Archive for the ‘Performance’ Category

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Sonic Astronic

January 25, 2012

If you’re available in London this Saturday, 28th January, 2012, the Main Protagonist has a cheeky little recommendation if you fancy a GIG:

Sonic Astronic meld electronic soundscapes and live humans.

It’s been suggested they sound like Four Tet – albeit with Mick Jagger on vocals, Hooky on bass, and with a world music percussion section.

Sonic Astronic bathe their audience in audio: shimmering guitars; delicate but intense hypnotic rhythms; a fusion of electronica, earthy beats, tremendous crescendos and tender moments.

GET HERE. LISTEN HEAR.

TOWER TAVERN – Saturday 28th January – 8pm

Very near the BT tower.

21 Clipstone Street, W1W 6BA

Warren St / Goodge St tubes

CLICK HERE TO VISIT FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE, HERE. OR HERE. TAKE CARE TO HEAR.

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Sonic Astronic – THAT Smugglers Festival Gig

September 15, 2011

sonic astronic: bathing the audience in the light of a thousand suns

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Sonic Astronic @ Smugglers Festival

September 1, 2011

Our new music project – Sonic Astronic*, whose delicious new musics you can review on Soundcloud – is set to perform on both days Sunday evening (possibly Saturday as well – TBC) at the Smugglers Festival in Deal, Kent.

Sonic Astronic live at Smugglers Festival 2011

The best way to spend the last weekend of the summer!

Meantime, ohcheers.com image geezer beak has taken a day out of his busy regime of “giving up” on all matters pertaining to creativity in order to furnish us with some draft images…

Gritty & Moody

Less traumatic, instead aquatic

*Sonic Astronic was

(or should it be were?)

formerly known as

freaksforever

in a previous incarceration

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Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2011 – Retrospective Overanalysis in Mime with a Wedge of Lime

August 29, 2011

Edinburgh Fringe Postcard (beak says: "click to see details - love from beak xx")

When visiting the Fringe, you have to let it wash over you, accepting it for the disorienting wave of human brain-detritus that it is. There is simply too much to take in from all the various hilariants and infinite, unstoppable untertainment.

Such visceral wonders; those unerring wits; and thy hyper-hypheny-pretentious types too – the irredeemables – and my, how they shall pay.

Whatever. This post attempts to capture the Main Protagonist’s 4-day visit at the Festival‘s tail end.

Image man beak has helpfully provided a delicious photographical compilation/complication above, in the form of a tastefully-concocted mashup postcard, although since giving up he personally neglected to join us this time (cheers beak – Ed).

There were allegedly something like 2500 shows on offer throughout August, and whilst it’s a good idea to book some stuff in advance, for some of it you just need to go with the buzz.

Below is a brief run-through from memory of what happened (hover over links to see comments if you like; don’t bother if you can’t be bothered)…

Of course a lot of other stuff happened in those four days, but if it were committed to publication we only lay ourselves open to litigation, don’t we? And we don’t want that, do we? No. (Yes.)
————
POST-PUBLICATION POST-SCRIPT NON-SEQUITUR EDIT
beak contributes:

(Kind of) Blue

Thanks beak. Thanks a lot.
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David Firth: Artistic Polymath

June 27, 2011

Why is it, right, that some people who you already know to be talented in a particular, hm, let’s say ‘business sector’, then go and astound you with something in a somewhat distinct creative realm?

And so it transpires, y’see, that David Firth, the visionary* behind various ominously surreal (and mostly exceptional) cartoon shorts – perhaps most (in-) famous of which is his creation of Salad Fingers, but this author’s current favourite is Jerry Jackson: Life & Death – also produces some quite wonderfully attention-grabbing audio under the guise of Locust Toybox.

Of course, we’ve all known about Firth’s musical ‘dabbles’, but one has to wonder how many people recognise quite how deviously exquisite the sounds of Locust Toybox actually are.

And here we are, sitting at the temporal coordinates after which Locust Toybox alleges to be on its 9th album: Noon. It was released at some point this year (twenty-eleven, common era; dunno exactly what day or time) and it’s hosted for FREE DOWNLOAD from Firth’s site. It even has an album cover:

Locust Toolbox - Noon

Firth’s never been too quiet about his musical interests. In his animated work, strains of Aphex Twin and Boards of Canada have been stitched into the soundscape of his cartoons since Fat Pie’s earliest days.

However, aside from the similarity to the playfulness to those two artists, the sound of Noon recalls a less bleak Autechre; a more propulsive Freescha. Some of the atmospherics even bring to mind touches of Avalanches or even Orbital. Maybe also a hint of, er, Hint.

It’s as if there are all these organic-sounding squirgles, played by humanised machinery with broken-down minds, trying to fix themselves.

This author IS going to stop trying to describe this music now, cuz as the cliché quite accurately states, what is the point of dancing about architecture?

All you need to know is that iTunes states it is Scribblepop, and that’s good enough for this protagonist.

Look, it’s free. Download it. Stick it on yer iDevice and plug in yer ears. If you like it, share it with all yer social notworking fandangles and let’s see if we can get it played on the radio.

If you’re feeling flish – or even flush – donations are accepted over Paypal.

(Oh, and yeah we realise that just because someone can do TWO things rather well, well, that doesn’t exactly make them a polymath. Perhaps a duomath? But it’s art, not math. Perhaps duoart? I’m leaving the title as it is though. Whoever said journalism was a representation of truth?)

*Doesn’t that sound terribly pompous? It’s fun to ascribe questionable attributes sometimes, isn’t it?

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FL Studio for iPhone & iPad

June 21, 2011

The Main Protagonist may be something of a Logic lover these days, but that doesn’t overwhelm a soft spot for FL Studio.

So it’s pretty fascinating to see that it’s now been “reimagined” (no, not a Winport) for the iPhone and iPad.

Will there ever be a native Mac port?

Check it out.

And yeah, the Main Protagonist is shamelessly hoping he might win a free iPad and copy of FL Studio Mobile by blogging this news item.

And why not?

If he does win, he’ll report the news here alongside a special lovingly melodious composition. For the glory of ohcheers.com. For great justice.

beak: You won’t win.

Main Protagonist: You won’t win.

beak: I nearly looked over my desk and said [CENSORED]

Main Protagonist: Have you installed PotatoSlop yet?

beak: …

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When no-one is in a studio, does the audio equipment still make noises?

January 16, 2011

Abandoned and discarded. Someone once cared a great deal about this equipment.

VOX: “I’m so smug. I’m a VOX.”

Roland: “I’m quite smug too, but I can’t top you, VOX. It seems apt that I lie, thus, perpendicular to the ground, whilst you are appropriately upright. I hate you VOX.”

VOX: “I can see all the grit and muck on your wheels. Have you no shame, Roland?”

Roland: “What does it matter when you’re in the room, VOX? I can never be as good as you. I can never carry the warm glorious tones and even if I could, all the kids love your coolness almost as much as Orange. All I’ve got is this old skool logo.”

Roland crawls off, still side-ended, for a little cry.

Blue Chair: “Oh right. Just ignore me then. I mean, I AM actually the only one in this room that contributes anything properly productive in this messed up society by helping with the parking of bums whilst they contribute actual work and thus partake is true wealth creation in this glorious socio-capitalist economy. Whilst you two – YOU TWO! – just ponce it along with the cooler-than-thou indie kids.”

Piano: “Just calm down. You’re all pathetically short-term. What use is a chair or a valve amp or even YOU, Bicycle, when the transhumans take their rightful place as the simians’ overlords. Really, when you think about it, this really IS a very petty argument. Of course, having said that, Piano shall always prevail, just as it always has. I am CLASSICAL for a reason you losers. Ha!”

Bicycle sulks silently. He’s heard it all before and recognises the futility of partaking in Kilroy politics. “No wonder Kilroy lost his mind“, thinks Bicycle.

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Nothing Mundane About THE ROUTINE

August 24, 2010

In the absence of inspiration, your Main Protagonist here was agonising over building up a routine to perform in the mode of stand up comedy at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

For a start, what about coming on stage pretending to be a venue official, wearing a high-vis jacket, grabbing the mic and tell everyone to evacuate?

In the ensuing confusion, one could strip butt-nut naked, whilst avoiding any Scottish legal issues with a carefully-situated single white sock.

Then… don a sponge red nose. Have that.

Then! Grab the mic.

“THIS IS HOW WE DANCE ON MY PLANET”

Commence prancegasm.

Routine nearly complete.

Upon consulting a pal, the advice is to:

“Make sure you have a big smile on your face so people know you are enjoying yourself.”

Further advice, from said friend, is:

If any of the imbecile security guards “don’t get” your amazing 22nd century French improvational act, and try to “escort” you off stage, run around the stage and try to escape.

If they do manage to “lay hands on you” just start screaming hysterically as loud as you can “I WAS MOLESTED BY TINKY-WINKY!!” over and over again.

I think you’ll have to admit it’d be a pretty unforgettable act.

See you at Edinburgh, folks!

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Training Humans on a Course (with a Horse)

May 20, 2010

The Oh Cheers Main Protagonist has had an unusual week…

Yes, yes. I was on a course this week, as per the requirements of the office employment (note: the details end there due to non-disclosure arrangements).

Who knew training could be so much fun?

Hello old friend[click image to maximify]

Dobbin Horsome makes his mark (not just manure)

Dob Day Sunrise

An intimidating interrogator… [click image to maximify]

Dobbin - Multiple=

Now listen here, fact fans: Dob and his crew intend to attend the final BBC 6Music protest this Saturday (20/05/2010). As made previously clear, we are strong supporters of the 6Music and will be madder than Hell if it is withdrawn. See you there?

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What Kind of Chap Would Want to Axe BBC 6Music? Only a Fuckwitt.

May 20, 2010

Main Protagonist writes…

UPDATE IN ADVANCE OF THE FINAL CHANCE TO MAKE OUR TIME

FINAL PROTEST: SATURDAY 22/05/2010

Ever seen Terry Fuckwitt and Mark Thompson in a room together?

Viz: Razor Sharp Accuracy

All of us at the Oh Cheers crew are big fans of 6Music and consider it utterly absurd it has been mooted for the axe.

If it disappears, what the Devil are its listeners supposed to listen to?

There are a whole host of ways we can support 6Music:

The suggestion to axe 6Music on grounds of competitive conflict of interest is ensconced in hypocrisy upon consideration of the mere existence of BBC Three, a TV channel which has a schedule which reads somewhat like Charlie Brooker’s satirical writings in TV Go Home from yonks ago.

6Music is a burgeoning national treasure, coming from a public service broadcaster famed throughout the world – championed by its adherents, hated by its competitors – for its relative freedom to act independently in highly competitive markets.

The chief operating officer of Absolute Radio, Clive Dickens, reckons his company could buy 6Music and run it commercially. Could this be a bluff to get the press coverage? Is it a reasonable idea? Surely it is simply best to not fix wot ain’t broke.

To great effect, this month’s Viz brilliantly captures the disappointment – no, scratch that, we mean annoyance! – that 6Music listeners share over this proposal.

It’s not the first time Terry Fuckwitt has had a go at controversial BBC developments which can, on occasion, split public opinion right down the middle.

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