08.46
Hotel Modest, Reggio Emilia.
Morning View I…
II…
Lobby call at 10.15, departure 10.30, for a 270km drive to Udine.
16.15 Hotel Acceptable, Udine.
Room With A View I…
II…
III…
Room With Art…
19.03 Teatro Palamostre, Udine I…
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IV…
The LCG I…
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VIII...
IX…
It turns out that the slapback in Reggio Emilia wasn’t slap back. The rear speakers were turned up. Our FOH mixer wondered why the LCG playing wasn’t as together as usual, while the sound at the mixing desk was wonderful. Well, when a musician has to ignore everything they hear, and imagine what it might be like, the musical results tend to be interesting.
23.55 Tonight’s theatre: an intimate venue seating 480.
Around 20.10, returning to the theatre from a coffee with Hernan, the Tour Manager introduced me to the promoter. I was surprised at this, as I had asked to be allowed my space; and specifically, not to be introduced to promoters. This subject I will return to, when time permits.
Five minutes before the performance, the promoter “introduced” the performers, at length, most of which introduction had no relevance to this evening. Nominally, the introduction was to request the audience to refrain from photography & recording. More on this, too.
A supportive, generous audience with one significant exception: a character who approached the stage, during The LCG’s first block of pieces, and put his stuff on the stage. I was standing offstage right, and it looked as if he might be an official photographer/critic of the arrogant kind. The act of music is always sacred, and the performance space (specifically, the stage) is also sacred. So, for a character to walk up & dump his stuff on it, as if it were a table, is sacrilegious. Even for a pillock of exceptional dopiness, this is rude.
I found my feet walking, carrying me off the front of the stage, right up to him, lifting his stuff off the stage (the stuff included a white face mask), placing it in his hands. He began to protest. As a semi-pro player in the West Country during the 1960s, I am not completely unfamiliar with the about-to-be-becoming outbreak of violence; and I sensed this particular character was on the turn. But Vincenza, a visiting Crafty-in-security mode, approached. I beckoned to him, and he led the man away.
John told me afterwards that the stage crew knew him (as a loon) and thought when I approached him that there’d be trouble. So, why didn’t local security act? Sylvain, our FOH mixer, mentioned that Mr. Loon declared to him: if you’re recording, so can I! Perhaps Mr. Loon hadn’t fully thought this assertion through. For example, the performance was our work, not his, and as such carries with it particular responsibilities. Clearly, that we record our work does not, entitle him to do so. But if this needs explaining or arguing to anyone, the gap is too far to be closed by reason; particularly when the person violates sacred space.
More commenting on this evening’s event, but not tonight.
Food was brought from the nearby restaurant to the venue, rather than dinner beginning at the establishment at midnight, slowly unfolding over the next 2-3 hours, followed by a drive back to the hotel.
"Define the aim simply, clearly, briefly, positively"
