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The Bays with The Heritage Orchestra - 25/11/08 RFH, LJF
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Thursday, 27 November 2008 11:10
Entering the auditorium of the Royal Festival Hall on Saturday, it appeared as though some sort of spaceship had crash-landed on stage. Glowing plasma screens stood dotted amidst trailing wires and banks of mixers, whilst a Perspex screen guarded a dormant drum kit. An analogy with a scene from science fiction is appropriate given the scope of this ambitious collaboration, which saw the improvisational four-piece The Bays join forces with Jules Buckley's Heritage Orchestra.

To connect these seemingly disparate outfits, an elaborate means of real-time composition allowed music to be effectively scored for the strings and horns to match the direction of the band. Once the performance had begun, the notes slid across the virtual staves displayed above the stage before dissolving into images of the musicians at work. Meanwhile, the ant-like Bays crouched and twisted over samplers and midi-keyboards below, the imagery reiterating a discourse of mutual cooperation reflected through their motto of 'performance is the product'. Building slowly, a cinematic introduction gave way to a steady 4/4 rhythm that initially drifted in and out of the mix, before dominating later in the evening.

Buckley threw himself into the conducting, whispered occasional instructions to individual musicians, even gesturing encouragement to the audience. Underwater pads gave way to synthetic stabs, disembodied vocals and even hints of garage as the mood shifted from concert hall to club. A concept such as this will always struggle to bridge the gap between two such venues, but this awkwardness is not necessarily a bad thing.

For what it lacked in longevity, the concept made up for in energy and vitality: The exhilarating immediacy of dance music, a collection of everyday experiences and sensations gathered together and thrown back at the listener, elaborated with added depth and colour. A boisterous climax to the evening was greeted with a rapturous ovation.

Review – David Winks
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Last Updated on Thursday, 27 November 2008 11:10
 
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