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This article by Boghossian looks at the live music experience as an emotional journey for the audience memebr, a journey where rationality is lost, the physiology behind these experiences and the psychology of the audience member.
Boghossian explains that on one hand our body will respond physiologically to the stimulus of a sound vibration passing through the air, into our ear drum, stimulating our auditory nerve and interacting with the brain. As music or sound travels in nerons, it can often interact with other nerons inside our brain which will promote a positive or sometimes negative experience.
From this explanation, Boghossian argues that if this is the only response, the body’s response to music is simlar to the body’s response to a drug.
However, he argues that it is more than this, with Boghossian explainning that a loss of rationality occurrs for the audience member, which assists the experience we come to relate with music.
Kivvy, explains in this article that we are moved not simply by our physiology, but by the shear brilliance of the musical experience, we are moved he argues, by the craftsmanship, and the artistic beauty of the musicians.
Boghossian adds to this point by examing the meaning behind music for a lot of people, which can be either representational or expressive. Boghossiann also argues that we place meaning on certain songs, musical compositions, albums due to our past experiences/interactions with them.
In conclusion this a very helpful article in articulating the deeper meaning behind music, and important for the analysis of the live experience.
Check it Out!
Reference:http://philosophy.fas.nyu.edu/docs/IO/1153/explainingmusical.pdf
In the hardcore punk music strand, mixed bills are something that has been missing from contemporary culture due the increase in selective listeners, expansion of the genre, accessibility to a variety of music styles and the unearthing of this once underground culture.
However, recently, Resist Records (the record company that has essentially a straglehold on the Australian punk hardcore music scene) has begun to re-introduce mixed bills, in order to promote variety, expand their listener base and devlop profit. This was provenm when two bands shared the headlining spot at a recent Resist Records endorsed show at the Cambridge Hotel on the 24th May, 2008. The two bands featured were Her Nightmare (from Melbourne) and Jungle Fever (originally from Adelaide, now residing in Sydney). Both bands are considered front-running hardcore bands in Australia, and alhtough share different sounds, are close friends and touring stallwarts.
Jungle Fever are currently playing a string of shows before they disband in July, with the band’s hsitroy spanning 4 years and a quiver of releases on both vinyl and CD. The band source their influence from American youth crew predecessors of the 80’s such as Youth Of Today, Better Than A Thousand, Gorilla Biscuits, Bad Brains and many other Cleveland, Seattle and New York bands. The band has undergone many lineup alterations with Gabe (the lead singer) and Jiggsy (the lead guitarist) the only remainning originals.
Her Nightmare bost one of the more confronting, imposing sounds in Australian hardcore, channelling influences such as Integrity, Earth Crisis, Hatebreed. Her Nightmare bring their largely metallic form of tough guy hardcore to the stage, headed by the 130kg plus power lifter, Luke Baina on vocals. After just completing their 3rd release, “Come Anarchy, Come Ruin”, Her NIghtmare’s sound is thicker, angrier and more intiidating than ever before.
The show began solidly, with numbers dwindling through the door, as the support bands, The Abandoment and The Secret Death, got the wheels slowly turning for what was sure to be a show with a happy ending. Jungle Fever took to the stage, with a discheveled Gabe, swinging limb from limb, in a psychotic, sweaty, crowd involved frenzy, as he blurted out sonds such as ‘Babylon’ and ‘Stayin Alive’, in a set that was over before the crowd knew it, leaving the crowd searching for beverages to restore their energy for Her Nightmare.
Her Nightmare stepped up next, with anm intro track that was enough to shake the glasses off the stage, with front man Baina in true form, with a violent assault of power, resilience and disgust as her stood over the small crowd below. Lead guitarist, Chizza was his energetic best, driving the tunes to songs such as ‘Innocent Seven’ and ending with the forever brutal ‘Lock and Load’.
All in all a very exciting, fun and breathtaking show by all.
Drew.
What is Straight Edge?
The short answer is that it is a subculture centered around hardcore music. People who are straight edge do not smoke, do drugs or consume alcohol. There are no dietary or religious beliefs tied to straight edge contrary to media coverage. The long answer requires a bit of a history lesson
In the late 1970s and early 1980s a group of bands and kids began something that grew into a movement. It would become a movement that would outlive many of their involvement in the music and the scene. They didn’t know what they were doing. They knew they didn’t like what was going on around them, the self destruction, the self hatred, the pain and suffering caused by the punk mentality. The f*&k you and f@*k the world attitude didn’t make sense to them. They took a symbol that was originally used to identify them as being too young to drink so that the bartenders would know not to serve them and they made it their own. So they started setting themselves apart by wearing X’s on their hands and by singing angry songs proclaiming:
“I’m a person just like you
But I’ve got better things to do
Than sit around and fuck my head
Hang out with the living dead
Snort white shit up my nose
Pass out at the shows
I don’t even think about speed
That’s something I just don’t need
I’ve got the straight edge”
Minor Threat wrote this song in 1980 and a name was given to what would become a movement. The basic beliefs that drugs and alcohol were not needed and should be rejected. That one should live against the grain of popular society and live by rules and standards from themselves and not the ones dictated by society.
Influenced by Minor Threat and other Washington DC bands like the Teen Idles and SOA, the Boston bands SS Decontrol and DYS took the words to heart and expanded on them and expanding Straight Edge’s presence within the growing hardcore music genre.
SS Decontrol, Forced Down Your Throat from the GET IT AWAY LP
What’s there to do weekends here
Go to a party drink some beer
Everybody’s drinking why shouldn’t you
Be a part of the drinking crew
CHORUS:
That’s real cool you’re a man
Forced down forced can
Forced down your throat
Forced down your throat
Conditions set conditioned to drink
Too much pressure just won’t think
Look what’s next smoking a J
Think for yourself break away
[CHORUS]
Do the hard stuff its real fast
Do it straight the buzz will last
Fuck off you I ain’t no waste
Why drink that when I just can’t stand the taste
The East Coast was not the only place where Straight Edge was starting to take hold. West Coast bands Unity, Uniform Choice and 7 Seconds were each adding their voice to the growing chorus.
Uniform Choice, Straight and Alert from the Screaming for Change LP
Who drinks the barley?
Who drinks the grain?
Who shoots that shit into their veins?
Is there really the need for the use of dope?
Does it solve ones problems
Can it help one cope?
All the above bands were active between 1981 and 1984. Things stalled at this point. It wasn’t until 1985 that a band would come along and change straight edge forever and turn it into the movement that everyone involved today knows and loves. This band was Youth of Today. The record that would change it all was Can’t Close my Eyes. During its existence youth of Today featured pretty much a who’s who of New York Hardcore. Youth of Today shared members with bands that would define the youth crew and straight edge sound for years to come. Bands like Bold, Side By Side, Gorilla Biscuits, Judge, and Project X. These bands together would form the backbone that all modern straight edge bands benefit from. These are best represented by the lyrics of the song that named the era.
Youth of Today, Youth Crew from the Can’t Close my Eyes 7″
Me you youth crew!
If the world was flat I’d grind the edge
To the positive youth my heart I pledge
X on my hand now take the oath
To positive youth to positive growth
To positive minds, to pure clean souls
These will be all my goals
Walk with me and my crew
There is so much shit we can do
And we won’t stop until we’re through
The Youth Crew era lasted through the late 80s and straight edge would never be the same. It was now a movement. It was more than just a set of personal beliefs. It was something more. It was more than words it was a force of change in the world.
The late 1980s and early 1990s found many straight edge bands becoming more and more political and more geographically dispersed. California saw bands like Inside Out, Insted, Chain of Strength, Outspoken, No for an Answer, Carry Nation, Chorus of disapproval and Unbroken. Seattle saw bands like Brotherhood and Undertow. The east coast had Turning Point, Mouthpiece, Flagmen, Crud, Battery, and Lifetime.
Brotherhood, No Tolerance (For Ignorance) from Fuck Racism, No Tolerance EP
So proud of your country, nationalistic pride
So proud of your race, prejudiced mind
If you so love your country why can’t you see
It’s made up of all people, no racial boundaries
We’re dedicated to stop your ignorance
Band together to bring you to your knees
For your actions we have no tolerance
Your blind hate, prejudice, a disease
Beating up kids who don’t share your views
Pull that shit with us and you’ll lose
We may lose some battles
But we’ll win this war
We may have sat complacent once, no more
The mid 1990s saw explosive growth due in large part to the pro animal rights, pro straight edge band Earth Crisis. The more metallic Bands of this era were One King Down, Brother’s Keeper and Strife. Many of these bands and people involved embraced a militant animal rights stance. It was at this time that Straight Edge gained notoriety, incorrectly, for advocating violence and a gang like mentality in places like Salt Lake City Utah. While misconceptions continue to this day, there is no truth or foundation in accusations like these. These stories were isolated and were blown out of proportion and ended many many years ago. During this time a large portion of people involved in Straight Edge were vegan however they were and still are viewed as completely seperate beliefs. Now however veganism is not as popular as it once was nor are any of the prominent bands now militant animal rights supporters.
Firestorm by Earth Crisis was often misinterpreted and pointed to as an example of advocating violence in the name of straight edge. However as with most hardcore the song wasn’t literal, but the mainstream press doesn’t understand subtext.
Firestorm from the Firestorm EP/ The Oath that keeps me Free
Street by street.
Block by block.
Taking it all back.
The youth’s immersed in poison
Turn the tide counterattack.
Violence against violence,
Let the roundups begin.
A firestorm to purify the bane that society drowns in.
During this same time period saw a Youth Crew revival spearheaded by Ten Yard Fight and included bands like In My Eyes, Hands Tied, Atari, Rancor, 97a, and Better than a Thousand.
Far less militant than the “vegan warriors” of the time, these bands were positive and brought crucial and edgemen back into the lexicon.
Courage to Care by In My Eyes from The Difference between
Growing up not slowing down
Time got your best just look around
But I’ve found something that keeps me aware
A whole scene of people with the courage to care
Your youth is behind you
As if you were dead
Those times were good man
My best lies ahead
When I deal with you now
All I get is upset
You keep pushing me away
Something you’ll regret
I know only a few have the will to stay sincere
Seeing different faces every fucking year!
The first half of the 2000’s have seen a lot of ups and downs in both the number of straight edge kids as well as the number of bands. There currently aren’t an overwhelming number of straight edge bands as there once were, but the ones that are around are doing it with all their heart. Recently ending bands A.18 and Over My Dead Body were straight edge super groups made up largely by members from earlier bands and all involving men in their 30s a rarity in hardcore and especially straight edge. Some bands that keeping things alive and spreading the message, With Honor, Casey Jones, Champion, The Answer, and Blue Monday
The Mirror by With Honor from their Self Titled EP
I’ve let tomorrow be a good excuse for
Not changing today
Looking over our lists of to-do’s routines have gotten in the way
Day in, day out it becomes the same
I’m tired of standing for nothing and sleepwalking our time away
Leaving our questions unanswered
Or never asking at all
Could we be something more?
Than we are right now?
Eyes closed, shut tight,
Apathy has us by the throat,
Loosen the ropes and let our dreams take flight!
So often we let our dreams fall away but not this time… let’s go
I feel like I’ve never wanted something so bad as this
Stand up and be something more!
We’ll make a change
STAND UP
No time to waste
RIGHT NOW
STRAIGHT EDGE
If you guys are interested here are some helpful links:
- http://www.sxe.com
- http://www.straight-edge.net
- http://www.xsisterhoodx.com
- http://www.straightedgelifestyle.com/
Reference; http://www.straightedge.com/whatissxe.html
Hey guys sorry I didn’t make it to class today, been pretty ill, busy etc.
I was wondering if we are all still happy with our chosen topic? Or are we going to change it?
Also if we are going to run with this live music theme, we may need to start pulling it all together soon?
Look at some conclusions? Statements?
What cha think?
Hey guys this is also an interesting article, and also about something a little closer to home…
URBAN REDEVELOPMENT, LIVE MUSIC
AND PUBLIC SPACE
Cultural performance and the re-making of
Marrickville
This article examines the use and promotion of popular music in inner-city spaces in Sydney. Inner
Sydney is currently undergoing rapid gentrification. Residential developers have played upon the
reputation of key suburbs as sites of creativity, lifestyle and “alternative subcultures” focused around
main street consumption spaces. Yet, resultant property market rises have threatened the ability of
artists, musicians and others employed in the cultural industries to secure affordable housing and
spaces for performance. At the same time, Sydney has experienced a decline in live music venues, in
part fueled by competing revenue streams for publicans (such as slot machines, trivia nights and
karaoke), but also exacerbated by the imposition of more restrictive licensing and regulatory laws.
These trends have been the subject of much public debate. In the eyes of many within the “creative”
industries, newer gentrifiers have merely exacerbated this trend through excessive noise complaints
and changing consumer preferences that have resulted in a slump in demand for live amplified
music. One policy mechanism intended to arrest the decline of live venues is discussed in this article.
Marrickville City Council, in Sydney’s inner-west, has recently funded a series of free live music
concerts in the open spaces it manages in response to a Live Music Task Force established to examine
musical performance opportunities in the area. The concerts are deliberately intended as a response
to criticisms over the lack of live spaces, but are also part of a wider commitment to celebrate and
promote cultural vitality and diversity within the municipality. These policy moves are discussed in
this article with regard to the politics of regulating live music spaces, and the role of local government
in mediating the cultural impacts of gentrification and urban redevelopment.
Reference:
http://scholar.google.com.au/scholar?hl=en&lr=&q=live+music+money&btnG=Search
Hey guys I was doing some research and came up with some negative aspects to live music experiences, maybe something we had not though about?
Check this article out…Its rad.
Risks of developing noise-induced hearing loss in employees of urban music clubs
Noise-induced hearing loss has previously been reported among rock musicians. This study sought to determine whether a hazard of noise-induced hearing loss exists for music club employees other than musicians themselves. Sound levels at eight live-music clubs were measured and symptoms of noise exposure in 31 music club employees were assessed by questionnaire. The average sound level at the various clubs during performances ranged from 94.9 to 106.7 dBA. The overall sound level average, including both performance and ambient levels, ranged from 91.9 to 99.8 dBA. Symptoms of noise exposure, such as tinnitus and subjective hearing loss, correlated with sound intensity. Only 16% reported regular use of hearing protection. We conclude that employees of music clubs are at substantial risk of developing Noise-Induced Hearing Loss, due to chronic noise exposure which consistently exceeded safe levels. Hearing protection is used much too infrequently. The development of hearing conservation programs for this large group of workers is essential.
My first band experience….
And something a little more recent…(7 years on…)
