This clip of The Art Of Noise playing live on The Tube is fantastic - their kit includes three Fairlights, a PPG Wave 2, a MemoryMoog and racks of AMS RMX16 and Lexicon 224 reverbs. Unlike this TV gearfest, it's filmed with a gear pornographer's lustful eye - lots of slow pans across the synths, even a long close up of the racks. And the band are dressed as Pierrot. And Paul Morley is sipping a glass of wine. And the audience are completely baffled. I saw Art of Noise playing live a few years ago and it was pitiful, compared to this. Be sure to also watch this introduction, with Jools Holland talking through the gear and being sampled himself.
Posted by Tom Whitwell.
Comments:
Not sure how this is related to your post, but I just couldn't help myself.
Blimey I was looking for the TOTP appearance the oither day and never thought of the Tube. How stupid. This is great though isn't it? Look at all that kit. JJ acting the fool, he's really excited isn't he? Anne's "to be in England" is a bit nervey too but the playing's spot on of course. Ah, look at the Klark Teknik EQ! (I used to work there) Morley presses that button at the start on that keyboard in the gallery which I reckon, must be to start all that text, so he was almost live too. Nice touch, that.
Wow. So much fine gear to produce so much crap. Amazing. Never did get that group, even at the time it seemed like amazingly UNinteresting use of that technology. Yeah - I guess back then I would rather have seen Negativeland work with tape carts and make some social commentary.
At one time I had an old VHS that I had taped off...MTV. A live AON show. They played a few songs. I remember them doing "Opus 4" using a triggered drum kit. I also remember Peter Gunn, and "Backbeat," complete with a Fairlight "solo" by JJ. It would awesome if somebody hadn't taped over that. Anybody?
I remember this at the time. I recorded it at the time and almost wore the tape out watching this clip. I subsequently, and in hindsight, foolishly recorded over this stuff.
but also check out the introduction where Jools Holland is sampled by JJ :)
This is about the worst and most cheesy stuff i have heard in several years! It really sounds horrible! The only group that have managed to get anything close to descent and non-cheesy sounds out of a Fairlight are Jeans Team from Germany! And the most un-inspired sound i have ever heard from a memorymoog. I have played one and it can sound much more interesting than this! What is more cheesy than one Fairlight? ...3 Fairlights for sure!!!
: 12:04 pm