really infectious. They played all of their various instruments to great effect and managed to whip the audience up into a gyrating mass.
Toward the end of their performance they returned to bell ringing and slowly walked off the stage and through the audience. You could hear the gentle ringing as the wove their way through the crowd. It was quite magical. They made it back to the stage to receive a massive applause. Obviously we clapped enough because they treated us to another energetic and rousing piece before finally ending their set.
I thought this afternoon was going to be a couple of hours of noise in a dreamy kind of chilled out way. It certainly started that way with Robert Piotrowicz sounding much better than he had in London. I don't know the name of the second artist as there was a late change. He picked up where Robert left off and turned the noise into some amazing beats ... I'd call them slightly a-rhythmic ... don't know if that makes sense though.
Then last was Pete Swanson (USA). He came out all guns blazing with this cacophony of beats and noise. Shortly after starting half the crowd came up onto the stage so they were madly dancing and jumping up and down all around him. It was infectious. Full on. I stood from the sidelines. That was close enough.
What a way to spend the afternoon.
I'm going to bed now for a nap. I intend to catch the final club night tonight so I need to recharge my batteries.
Despite having some grey moments, I still saw some really cool things yesterday. The weather was drizzly at first so I stayed inside in the morning. At midday I went to a presentation on technology and artist rights. It was a very well put together presentation and he drew some interesting parallels with different technological advances over the ages. But he didn't present an awful lot I wasn't already aware of and left a few things open ended. Curiously, he ended with a quote from Douglas Adams that went kind of like this:
Technology that exists when you are born is natural. Technology that comes along from birth until you're 35 is new and exciting. Technology that comes along after you're 35 is against the natural order of things.
It's an interesting quote and I think the principle can be applied to a few things. I know some people who appear to behave this way. But I know just as many people who don't.
First performance of the evening was Dean Blunt presents The Redeemer. I don't know much about Dean Blunt other than he is part of Hype Williams. The press indicated that this performance would be a departure from his usual work and it would be primarily a vocal/lyrical piece he wrote after the breakup of a relationship. The venue was a theatre in the old town. A couple from the UK sat beside me so I plucked the courage to chat with them a little. Before long the smoke machines had been engaged and the theatre was filled with a fog and the stage was darkly lit. It remained this way for most of the performance and he sang from the shadows on the stage. Musically I liked it. The music was very loud, which was great for the music but it did mean that I found most of the lyrics unintelligible. That was a shame.
Shortly afterwards there was another performance at a venue I hadn't been to yet. I gathered my bearings and worked out where I would have to go. It looked easy so I didn't take my phone or reading glasses. When I got to where I thought I needed to turn off, none of the street names were familiar and without my phone or glasses I struggled to work out where I was. I tried getting assistance from bystanders. A few didn't speak English. The two that did gave me completely contradictory directions and appeared to find it difficult to point out where we were on the map I had! By this time I was starting to feel really lost and worried that I would miss the first performance. Then, the last person I spoke to indicated that the venue was very close. I walked a very short way in the direction he pointed and there it was. It had been in sight all along! Doh!
After composing myself I settled in for the performances. The venue was a cinema with a massive screen and stage area in front. First was Dream Cargoes. I had attended the artist talk the previous day which helped. It was a visual project with live music being played on a combination of electronics and string quartet. The work was inspired by the story of the same name by J. G. Ballard. The artist talk allowed me to make some sense of the visuals but the ending came so abruptly I was a bit stumped. How did they get that out of what they explained the other day? Oh well, it was still great though.
Next up was a new work, Lumiere, by Robert Henke. I was really looking forward to this. This is what the program said:
Lumiere is a radical sonic experience with a massive yet ephemeral visual counterpoint. Two powerful lasers draw shapes and ultra short pulses of light, whilst an autonomous audio engine creates rhythmic structures, grids of bass and spectral noise.
It was exactly that. Amazing! Jaw droppingly intense and hypnotic. Words just can't describe any more. The man is a genius.
There was another club night at Hotel Forum but I had already decided not to go. I needed a reasonably early night and I'll go to the Saturday night one instead.
So now I knew where I was I took the time to casually walk back to the apartment through the old town which was heaving with activity on a Friday night.
After the euphoria of "walking" home from the sleep concert the rest of the day, for me, was a bit of a mixed bag. I took my time getting organized in the morning. I wasn't all that sleepy, but I was ultra chilled. My first activity was to attend an artist talk for a performance coming up tonight. On one hand it was a bit odd listening to the artists explain something I knew nothing about, but on the other hand I think their explanations will help me make better sense of what I will see. I'll explain more tomorrow.
I'd intended to hang around for the next talk but felt the need for a quick nap to keep me going.
I returned a bit later to attend the artist talk from Robert Rich, master of the sleep concert. He was fascinating to listen to. His main area is sleep psychology ... music was more of a sideline, at least initially. He talked about the history behind the sleep concerts which he began in 1982 and elaborated a bit more on the intention behind last night's event. The real intent behind the concerts is to encourage people to listen closely to the music and focus on the tiny details. The only way Robert had been able to work out how to get people to sit and do that for long enough was to give them permission to sleep if they wanted ... hence the sleep concert.
The effect of having continuous aural stimulation for that long is that it prevents the listener from attaining deep sleep, but instead keeps them in the first stage of sleep where it's easier to recall details of the thoughts and images that appear in your head. I can attest to that with the details I was able to recall from my dreams.
While waiting to go in I chatted to a while with a chap from Holland. This is his third Unsound festival. I've been thinking that this probably won't be my last.
After some dinner I headed to the first evening event. It was a concert of two performances at a massive church, St Catherine's. The cavernous interior of the church was ideal for the styles of music being played tonight. Both involved heavy use of "loop pedal" technology to build up intricate evolving patterns and layers of vocals and instruments. I could appreciate the beauty of both artists. However, music created this way usually ends up being limited to a very narrow range of notes or chords, much like a round. This is partly a necessity due to the technology. For me, listening to piece after piece limited to such a narrow range of notes became monotonous. Strangely, earlier in the week I was really engaged in listening to "drone" music which was almost monotone. There is a difference but I can't quite put my finger on it yet. I left before the end of the second performance.
Afterwards was the first of what have been labelled the "club" nights back at the Hotel Forum. I decided to head there. The vibe was very different to the earlier night with heavy beats already pumping inside as the long queue patiently waited outside. I recognized many faces from events in the previous few days but it appeared we were to be joined by an equally large number of others, mostly younger.
I stayed to listen to two bands. Tralala Blip are from Australia and their brand of chaotic electro beats was really good. I loved their sound and aesthetic. They were followed by James Ferraro (USA) who's music was intense and dark with a lot of spoken voice lines repeated over thick bass lines and not so much rhythm. I liked it too. Forest Swords (UK) who I saw at Unsound London were next. I stayed to listen for a while but I wasn't really feeling it and I wasn't really enjoying the vibe of the place in general either. On reflection this morning I think maybe it was just tiredness but at the time the crowd felt a little aggressive to me so I decided to leave.
I've just floated back to the apartment after what must be the most incredible sensory experience of my life. Last night was the sleep concert. It began at midnight and continued through until 8:00 this morning. It was held in the main reception room of the Hotel Forum, an unused communist era hotel. We arrived in the dead of night with our sleeping bags, blankets, pillows and supplies. The room was softly lit. It was a large space and there would be 150 of us. We shuffled in and found our preferred spaces. I was there quite early so I found a great spot along one of the large windows. I could see the castle lit across the river. It would be a great scene to wake up to.
The music began on the stroke of midnight after a brief introduction and explanation by the artist, Robert Rich. I'm not sure to what extent he was playing or mixing but essentially he would be creating a unique performance for that night ... for 8 hours! I guess you'd call the music new agey. On its own you might even call it cheesy, at least to start with, but the sound system was great and there was depth to the music. It wasn't loud but it wasn't soft either. Through the night the music morphed and changed, melody turned to drone and back, subtle sounds came and went. Sometimes identifiable like dripping water or waves, sometimes indistinguishable.
I drifted in and out of light sleep. The sleeping bag was perfect and I was warm and so comfortable. We had been warned that we probably wouldn't fall into deep sleep. The music was too present and constant to allow for that. So we were kept in a half sleep state all night long.
At some point I put on my eye mask to help focus on the music. That was a great move because, to my surprise, when I removed it after what felt like a short doze the morning had arrived and I could just see the castle through the mist outside and heavy condensation on the windows. The last half an hour of the concert I lay awake. I may not have slept deeply but I felt more relaxed and refreshed than I can remember feeling in the morning for ages. I even felt a little joyously teary for a moment as I reflected on the amazing experience this room of strangers had shared.
As for dreaming, I can't say to what extent the experience affected my consciousness, but here's what I do remember:
I am a set of keys and I'm running away from my owner. At first it's more like a game of cat and mouse. I'm good at it. Every time he nearly catches me I dart away and escape. It starts getting more serious. He is chasing me more intently and I have to work harder to get away. And I do. I manage to escape and get far ahead of him.
I hide in some bushes and watch him. He's getting upset now, even distraught. He staggers into a nearby police station. I laugh to myself. "He's going to tell them that his keys have run away but keys can't run. They'll think he's been drinking and turn him away". But they don't turn him away. They listen intently and console him. They lead him inside and I think they believe him. I start to feel worried.
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One night, two Unsound events. First was "Ripple Eecfft" (no typo). A more classical program performed in an amazingly beautiful synagogue.
The first artists, Kwadrofonik, consisted of 2 pianists and 2 percussionists. They began by playing a number of their compositions ... and I was in love. They reminded me of Kurr in style. The second half of their performance was a 20th century piece that, while technically demanding, didn't really resonate with me. But even so, the combination of their sounds in those amazing and ornate surroundings was still quite sublime.
Second artist at the same event was Stefan Wesolowski. If I thought I was in love before ... then I was mistaken. His band included piano, violin, trombone, tuba, cello and electronics incorporating field recordings. I'm a sucker for strings at the best of times but, combined with haunting soundscapes, this was intensely stirring. I couldn't help but sway to the implied beat of their music. The combination of instruments (and amazing audio) was perfectly balanced. And again the environment enhanced what was already incredible. Half of the time I was taken away with my eyes closed to another place. And then when I opened my eyes I would see the depth, richness, history, tragedy and significance of the place we were so privileged to share. Humble.
I will write about the other event in my next post.
After the very late opening night (or rather early morning), yesterday got off to a very slow start. I didn't wake up until around 9 which is extremely rare for me. Even then I was feeling pretty washed out. Luckily there was nothing major on my to-do list for the day. I have realized that my time in Krakow will probably be more evening/night orientated, so I shouldn't beat myself up if I don't fit much into the days as well. After a late breakfast and journal writing I eventually stepped out to a local shopping centre to get a few things. The weather was overcast and cool. I was feeling a little delirious from lack of sleep which made the journey a little challenging, but that feeling wasn't altogether unpleasant.
I didn't take any photos yesterday - a first for my trip so far.
Late afternoon I had a nap to try and restore my energy levels for the evening's performances.
Last night's shows were at the same venue, Manggha, so I knew how to get there and how long it would take. I felt a lot more at ease than when I had arrived the previous night - partly because the surroundings were now familiar and partly because my sleep deprived state has made me really chilled out (which is a good thing).
All three artists last night played instruments that were then treated and distorted to create unique sounds whereas Sunday had been more sample and synth based.
When I chose not to go to the last night of Unsound London I missed out on seeing Stara Rzeka (Poland) so I was glad to have the opportunity last night. He made heavy use of loop pedals to turn his guitar and vocal sounds into incredible textures that grew and erupted. The program dubbed his style as "magical brutalism" which was apt.
Nate Young (USA) was next and from the sample on his artist profile I hadn't rated him highly on my "to see" list. I decided to sit at the edge of the floor space instead of standing for this one. It's hard to describe his performance. I know I've probably made everything sound like noise, but that's a really big element of most of these artists. This one created big heavy dirty noise sounds and then morphed them and shaped them. I found it unexpectedly hypnotic and was really glad I'd chosen to sit. When he started I was sitting against the wall while most people were standing in front of me and through most of the performance I had my eyes shut. At one stage I opened my eyes to see many of the people in front of me had chosen to sit too and appeared to be in a similar meditative state.
Last was B/B/S which I think was a collaboration of separate artists. There was a guitar, bass guitar and drummer/percussionist. Their performance consisted of what appeared to be one long piece that rose and fell, twisted and turned. They started by using bows to sound cymbals, guitars, everything which created wistful sounds and the performance ended in the same way. In between there was some great rhythms from the drummer and layers of sound and noise from the other players. Some amazing earth shattering bass too - the kind that makes you feel like you just had a full body massage.
Three great performances that I really enjoyed. I was exhausted by the end though. I hope I'm going to make it though this week!
Note: I was unable to put links to the profiles for these artists today. I think the Unsound website might be down. If you're interested in learning of hearing any of the artists visit the www.unsound.pl/en website, click on the Unsound Krakow link at the top of the page and then click on the Artists link.
Last night was the opening night of the Unsound Festival and it was awesome. Two of the three events I attended in London were musically OK but failed to induce the feeling and atmosphere I experienced at Unsound Adelaide, but last night well and truly did. The performances were at Manggha, a theatre that is the Japanese centre of art and technology on the river. This is a picture I took during the day yesterday.
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First up was Anna Varadny (Poland). I saw her in London but last nights performance and the ambience of the space far eclipsed London. Her music consists of carefully and intricately layered drones and noise that create subtle beating and incredible textures. At the end of her performance as she peeled back those layers I recognized the sensation of coming out of a meditative state! She had taken me on a journey and it was brilliant.
After a short break the next artist was Mika Vaino (Finland). From his artist profile I was really looking forward to hearing him. As the program put it, he "combines force and restrain in his music to form a frightening unity". He was amazing, creating dense rhythms out of industrial scale noise punctuated with unexpected stabs and silence that delighted. The sound system rumbled with deep tones that resonated all through my body. Exactly the sensations I recalled and enjoyed in Adelaide. Definitely the standout of the night for me.
The final act was Tropic of Cancer (USA) and as much as I tried I couldn't get into them. They were much more mellow with massive reverb washed vocals. Not really my thing so I didn't stay to the end. The opening party at a club called Pauza had already started so I decided to go there instead. It was about 10:30 at this stage so I dropped by the apartment on the way for a quick pick me up coffee.
At Pauza there was a succession of artists and DJs playing. The club itself is downstairs and is like a catacomb of brick vaulted ceiling-ed rooms. It was already packed. The first couple of DJs were interesting but I had a feeling I wouldn't be staying long. That was until Philip Sherburne (USA) started. The best techno I have danced to in a long time. Every time I thought my time was up he pulled me in with another hook that got me dancing again. At the end I retired to one of the smaller rooms exhausted and finished up chatting to a guy from Finland in much the same situation as me, on his own. It was great to be able to debrief the evening with some one.
I finally called it a night (morning) at 3:30, grabbing a massive kebab on the walk back to the apartment! Needless to say I'm feeling a little shady today. I'm glad I did so much sightseeing yesterday, it takes the pressure off today.
So what has the title of this post got to do with all this? Well, being at the older end of the age scale of the audience, being solo and not knowing anyone, being an English speaker in a largely foreign speaking crowd ... all these things had made me feel very conspicuous when I arrived at the venue. But somewhere in the evening it dawned on me that all these same attributes also allow me to be anonymous, and that can be a really liberating feeling if I choose to let it be. So I resolved to embrace my anonymity this week.
It's been a big weekend, so I'm a little behind in my posts. I'll catch up again soon. Saturday I decided to visit the Tate Modern to see what was on. Aside from the exhibits it's a really great space to visit and was another opportunity to soak up the London skyline.
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In the evening was Unsound London Night 3 at a small club near Elephant and Castle under the overhead railroad tracks. It was an early start for this type of venue and very "intimate". The first artist played mainly atonal noise soundscapes which weren't really my thing but were interesting to watch.
Next up we're the Durian Brothers. By this time the venue was getting packed ... a little too packed for my liking, but I guess that's London. They were quite a contrast after the previous artist with their rolling rhythm and occasional melodic riffs. I really enjoyed them.
Last was the band I was most interested in seeing Forest Swords. Their music was something different again mixing great soundscapes, sometimes etherial and sometimes heavy, and even throwing the occasional dub step beats in.
There was an after party at the same venue but I suspect the music would have been quite hard and I decided I was in the mood for something a bit lighter so I made my way to Vauxhall to "gay" things up a bit. I was intending to check out a bar I planned to visit Sunday but it had started to rain so I popped into the closest bar, the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, instead. Once again, it was a packed venue, more than any I can remember visiting. But the crowd were very friendly and clearly having a great night. There was a bit of a floorshow happening at the time which was quite a laugh. A bit of a quiz show with three contestants on the stage competing with the audience. Last question was a blindfolded cake taste test ... how English.
Once the music started it was a bit of an eclectic mix but fun. Every now and then they played a crowd favourite ... with just about the whole place singing along! It was a great night. Lot's of fun and not like anything I've experienced in a long time.
Yesterday was a quiet day due to the late night before. Apart from a midday walk I lazed around the apartment. It was nice to not have an agenda. In the evening was Unsound London night 2 at LSO St Luke's. The first artist was Pianohooligan. The guy is from Poland and played a treated grand piano. Well, "played" isn't really the right word he more "danced" all over it getting all sorts of sounds from it. It was quite mesmerizing.
Next up was Lustmord who I saw at Adelaide Unsound. I wasn't that keen when I saw him then so I wasn't sure what to expect this time. Once the sound system kicked in though it was intense. I thought the sound quality in Adelaide was good but the bass last night was incredible - floor shakingly incredible.
Before the show there was a Q&A with Lustmord and it was great to learn about the technology he uses and some of his creative process.
Biggest surprise of the night was bumping into a friend Adam. It shouldn't have been a surprise as he's heavily involved in arts festivals and he introduced me to one of the Unsound co-curators.
Last night was the first night of Unsound London. It was a little daunting as I know no-one going to the events. I did my very best to chat to a few people though. Last night was Demdike Stare and Anna Zaradny. I saw Demdike Stare in Adelaide and recognized some of the performance but it was the first time I've seen Anna Zaradny. Both were wonderful and hypnotic. Afterwards I went to the after party downstairs in a small club in north London. Met a few people and had a good dance before finding my way home. All in all a good start to Unsound. It was a late night so having a very slow morning today though. Anna Zaradny