http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46aLYDcH97Q
If you make it to an Autechre concert, you’re in for an evening that doesn’t conform to typical expectations for a “concert” – in fact there’s nothing to watch, and a lot of people are likely to get pissed off and walk out.
Ario offers these tips on getting the most out of an Autechre concert:
- Don’t use earplugs – If you do this, you will severely impede your ability to enjoy the music.
- Let go of your need to be visually stimulated – There is so much going on in auditorially that any visual approximation of it would be sure to cause a mental breakdown.
- STAND BACK – There is absolutely no good reason to stand close to the front to see because there’s nothing to see. Thanks to that, you can move around the venue to find a “sweet spot” where you can comfortably listen to the music without earplugs. I
- Get comfortable – Listening to their music takes a lot of mental energy and can be slightly agitating. Find a place where you’ll have room and make sure you’ve had enough sleep or gotten some caffeine in you.
- Really LISTEN – Almost every bar of music in their set is unlike the one preceding it… so it takes a great deal of concentration to even grasp what’s coming at you.
- Be entertained by the haters – Another benefit of standing back is that you can occasionally observe as people leave the show with looks of disgust, overwhelm, and disappointment. By the time Autechre’s set was over, I’d estimate that a 1/3rd of the crowd had left. Whatever the reason, it is a sight to behold.
- Feel free to move, but please, for the love of god, do not try to full-on dance – There are certainly moments where a beat will form and you can get into the groove, but believe me, it won’t last long.
Read the full post at Ario’s Digital Detritus.
Ario is dead wrong about #1. Failure to use ear plugs will PERMANENTLY impede your ability to enjoy music. However, standard foam earplugs suck as the frequency response is nonlinear and will mostly just turn the music into a muffled mess. If you want to enjoy live music and not destroy your hearing, invest in some musicians earplugs from etymotic. You can pull out the filters for different levels of attenuation and they sound great.
But don’t ever let anyone tell you not to protect your hearing.
Matthew – good point – but Ario’s strategy is to move to a position where you can listen to the music comfortably.
If that’s not possible – musician’s earplugs are definitely smart.
Despite the fact that they’re so “intellectual”, I still think it rocks big, even in this Utube video!