Tag: H.L.Collins

Fame at last

In December The Dome asked us to play as part of their Earsthetics season. By all accounts Ryoji Ikeda’s amazing show was far and away the best thing, but we can put in a good case for coming second…

You can read about our day out on the Dome website.

minimal impact

minimal impactMinimal impact came onstage bang on 8:15, seated at a tiny coffee table concealing his kit, a massive video of degraded VHS feedback washing in blue/yellow arcs across the giant screen behind him. Starting with a coarse buzz that thickened out into a full spectrum wall of noise before being slowly washed away in stately swathes of phaser and jets of steam as the buzz reasserts itself as a massive insectoid whirr. A low fidelity immersive experience.


TR Agency

TR AgencyTony Rimbaud’s hand picked quartet, TR Agency, where second on stage for a commercial break. Ron Caines sat on a chair at the front of the stage, nick stalking behind looping collages, breathy sounds, synthy washes and swirling alto, while nick talks about Stuff. And chewing gum (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-24518203). The visuals were from a fantastic set of Black and White slides of broken mannequins. Nick discusses advertising, consumer goods and even recalls when everything around here Was All Fields. Staying pretty solidly away from rhythm it gets pretty spooky at times.


Static Memories

Static Memories 2Static Memories’ Gus and Dan set up right at the back clearing as much space as possible for Mirei Yazawa to dance. She took up most of the attention of the players and us, lit from a lamp low at the side of the stage, with a pale blue block of ice slowly melting across the background. The music was typically beyond description: scraped bow across double bass, chimes and delays, Mirei twisting in response and driving changes in what they were playing, its all Very abstract. Dancer and musicians interlocked tightly.


Noteherder and McCloudNoteherder & McCloud had Bartosz Dylewski who had booked the projector and built the screen supplying visuals, and Chris Parfitt came roaring out in a storm of soprano notes primary geometries sliding around behind him. It took me a while to get up a similar head of steam, but there was some grinding sequences I enjoyed and a section in the middle with me howling through the bitcrusher while Chris circular blew squealing overtones on the sax that still sounds pretty damn intense.


HL Collins

HL Collins (3) cropHLCollins starts his set in a rattling trio with Nicholas Langley and Hassni Malik from The Vitamin b12 sat in line at a metal baker’s tray, scraping metal objects of various sizes about. Its theatre and oddly musical, and very funny. After a quick session with Henry up a set of steps banging a mic’d metal bin Nick and Hassni leave the stage and Henry moves onto a didgeridoo coffee machine that spits water but makes amazing sounds, he then moves onto a turntable and some balloons and effects for a comedy improv session that gets slowly creepier with a slurring hum playing back against clicks and bumps and occasional bird call for an ambient music for hell’s ante-room.


health and safety night

Axes, saws, Psycho style kitchen knives, and no proper block for keeping any of them in.

ALthough at least no-one was senseless enough to run around with any scissors.


The guitar Orchestra led the way with Dereks mighty chopper. . . . fnar


Headliners Bela Emerson, Geoff Leigh and Richard Miles actually came tooled up with nothing more dangerous than ferocious improvising skills.


Henry Collins , presumably as Slashs Wormhole although we never discussed it, disembowelled some unfortunate piece of wood.

And Noteherder & McCloud had unsuitable loose clothing for lathe work. Good thing there were no lathes in the shop.


Bela Emerson, Geoff Leigh and Richard Miles

The Spirit of Gravity | Myspace Music Videos


slashs wormhole – sog nov 2010

The Spirit of Gravity | Myspace Music Videos


Noteherder & McCloud live at The Spirit of Gravity nov 2010

Noteherder & McCloud | Myspace Music Videos

you can’t keep a good typo down

I have more pictures which I’ll add later.

So this was our festical show featuring top fun from many places.

The elektrocreche kicked the mood off nicely with some chaotic fun.

Then it were Strangers From Birth.

Cranking up the noise levels were Henry Collins taking on the mighty Henry Collins in an earal waxbath made in hell.

Ital Tek cranked out some tunes.

Then Tim Exile


went all improv breakbeat on our asses.

and controlled it all from hisremote joystick.

Before Ceephax bought us back to earth with a great deal of old records.

Here is some video and there is lots more on our myspace page.

Tim Exile at SoG may 2009 pt II

Henry Collins vs minimal impact Sog may 2009

Strangers from birth sog may 2009

New Home

Just in case you thought it was all done with mirrors, here is a Bartosz eye view of how the live visuals work:

So the first act to play at the Komedia Theatre bar was a Bass off between Shige Ishihara and Henry Collins. Shige on mainly the SH101, Henry in his Slash’s Wormhole guise with the legendary two string hoover bass (Sarah, I believe).

I think I’ve caught a bit where the hoover is switched on, oh yes, Henry does like to keep things clean.

Second on the bill were kerazy pig mask wearing Meat Sweats.
The Meat Sweats sound like this. And look even better (see the video later).

DJScotchegg had prepared a special sonic set for us, featuring not just the gameboy but some excellent Synth work for a totally unexpected treat.


Then to crown the evenings antics we had Captain Shitmat on fine form.

Here is a live version of the mighty “Ellesse Warrior“. Ish.

“Rewind!”
“NO! – FAST-FORWARD!!!!”

Video to follow soon!