Hymns in Lancashire...

 

Hymns For Robots is a revered EMOM-style night that everyone in the community seems to have heard of. Curated, so not quite a pure EMOM, the night is currently into its third year according to my calculations (though I may be wrong), and we were lucky enough to get a slot at HfR #40. There were only four acts this night, and each of us had a 25-minute slot to really show what we can do. So, up the M60, M61, and M6 for a couple of hours we went, and by twilight we were pulling into the car park opposite the venue for what would be gig number 25 on this strange musical odyssey of ours.

First up was the curiously named GnomeFoam, complete with an excellent Ernie (or is it Bert?) raving hat. Good vibes, breakbeats and DnB were very much in evidence. He did mention to me before he went on that he sometimes gets nervous, but I think he has a great act and the audience loved it. No need for nerves when you get that kind of reaction!


 

Next up, we had Sylvia And I. This was a beguiling, ambient set consisting of violin, two brass instruments (I think a trumpet and a cornet, but I'm no expert), and a nest of effects and looper pedals. The overall soundscape was something that had everyone captivated, especially when Sylvia switched from violin to a spoke on a bicycle wheel.

 


The third of the four acts this evening was Afternaut, with a banging progressive trance set and some VERY accomplished visuals that gave us both a treat for the ears and for the eyes. He's a sound designer in the games industry by day, and the quality of his graphics really hints at that background.


And finally, it was time for Libby and I to take to the stage. I was going to film it, but instead of pressing record, I took a picture of my thumb retreating from the camera. However, the wonderful Subordinate Clause captured some footage, and what a thunderous sound it was...

 
 
So, gig gigged, it was time to wend our way back to Darkest Cheshire...
 
Next time, we travel to North Wales, scene of the infamous laptop power incident in May. Will we come through unscathed this time, or are there still glitches I haven't thought of?
 
 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tips for a Growing Movement...

Image
  This blog post is dedicated to Inky Da Kat. She was always such a big supporter of the EMOM community, and will be sadly missed by all of us.   Well, we've managed to get to the giddy heights of 21 EMOM sets now, and with the confidence of ignorant naivety, I've started to notice some rules of thumb about what makes an event go with a bang for all concerned.    I've split them into a list of Dos and Don'ts for performers, organisers and sound engineers. these are just things that have occurred to me. I hope you agree. If I've missed anything, or you wish to argue that I'm wrong, please get in touch, but be kind or I'll set Libby on you. Thanks to the vibrant EMOM community, this is a living document and I'll strive to keep it updated as a resource and fount of knowledge as more comes to light.  Performers: Do: Level your set. Run through the whole thing with a free LUFS meter, such as Youlean, on the very end of the master bus to make sure that the lev
Read more

And So It Begins...Or, where it all went wrong.

Image
 The mercury was already well below zero as dusk descended to draw an end to November 2023. After loading up the gig bag with laptop and power supply (very important), audio interface, keyboard, mixer, collapsable metal stands, USB hub and various spare cables just in case, we trudged up the hill to the train station, reflecting on lines from "Fool's Gold" about aching backs and knifelike straps.  Venturing into Manchester city centre promises a multitude of architectural delights, blending ornate Victorian civic pride with the cutting edge. The reason is clear: Manchester is engrossed in its own seemingly perpetual reinvention. From being the actual birthplace of the industrial revolution, and later wet nursing the infant computer revolution, this city's taste for innovation and change is borne of its revolutionary roots. Any notions of waiting to hear what London thinks are routinely abandoned and surpassed with Mancunian ingenuity and an attitude of "I'll
Read more

In the Loop...

Image
It's a long way to Shrewsbury by car from Darkest Cheshire, but armed with Marjorie the satnav, a splendid sunny morning, and Ned's Atomic Dustbin on Spotify (first two albums on shuffle and repeat, lovely), it was plain sailing right until I hit the outskirts of the town. Being an ancient market town built on a loop in the River Severn, access by car is limited to a single road down past the railway station. It took about half an hour to travel the final mile or so. The event itself had been moved at short notice from Albert & Co, which has an intimate, friendly vibe, to Albert's Shed, which is a much larger venue by EMOM or any other standards. I estimate you could get 200+ people in there and still have space to dance. So, obviously, on a glorious Saturday afternoon when most people would be out and about, it was going to be a struggle to get an audience, but no matter! It's not how big it is, but what you do with it that counts. First up was Torsk. His set had a
Read more