entertainment | The Library of Obscure Wonders

Bird Radio

A modern one man band.

He’s a very busy man. We are only just getting him to perform with us on Wednesday before he and Chiara Ambrosio fly off to New York together to do a tour of the States the next day.

His music is both medieval and contemporary, etherial and earthy. I envy the way he manages to coordinate so many things live on stage in a song, playing a red suitcase as a drum, operating a loop pedal, playing flute, singing. Some looped music can become quite hypnotic, but Bird Radio manages to be very much there, and engaged with the audience.

His persona is friendly and draws the audience into his world where nursery rhyme and original material mix in surprising ways.

In this video (by Chiara) of the song Who Killed Cock Robin he looks quite fierce and aggressive, but really his stage persona is very loveable.

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November 2, 2012

SMOO – Filthy and loveable

A dirty word that I’m not supposed to say or (and) something cuddly and loveable like a teddy bear – this is some of what the Urban Dictionary tells me about the word SMOO. It is also the name of the duo combining Ivor Kallin and John Bisset and it suits them well. I’m told they’re like a Scottish version of Derek and Clive with guitar (but not as we know it), and a little bit of the Goons thrown in. I never listened to Derek and Clive or the Goons but I know I thought SMOO were hilarious! Gifted, filthy, loveable and telepathic.

They’re performing at the Library’s Curious Contraption night Downstairs at the Vortex this Wednesday (7thNov) for free. Here is a video John sent me just to confuse you, it is not much like what I saw them do at Klinker, but its good too.

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October 24, 2012

Bitten By A Monkey

So the next taster from my selection of exhibits for the 7th Nov is Bitten By A Monkey. Now this group you really have to hear live, the recorded stuff is nothing compared to the real weird excitement of the live act. The last time I saw them they didn’t have a keyboard which was a real shame, although coped with handsomely. I missed the keyboard so when I found Downstairs at The Vortex has two pianos (one very out of tune!) I just had to ask Bitten By A Monkey to play.

Steve Myers and brothers Roland & Dylan Bates have been playing, composing, and philosophising together regularly for sometime, all exceedingly talented muscicians they describe themselves as alternative/experimental/folk. One of my favourite pieces of theirs is The Quest for Authorization, each time I’ve heard it performed its been completely different and each time its been disturbing and pleasurable in equal measure, genius. Something other is the best way I can describe it.

Dylan Bates: violin, saw, mediaeval fiddle, overtone flute, xaphoon.

Steve Myers: recorders.

Roland Bates: piano.

By all means listen to the myspace link, but remember the live act is something else, something wondrous, something magic!

http://www.myspace.com/bittenbyamonkey/music

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October 21, 2012

A Curious Contraption

The Library is putting on an event! Storytelling, music, poetry, film. Its called Mr Slaptail’s Curious Contraption (after a children’s book about a group of river animals that build a scientific contraption). The Librarian will be there collecting ghost stories, the Rude Mechanicals will be conjuring up monsters, Bitten by a Monkey will be chanting disturbing monk-like improvisations, Bird Radio shall be the modern day one man band he is, and Miss Roberts shall be loving and abusing musicians and audience alike. It will be held on 7th Nov at the Vortex Downstairs, Gillet SquareLondon.