Interactive Orchestra

Posted by jill on November 15, 2009

I stumbled across Re-rite on the South Bank over the weekend. A digital project by the Philharmonia Orchestra, it took place over four floors of an old warehouse just behind the Oxo Tower. In each room there was the projection of a section of an orchestra, and thesounds of their parts of The Rite of Spring by Stravinsky. The set up was that the audience could wander amongst an orchestra, and hear each part of a complex orchestra piece. To make it seem even more realistic, they had the sheet music on a stand, and in one of the sections the audience filmed to be projected alongside the filmed footage.

As a way of engaging an audience, it really worked. Those of us inside the building were encouraged to wander into any room, and I found myself returning to several rooms throughout the piece. And being able to watch the musicians, the most fun was to watch them during the lengthy pauses to see how still they could be.

Perhaps those who planned the project took some of their inspiration from DVDs. There was a conductor’s commentary of the piece and also, in another room, a musician’s commentary. In the percussion room, maybe they even took some ideas from computer games, with a display that asked the audience to drum along.

Mixing in all these contemporary ideas, it was an excellent example of how to engage with a new audience, and explain some of the complexities of a classical orchestra.

The Flaming Lips at the Troxy

Posted by jill on November 10, 2009

The last time I saw the Flaming Lips was in 2002. Since then their albums have never quite reached the greatness of The Soft Bulletin and for the last few years they’ve dropped off my listening lists entirely. It was lucky that the Flaming Lips played a set mixed up of the great older songs, and newer material that was bearable.

However, as everyone knows, Flaming Lips shows aren’t just about the songs, but about the overall experience. Even on a cold Tuesday night, after some encouragement by the stage crew, they got everyone clapping and singing along. With balloons, confetti, everything turned up to max (but no singing puppets or fake blood), this is possibly the best party you could have on a Tuesday night.

Foot Village

Posted by jill on November 6, 2009

It’s been a while since I’ve stepped foot inside a small gig venue. Somehow this year, with so many shows going on, I’ve avoid taking a decision and going to none instead. Foot Village was a good reminder on the sort of fun I’ve been missing out on.

With only three drummers and lots of shouty vocals, there was something quite primal about their performance. If only they were around a few years ago, I might have joined in even more.