Gigs that bleed integrity
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I just finished working on an intensive week-long project with poet, Sh’maya, called Nabokov’s Present Tense. It was a great sell-out show and a dope collaboration process. You can read the text from our set here.
It reminded me of why I write and perform, and why I choose not to play every gig that gets thrown my way. Sometimes I say I’m busy, which–whilst true, is not always my motivation for declining. Let me explain– actually better still — if you listen to Michael Port’s audio stream at thinkbigrevolution.com, “You Are Like You market” , you’ll understand why.
Nabokov are ebulient and daring promoters with artistic integrity; it’s a shame that they are something of a rarity in the local london arts scene. In my experience most are, to use our vernacular, ‘on a hype ting‘. The down-to-earthness (humanity) of so many gigs, in so many scenes, is sucked out in favour of an unrealistic, unwarranted, don’t-miss-this hype. Nobody is fooled, and the scenes reflects that.
What makes a show is the people who come. If all the people stay at home, they will still be people. If only the artists show up, it will be a rehearsal. The people make the show. Why the human-factor, community aspect is ignored or downplayed in so much local gig marketing is beyond me, surely it’s the collective soul the very show ought to embody?
I haven’t given up hope, I know there are some great promoters out there, and I hope to connect with over the next few months. If your one of them, holler – lets talk… lets grow a show.
Picture by hurting bombz
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Who/what is [verb]swish?
A type of word + a sound, in a noun? a lyricist; a name, a style, a purpose, a privilege
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A lyricist from South London, a collector of swishisms, someone.who.is.still.hoping
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