Any gig that calls itself ☒☒☒☒☒ is asking to be labelled pretentious but hopefully this one can escape that curse of the so-called underground movement. Well, the Sounds Of The Other City people, who are putting it on together with Helen-Lois, have provided a translation – X IN A BOX.
They're looking to alter the order of a conventional gig that sees an all-powerful band on stage with the audience meekly swallowing everything that's chucked at them – Slovenian goose-step rockers, Laibach, took this mode to the extreme with their fascistic performances and imagery (see here) but that's another story…X IN A BOX is, we bloody hope, aiming for the opposite.
"This event will bring together these multi-disciplinary artists into one event that's main focus is YOU, the audience" the blurb states "Don't just disappear into the masses. It's easy to take control when you are only surrounded by yourselves. Don't just become an X IN A BOX!"
And to help us not become an X IN A BOX is a joint jolly between Dogshow, who "concoct a post-apocalyptic fantasy parade on rusty left-for-dead instruments, and a precarious horn-shaped projection system. Not a band to conform…" And Leeds-based performance artists, Topical Jungle, who "engage in art practice both collaboratively and individually; exploring the relationships between reality and fiction, and interrogating the relationship between audience and performer…"
Wazzing it all together is Helen-Lois, a dynamic duo of arse over tit art interpretation…
"What exactly does happen when all boundaries are put to one side and there is no longer one place to present art and one place to view it?" the blurb adds "The audience becomes more integral than they ever have been. It is time to curate the audience and make their role as important as any. The audience are curators too…"
Whatever. But will the audience be enriched? Will it rage against austerity? Will it be exciting? No idea. But can't be worse than the X Factor tv tripe that does make you an `X in a box'. And it's only four quid in advance to get in. Must be worth an adventure.
Sounds From The Other City and Helen-Lois present
☒☒☒☒☒
Saturday 26th January 7.30pm-2am
Islington Mill, James Street, Salford M35HW
Tickets are only £4 in advance from Bay Horse, Islington Mill, Piccadilly Records and online from Skiddle.com (click here)
For further details on the artists and bands taking part see www.helen-lois.com
www.topicaljungle.com And for Dogshow see http://vimeo.com/19952543
The event is being put on by Sounds From The Other City – and tickets for their annual one day music binge, this year on 5th May, will be on sale on the night too at £16. For further details of this see www.soundsfromtheothercity.com
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