FESTIVAL COMEDY | Beardyman
BEATS
AND PIECES
Ahead of his Edinburgh show, Ahead of his Edinburgh show, Beardyman chats to Murray Beardyman chats to Murray creation, Beardytron 5000, creation, Beardytron 5000, beatboxer extraordinaire beatboxer extraordinaire Robertson about his new Robertson about his new and his fi rst ever TED talk and his fi rst ever TED talk
B eatboxer Beardyman has spent the last few years eatboxer Beardyman has spent the last few years working on a bespoke system (‘two laptops, loads working on a bespoke system (‘two laptops, loads of buttons, knobs and touchscreens’) to translate of buttons, knobs and touchscreens’) to translate sounds from his brain to his listeners’ ears. He reasons it’ll sounds from his brain to his listeners’ ears. He reasons it’ll forever be a work-in-progress but he intends to showcase forever be a work-in-progress but he intends to showcase his Beardytron 5000 in his new show One Album Per Hour. his Beardytron 5000 in his new show One Album Per Hour. ‘It feels like I have a superpower now,’ he reckons. ‘I feel ‘It feels like I have a superpower now,’ he reckons. ‘I feel like Iron Man and I’ve got this crazy bodily extensionn like Iron Man and I’ve got this crazy bodily extension where my music brain now extends into the real where my music brain now extends into the real world. I’m a kind of music cyborg.’ world. I’m a kind of music cyborg.’
In February last year, Beardyman In February last year, Beardyman
‘I’m a kind of music cyborg’
of of
was invited to present his creation was invited to present his creation at a TED technology conference at a TED technology conference talk. He recalls the experience talk. He recalls the experience with childlike wonder. ‘That with childlike wonder. ‘That was probably the craziest was probably the craziest week of my life doing that. week of my life doing that. What few people know What few people know about TED is that everyone about TED is that everyone there is a multimillionaire, there is a multimillionaire, if not a billionaire; most if not a billionaire; most of them Silicon Valley, them Silicon Valley, of many very them very many them publicly minded and publicly minded and community spirit-led and community spirit-led and into progressive thinking.’ into progressive thinking.’ He modestly plays down He modestly plays down his contribution to the his contribution to the world of electronic music, world of electronic music, incredulous incredulous invited to take part. ‘I’ve invited to take part. ‘I’ve done the weirdest things. I done the weirdest things. I started out as a beatboxer in started out as a beatboxer in my bedroom and then a TED my bedroom and then a TED talk?! I’ve never saved a single talk?! I’ve never saved a single dolphin; I’ve not invented a dolphin; I’ve not invented a better battery; yet they gave better battery; yet they gave me that stage.’ me that stage.’ that he was that he was
As the title of his Edinburgh As the title of his Edinburgh show suggests, Beardyman show suggests, Beardyman challenges himself to create a challenges himself to create a whole album of music within whole album of music within an hour, taking in suggestions an hour, taking in suggestions 42 THE LIST FESTIVAL 14–25 Aug 2014 42 THE LIST FESTIVAL THE LIST FESTIVAL 14–25 Aug 2014444444444444444444444 444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444
from the audience and a special onstage guest from the audience and a special onstage guest from the world of comedy. ‘I can make from the world of comedy. ‘I can make any kind of music pretty much in realtime, any kind of music pretty much in realtime, which is a bold claim, I know,’ he says. ‘But which is a bold claim, I know,’ he says. ‘But it’s been my dream ever since I was a kid it’s been my dream ever since I was a kid to be able to have the music in my head just pour to be able to have the music in my head just pour out without having that process fettered by conscious out without having that process fettered by conscious manipulation.’ manipulation.’ As well as his astonishing talent at beatboxing and his As well as his astonishing talent at beatboxing and his boundary-pushing technical nous, Beardyman is also boundary-pushing technical nous, Beardyman is also consumed by the psychology of creation and consumed by the psychology of creation and his desire to make that process as pure as his desire to make that process as pure as possible. ‘We all improvise all the time, possible. ‘We all improvise all the time, and that, to me, is the core of creativity. and that, to me, is the core of creativity. All that sort of high-l own bullshit All that sort of high-l own bullshit aside, it’s a very funny and engaging aside, it’s a very funny and engaging show.’ Humour is a key instrument in show.’ Humour is a key instrument in Beardyman’s repertoire. ‘I think things Beardyman’s repertoire. ‘I think things generally are funny,’ he says. ‘Unless generally are funny,’ he says. ‘Unless you’re talking about Iraq, cancer, the you’re talking about Iraq, cancer, the threat of thermonuclear apocalypse, threat of thermonuclear apocalypse, global warming or Isis. Everything global warming or Isis. Everything other than that is funny. Death is other than that is funny. Death is really funny. Hilarious.’ really funny. Hilarious.’
So what does he see as the next So what does he see as the next step in the fusion of man, music step in the fusion of man, music and machine? ‘There is actually and machine? ‘There is actually a guy called Onyx Ashanti who a guy called Onyx Ashanti who busks for Bitcoins and he’s a genuine busks for Bitcoins and he’s a genuine cyber warrior,’ he marvels ‘He’s got cyber warrior,’ he marvels ‘He’s got a robot arm that dances along with a robot arm that dances along with him, copying his movements. He is him, copying his movements. He is genuinely a cyborg. I suppose I’m genuinely a cyborg. I suppose I’m just a dude standing in front of just a dude standing in front of this giant control stage that looks this giant control stage that looks like a spaceship. But we’re all like a spaceship. But we’re all cyborgs now with our mobiles and cyborgs now with our mobiles and whatever.’ whatever.’ Beardyman: One Album Per Beardyman: One Album Per Hour, Pleasance Courtyard, Hour, Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, 15–17 Aug, 556 6550, 15–17 Aug, 11.15pm, £14 (£13). 11.15pm, £14 (£13).