Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Chris Corsano / BARR at the Luminaire

We first saw Chris Corsano at the Sonic Youth curated day at ATP '04, doing his stunning free jazz inspired drumming with Thurston Moore, Jim O'Rourke, and a veteran avant jazz player whose name i can't recall. Billed as Dream/Aktion Unit, they were playing a high intensity jam/noise set that stood out even on this brilliant day (more highlights in no particular order: Sonic Youth themselves, Lightning Bolt straight after SY in the other corner of the room, Erase Errata, etc...) He's a very young and accomplished player who seems comfortable playing with all sorts of people and in all sorts of contexts. So yesterday I saw him at the Luminaire with this dude
who was rapping frantic and direct streams of his, erm, consciousness to vaguely textured beats from his boombox. Some of the drumming went along with the rhythms of the songs, and at other times he went a little bit wild and it was almost like two separate things at once, though there was always some connection, and it was intense even though i didn't get all of it. I guess they had rehearsed a bit beforehand but a lot of it seemed of the moment, one-off, and it was interesting to see how a semi-improvised set like that can really work. (Corsano I think was rumoured to be playing with Jandek at the Scala that evening, which was cancelled). I would have stayed for most of Magic Markers set afterwards if it wasn't so smokey and the problems they had on stage getting it together were getting a bit annoying. J Mascis was in the audience!

Another good gig at the Luminaire coming up tomorrow: The Lilys and of Arrowe Hill who emerge after some absence and following the release last Halloween of their splendid 'Hexadelica' record. Raw, spooky, 60s inspired psychedelic rock nodding towards both early Pink Floyd and GBV. They coined the immortal line 'On a daytrip to Nighton', hehe, and GBV are certainly fans too! It should be a good evening...

followed swiftly by ATP from Friday (god, gigs gigs gigs), which I'm planning to do very relaxed this year, go to the beach and watch some bands, no big ambitions... we'll see. It'll probably be the usual full on noise rock beach party. It'll be my sixth time in Camber Sands. I love it down there, I love the actual place. Actually, my one ambition is to make the trek to Dymchurch, an old place in the opposite direction to Rye. I read this ghost novel set around the area, we picked it up in a Rye bookshop the last time, it's mostly set there and made me curious. The area has an eerie vibe, Derek Jarman had his famous house nearby, and the beaches are amazing, especially when the tide is out. >>>>>>>>

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