[Dancecult-l] Dancecult-l Digest, Vol 26, Issue 8

[Jim Boxall]

Hi All

I am a video artist based in the UK and have done a lot of live visuals work 
with live bands or groups recently (one four piece progressive/ambient jazz 
group and one six piece folk/jazz/classical group).

In the process of developing two particular projects I would attend 
rehearsals with the rest of the band(s) whilst they were working out 
material for the performance. I would bring raw footage or random half made 
ideas to test out on dvd players and laptop and run them whilst the band 
rehearsed. I found it interesting and frustrating that the musicians could 
jam, adapt, rewrite at will and on the fly, whereas I would have to take 
note of what worked/what didnt/what needed developing and go away and change 
it.

It occured to me that my 'liveness' was not necessarily the same as theirs. 
The finished performances for both groups included a fair degree of 
improvisation within a specific structure which suited me well. I could 
manipulate visuals at will with my equipment but ,apart from live camera 
feeds, the visuals were premade to work in a specific sequence. If the 
musicians wandered too far into improvisation I would be unable to follow on 
an equal basis.

I hope this is making sense by the way. I started to think about what key 
words such as 'live' and 'performance' and how I was part of the respective 
bands but at the same time not quite in the same way as the other members.

Simplistically speaking I considered what I was doing to be live and a 
performance as I was presenting something to an audience and was able to 
respond to the audiences's response.

Relatively.

Does anyone have any thoughts?

Jim Boxall
www.myspace.com/jimboxall

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