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Bang the Bore IX, Southampton, 28.02.2011. John Butcher, Alvin Lucier, Southampton Medieval Vaults
  • BoreAdminBoreAdmin December 2010
    Posts: 58

    image

    Bang the Bore IX: Resonance and Psychogeography
    Featuring: John Butcher and a performance of Alvin Lucier’s I Am Sitting In A Room
    8pm-10pm, Monday 28th February 2011
    The Castle Vault, Western Esplanade, Southampton
    (Nearest postcoded premises: The Quays Swimming Pool, SO15 1BA)
    Free entry/donations gratefully accepted

    Can sound haunt an environment? Can a performance space be ‘played’ as though it were part of a musical instrument? Can music engage with the historical and architectural essence of a location?

    Bang the Bore – in partnership with Southampton City Council and Southampton University – are proud to present an evening of psychoacoustic exploration in Southampton’s medieval vaults: a chance to experience the sonic architecture of one of the South Coast of England’s key archaeological treasures through two site-specific performances. While the vaults have played host to concerts before, none have been dedicated to exploring their unique acoustic properties. Resonance and Psychogeography will transform a key part of Southampton’s history into music… an unmissable opportunity to experience the city like never before.

    John Butcher
    A generous and flexible improviser; a team player in ensembles and a composer for his own group; an experimenter with multi-track recording; a solo performer who specialises in site-specific performances that utilise the unique acoustics of an environment… British saxophonist John Butcher’s contribution to contemporary music is almost incomparable in its diversity and scope. In June 2006, Butcher toured remote areas of Scotland as part of the Resonant Spaces project, deploying saxophone and feedback loop improvisation as a means of exploring the acoustics of Lyness Oil Tank, Smoo Cave, Tugnet Ice House and Hamilton Mausoleum. His performance in the Castle Vault is a unique opportunity to hear a master musician breathing life into a location that counts as one of Southampton’s archaeological treasures.

    Alvin Lucier’s I Am Sitting In A Room
    This seminal composition is a true 20th Century milestone. The concept is elegant: a performer’s voice is recorded and played back, which is in turn recorded and played back, which is in turn recorded and played back… with each pass, the sonic characteristics of the room are amplified again, until the original voice has been completely subsumed by the sounds of the space. Alvin Lucier is the pre-eminent experimental composer involved in exploring acoustic phenomena and auditory perception; for Resonance and Psychogeography his work will be performed by the Leeds-based noise musician Stuart Bannister.

    About the Venue
    The Castle Vault is 55 feet long, 20 feet wide and 25 feet high and constructed from stone brought to the town by trade ships from such diverse locations as Caen in Normandy and Bembridge on the Isle of Wight. It may well have been built to store the proceeds of the King’s Prise, a tithe tax on barrels of wine imported into Southampton from France. The vaults originate between the 12th and 14th centuries and were intended for use by merchants or as part of the city’s fortified defences. In more recent times they provided shelter during WWII air raids. The medieval vaults are a lasting monument to Southampton’s longstanding importance as a port and trade centre.

    The evening will be accompanied by a short talk on the historical and archaeological significance of the Castle Vault by local amateur historian Andrew Lyall and will feature the work of Southampton sculpture and installation artist Chantal Powell, who recontextualises found objects as a means of exploring alternate histories.

    www.bangthebore.org

  • SethSeth January 2011
    Posts: 1,608

    Here's a link to the poster art for this event... Dan, Clive and I would appreciate it very much if people crossposted details of this to as many other message boards as you can think of. You're welcome to use our text and this image...

    image

    More details to follow as they become confirmed/arranged.

  • SethSeth January 2011
    Posts: 1,608

    For anyone who wants to print out a poster, you can go straight to this ginormous image.

    Thanks for the layouts, Sandor. And thanks for the image, Chantal.

  • SethSeth February 2011
    Posts: 1,608

    *bump*

    This is just over a week away now... I'm busy with the final preparations. I am looking forward to it to a quite ridiculous degree.

    Who else is coming? Could this be a place where people discuss ride-shares?

  • %5BDeleted+User%5D[Deleted User] February 2011
    Posts: 0

    Agh, just realised this is a Monday... and I have submission deadlines at work the next day. Anyone have a car and thinking of going there and back from Bristle that night? Really need to learn to drive now.

  • patturpattur February 2011
    Posts: 61

    im the same im transportless and theres no chance of getting from banbury in the midlands to soton and back in a night :(

  • Kev February 2011
    Posts: 723

    Dan - spoke to Barn about this a while ago, he's driving. I've sorted a car space for you - I just need to remind him of the date (you know how he is). We're splitting petrol. Did I not tell you this? I'll double-check with Barn about this over the next few days.

    Pattur - can't help, sorry.

  • SethSeth February 2011
    Posts: 1,608

    Sorry Pattur... I'll already be in Southampton, we're driving down 27th and back 1st.

    Chuffed you and Barn are coming, Kev. Nice one.

  • wubwub February 2011
    Posts: 18

    I am coming, hopefully with a friend from Romsey way, but I am also already near to Southampton. Will there be any seating do you know? I can stand for a bit but not the two hours scheduled. If there is room I am happy to crash on the floor.

  • SethSeth February 2011
    Posts: 1,608

    Wub: I'm going to bring some folding chairs. I'll make sure you get one.

  • wubwub February 2011
    Posts: 18

    most excellent - thanks.

  • BoreAdminBoreAdmin February 2011
    Posts: 58

    Huge front page update about this. Worth stating here in bold so no one misses it...

    DOORS WILL BE CLOSED DURING THE PERFORMANCES

    No one will be admitted while the performances are in progress.

    This is because the music relies on very close listening, and several people will be recording the event.

    So if you want to be sure of getting in, arrive for 8pm sharp.

    DOORS WILL BE CLOSED DURING THE PERFORMANCES

    I've just put up two frankly flabberghastingly good clips of John Butcher and Eddie Prevost on the front page, too. Well worth your time, Prevost's playing is... it's just... well, he's just a bit of a fucking hero innit.

  • SethSeth February 2011
    Posts: 1,608

    For anyone wondering what the door to the vault looks like, in case they're struggling to find it:

    image

  • SethSeth February 2011
    Posts: 1,608

    These are the Old Walls along Western Esplanade... you can see the monstrosity that is the West Quay Shopping Mall (Darth Mall, as we used to call it) down one end. This is the opposite view, the dome partially hidden by trees on the right is the Quays swimming pool. I'll confess, I don't know yet where the vault is along this stretch, but it only takes a few minutes to walk the whole length so you can't get too lost.

  • %5BDeleted+User%5D[Deleted User] February 2011
    Posts: 0

    http://www.entrances2hell.co.uk/ ?

  • SethSeth February 2011
    Posts: 1,608

    Is the aforementioned Darth Mall named and shamed on that site? Mel AshNavs told me yesterday that there's a whole chapter of a George Monbiot book devoted to its evil.

  • %5BDeleted+User%5D[Deleted User] February 2011
    Posts: 0

    If it helps, SO14 2EE seems to be a more accurate postcode for Google Maps

    http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=SO14+2EE&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=Southampton+SO14+2EE&gl=uk&ei=9MVnTcybNo6xhAe1sM2fDw&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBYQ8gEwAA

  • %5BDeleted+User%5D[Deleted User] February 2011
    Posts: 0

    Entrances to hell - a compendium of frightening looking doorways. Such as the entrance to THE VAULT.

  • SethSeth February 2011
    Posts: 1,608

    SO14 2EE is the postcode for Bosuns Locker... that's at the top of the walls, on a different road, so using it will take you the wrong way round the one way system if you're using a sat nav. I think, from memory, that there's parking on Western Esplanade itself.

  • %5BDeleted+User%5D[Deleted User] February 2011
    Posts: 0

    Hello, I'm the non-driver in the band.

    Do you remember the times you let me do the map reading on tour? That didn't last long.

  • SethSeth February 2011
    Posts: 1,608

    I'll going to worry about you if you ever do that field recording trip to Chernobyl. If you can't make sense of the map then please make sure you bring a giger counter, and if you see a gateway to Hell please don't enter it.

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