Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Orchestral man hoovers in the dark ... unplugged

A bizarre musical show played in the dark using noises from domestic appliances may be banned on safety grounds. Composer Kris Lennox's show Cave features electronically-distorted recordings of gadgets, including vacuum cleaners. He said the Health and Safety Executive are threatening to ban the show unless he warns the audience at the start that it could be "potentially dangerous to their health".

Kris added: "The warning is in part due to the total darkness and in part due to the extreme nature of the music. The music is polytemporal. This means that there are large dynamic changes which occur at points where they shouldn't.


YouTube link.

"This destroys any sense of potential anticipation of a sudden dynamic change and makes these changes more surprising. This is dangerous to those with a weak heart. The Health and Safety Executive are insisting on a full health and safety review and that the audience have to have prior warning before the piece.

"I'm going to have to get people to sign a disclaimer before going in to hear it. I can't afford to be sued by anyone due to any adverse affects on their health the music may cause." Tickets for Cave at the Harbour Arts Centre in Irvine, Ayrshire, on May 13 cost £10.

1 comment:

L said...

What bull.

And yet they'll still allow those stereo systems in cars that'll blow out your eardrums and make you wet your pants when they're turned on.