LIST.CO.UK/FESTIVAL PREVIEWS FESTIVAL MUSIC
INTERACTIVE CONCERT #UNRAVEL A robot band, with an unreliable storyteller, controlled by the crowd
When #Unravel debuted at the Glasgow International Festival of Visual Art earlier this year, it was as an ambitious installation piece, a machine which would tell stories based on its narrator’s favourite pieces of music, and how these stories developed would depend on environmental factors such as the weather that day or the public reaction to #Unravel on Twitter. ‘It was about the reliability of memory, and how retelling events affects the way you remember them,’ says Tommy Perman, of Edinburgh art-rock group FOUND, who built #Unravel and programmed the instruments it played alongside recorded narration from Aidan Moffat, formerly of Arab Strap.
This month the Edinburgh Festival will experience the live debut of #Unravel, with FOUND playing the robotic instruments themselves and Moffat reading his stories live. The twist is that the audience can tweet their reaction anonymously to an onstage screen, which will affect the version of the story Moffat tells. ‘If they say nice things he should tell it in a confident way, and vice versa,’ laughs Perman, who reveals tentative plans for a tour and an app based around the project. ‘It’s like being given a thumbs-up to heckle, but we hope people buy into the playful aspect of it. Aidan’s got a pretty thick skin though, I’ve seen him antagonise plenty of audiences himself.’ (David Pollock) ■ Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, Wed 15 Aug.
TOM THUM Beatboxing Aussie seems to have swallowed bagpipes, decks and a didgeridoo ●●●●●
Part of Australian acrobat-dance-variety show the Tom Tom Crew, 27-year-old beatboxer Tom Thum now brings his solo show to the Fringe. With the ability to conjure up a large variety of unusual sounds – bagpipes and a didgeridoo both make appearances — the Aussie no doubt has a unique talent. Along with a charismatic personality and the ability to use this to comedic effect, his vocal capacity will appeal to fans of hip hop and electronic music, but also works well in a family show. The show includes a dubstep and drum & bass
versus hip hop battle between Thum’s multiple ‘characters’, a demonstration of how he creates his sounds and an entertaining video ‘Beating the Habit’ – getting laughs by displaying the toll his beatboxing addiction takes on his friends and family at home. However, the amount of time Thum has on stage could possibly be utilised slightly better, as the per- formance works best when he displays his range of sounds, rather than giving the audience a lesson in how to beatbox. (Sophie Stephenson) ■ Tom Thum – Beating the Habit, Underbelly, Bristo Square, until Aug 27 (not 13, 14, 20), 6.45pm, £12–14 (£11–13).
WORDS & MUSIC AMANDA PALMER & NEIL GAIMAN Husband and wife singsong with readings
‘Amanda taught Neil to love the festival,’ speaks the Palmer/Gaiman marital unimind (in fact hallowed fantasy author Gaiman emailing on behalf of himself and his ex-Dresden Doll and Fringe mainstay spouse). ‘He used to come to Edinburgh and do the book festival, sign thou- sands of books and then go home. Once he met Amanda he learned to stop worrying and love the Fringe, and last year haunted C venues like a ghost (and this is Neil for a moment not writing as both of us: I like the moment in drama where, as our Amanda says, “shit becomes real”, and just taking a punt on something that could be anything, and sometimes it is wonderful and sometimes it is awful).’
All of which is a roundabout way of saying Edinburgh’s the place to try things out, which is why the European debut of Gaiman and Palmer’s joint live show – which has previously seen a few dates in the USA – will be here. How did it go down? ‘We’d answer questions,’ says Gaiman, ‘covering everything from body hair to Doctor Who, from how to survive a zombie attack to our first kiss, and disagree on pretty much everything. You can expect Neil to read things, old favourites and quite possibly things nobody has ever heard before. You can expect Amanda to sing things, and they may well sing things together too.’ (David Pollock) ■ Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, Sun 12 Aug.
WIN TICKETS TO FAMOUS CLUB SPIEGEL The Famous Club Spiegel will open its doors at 11.15pm nightly as an après-show green room for all the back-door Johnnies, front-door Sallys, the famous and infamous. Situated inside the magnificent and much-loved Famous Spiegeltent on George Street, this is a club of distinction for ladies and gentlemen, fea- turing a selection of the very best cabaret and music stars on the Fringe. To win yourself one of 10 pairs of tickets to a night of your choosing, enter at list.co.uk/offers by Tue 14 Aug.
9–16 Aug 2012 THE LIST 71