Tuesday, October 19, 2004

Diamanda Galas, Paul Dutton, Vox Festival

Just returned from Diamanda Galas' performance at the Vogue theatre. I don't have much to say about the concert tonight -- it was intense; genocide sucks; she wasn't as skinny as I'd expected; the strobe lights were a nice touch; and I wish she'd taken me up on my invite to buy her chocolates and wine at Death by Chocolate after the show. Bought me a t-shirt and an extra signed pic for a friend who couldn't make it. Mostly I wonder if Ms. Galas will be sticking around to see Paul Dutton tomorrow night at the Vancouver New Music Vox Festival... I sincerely hope so. Dutton, who basically makes weird sounds with his mouth, has been the most exciting discovery of the year for me; he's been around for a long time, performing with CCMC, the Four Horsemen, Christian Marclay, and various other avant gardists. I've always been a fan of people who experiment with the human voice, but mostly it seems it's been women -- like Meredith Monk, say, or Diamanda Galas -- who have held my attention until now. Dutton offers something earthy, masculine, and most playful, and has amazing command of his instrument. He performed at last year's jazz festival in a jazz context (with drums and a horn player who I completely and unfairly forget) and I've been a fan since. Koichi Makigami, who has recorded on Tzadik and on a disc with Dutton, Phil Minton, and others called Five Men Singing, will be there too, and Kate Hammett Vaughan, whose more commercial work has kept me from wanting to see her til now... but it's only fair that I should finally give her a chance (typical of me to be reluctant to support the locals while I praise some guy from TO, eh? Bitching about the local scene in favour o' outsiders is, I suspect, a typical Vancouver characteristic, balanced out by those who take our teeny scene way too seriously). Hope there's a big turnout. The last time I volunteered for a New Music event I was able to score Yoshihide Otomo's signature... who knows what the perks will be this time, beside comp tickets? I wonder if Sachiko M. is single... ?

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