Arriving late, she skulked in making her apologies whilst her hand was stamped with an off-purple mark. Looking up she saw many familiar faces, other musicians, creative folk, students and lecturers. The Rose of England certainly are good soldiers to house experimental events and never fail to pull in a keen crowd she thought to herself. “Yes that’s right,” said the barman who looked at her like he had been a Russian heavy for too long and had opened up his arms to embrace noise. The pint of Stella on the bar was as cold as the North Sea. Looking hard enough from across the room you might’ve even caught an eel shimmering in it.

She found Jude sat cool as a cat on the floor rolling a fag, went over and found butt-cheek holes in the floor to rest. After a while her eyes scanned the room and she clocked who must have been Matt with his Cannon hanging round his neck. She noticed a line up of tables on stage with electronic equipment galore. “Psst! Jude! This must be a wet dream to electronica heads! Look!” Stroked on the shoulder she was suddenly confronted with a cute little Korean girl whose eyes came in and out of focus like trying to see the bottom of a well. “I’m sorry please could you move a little I don’t want to hit you when I am playing” “Oh I am sorry please let me get out of your way.” Shuffling around on the spot she was still only a foot away from the belly of the cello. Knowing this was going to be a solo set she was wondering about the double bass lying on stage like a washed up boat on a beach, waiting silently still.

Okkyung Lee had positioned herself on a chair and was silently wailing and rocking to a soundless melody. The crowd hushed and shuffled forwards and downwards to land in crossed legs as the lights dimmed. Lee’s set was entrancing. After composing herself time and again Lee began, racing over the strings with fingers eager but lost. Lee seemed so knowing; with techniques to hand every sound appeared considered. Dragging and whining the strings sung in harmony, spat and shouted. Watching Lee’s fingers tapping the strings like Morse code she wondered if this was composed or improvised music, it was so hard to tell. She was tense the entire session listening to the hammering sound of the bow on the strings and watching rosin dust cloud in the air. So much passion and drive, she thought to herself. “It is amazing to see this charged grilling inquisition between musician and instrument all held together on the end of the spike embedded into the floor,” she said to Jude. “Mmmm… Jazz, Classical, Noise, ringing out of the f holes, what a combo!”

Lee was joined by a kooky looking guy who picked up the bass from the stage, and pulled up alongside her. They stared at each other with the sort of embarrassment of being put with someone because you've got the same haircut. They laughed. She laughed like the nervous girl she really is. The male version of Lee the bassist played like a shadow, cornered in time, conversed and built rhythm. The power of the music enveloped the atmosphere and the dynamic seemed sure like lovers gently rocking. She shifted her attention to the archaic double bass wavering in front of her. This had the history of world tours on cruise liners across the Atlantic transferred on it. It had lost its sheen and had become a rocking horse antique. Both musicians developed a method of playing from the scroll to the bridge at the same time in the same moment, creating a déjà vu of sound.

She applauded as best she could whilst cheers came from behind her in the crowd. Getting up for a wonder she passed the table of merchandise mainly CD’s of the night’s artists and headed for a poster on the wall. Will Gutherie, Australian percussionist using homemade instruments, amplified found objects and junk, microphones and speakers alongside more conventional drums and cymbals. Damn, she thought. That was who she had missed. Still up next was Jez riley French & Lee Patterson. She had been told about these guys by Jimmy, “…and they played along to a silent film in the cinema, it was an amazing set, took them hours to set up!” Now she understood the table of gear.

“The heavily electronic band complimented the physical instrumental set by Lee and co…” She told her partner when she was home. “…though I just don’t like it when artists used pre-recorded mini disks and just press play, why not just listen to a bloody CD?!” “Hang on” Her partner said. “It’s about the process of using those samples and composing one recorded sound next to another. “Ah sweets, I gerrit… Know what, I went over to Okkyung Lee at the end of the night to giver her my opinion and support, asked how long they had been playing together, the double bass player and her see, and know what she said?!!” “We only just met today”

All photos courtesy of Matt Dalton (c)

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