Commodore Remix

hyperhack wrote:Why is it, you make a couple of comments and Rambones comes back with an essay or two?

Because opinions are good, and everyone's got one.

There's another snag to it as well: Everyone always think they are right!

So there. Anyway, I'm not quitting my day job to be an international rap star. There's enough of that shit around these days. Not to mention the fact that most rappers suck. As said earlier, I'm not a rapper, I just pretend I am. And that's that.

I can't stand rap, and hip-hop leaves me stone cold.

Didn't stop me laughing my man-breasts off at Makke and Lars, though. Bwahahaha. Gh0d love 'em.

And the thing is, there's an indefinable spirit about these get-togethers. The usual Event Morning Syndrome (which, for me, includes MadHippo turning up at my front door and saying "I see you're not dressed yet, Bog. Again.") and a slog through Londinium with it's tube-lines that flicker in and out of service like aged neon tubes, and it's engineering work that makes grown men cry - or at least end up badly out-of-breath 200 steps and a 2km detour later - is Just Stuff.

Wandering around 3 sides of St.Luke's to find the doorbell... again, just Stuff.

But when we relocated to the pub, then it started to be a BIT. I was lucky, I got some PreBIT on Thursday and Friday - meeting back up with great people I see too rarely, squinting through my viewfinder at SID80s trying eight different ways to play a noise that sounded like a fridge door opening on the SID, and of course the beer. Ah, the beer.

I digress.

When people started accreting in the Wetherspoons that day, the burble of excitement was tangible. Really - it actually tanged. It did, I smelled it. There weren't any strangers in that building - well, apart from the oldfella regulars who thought we were odd (how perspicacious of them) - just friends that we hadn't met yet. Or had met before but were wayyyy too pissed to remember.

And then, the Gig.

I love live music. I really do. I think it's the only way to listen to music, if I'm honest. Despite the fact that I need to crowbar to pry my MP3 player away for charging, I think recorded music is generally a pale reminder of when you saw the band play live. So, to see these guys playing live is a joy above and beyond anything else.

Thing is, audiences have moods - just like individuals. And it's rare for a crowd to have a mood like this one. It's rare for a crowd to be wishing each band so much good - at the start, when some levels weren't right, the crowd was sending a sense of "Hang in there, guys, we're still with you." And once that ickle hiccup was fixed, the crowd just took off.

I know my perception of this is coloured by me getting all giddy and excitable about the performances, but I stand by my statement that few crowds are as supportive as a BITLive crowd. They share in the joy that the performers take from their performance. They sympathise when things don't go right. It's like a big positive feedback thingy, all feeding back and positive.

I've never found anything like it, before or since.

I'll shut up, now.

Makke wrote:

hyperhack wrote:Why is it, you make a couple of comments and Rambones comes back with an essay or two?

Because opinions are good, and everyone's got one.

There's another snag to it as well: Everyone always think they are right!

So there. Anyway, I'm not quitting my day job to be an international rap star. There's enough of that shit around these days. Not to mention the fact that most rappers suck. As said earlier, I'm not a rapper, I just pretend I am. And that's that.

Makke stop pickin on me! I'll cry I will! I'll cry I tell ya!

wwwwwaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

told u

hyperhack wrote:Makke stop pickin on me! I'll cry I will! I'll cry I tell ya!

Hahaha, sorry dude. I didn't mean to sound like I was picking on you. We made you laugh, and that's more important than you liking the music, because making people laugh was what we set out to do.

To Bog:
I fully agree. Nowhere else will you find such a nice crowd as at BIT Live, possibly because the crowd at BIT Live is not just spectators. They're an equal part of the show.

> They're an equal part of the show.
Heh, next time there'll be, like, 200 performers on stage: a C64 male voice choir doing Eastenders...

Chris

Chris Abbott wrote:> They're an equal part of the show.
Heh, next time there'll be, like, 200 performers on stage: a C64 male voice choir doing Eastenders...

Chris

Would that be 'One True Voice of the SID' Chris? No I stand corrected, One Tri-Voice of the SID!

Okay Okay i'm getting my coat!

This is my view on this year's BIT Live, and I think it probably represents the feeling of the vast majority of people who love C64 games and especially its music, people who wouldn't have known such an event as BIT Lives even took place, unless they happened to read about it in the news sections of a computer magazine they read, or come across the info by sheer fluke, as I did, on the Internet. So I'm talking about the many thousands of potential BIT Live audience members 'out there' who might possibly come to a BIT Live if only they:

a) knew about it.
-Tell EVERY computer magazine, news paper, etc of any future BIT Live events! And tell them in good time, and tell them repeatedly! Perhaps you do this already thought, if so, cool -

b) read on forums such as this that it was 'really cool and a must come to event!'

So...
I almost didn't come to this year's BIT Live, this is because I don't really 'know' anyone there, I'm not involved in the 'scene' in any way (even though I do do some C64 remixes but I don't publish them), and I was extremely busy at the time with work bull. Also other than Benn, I thought no one was coming that I would want to see play live, as in, none of the actual C64 composers of old were gonna be there, this may well be inaccurate, but if so then it's telling that I didn't know that, ie it wasn't 'advertised' enough or something. In fact I bought my ticket thinking that Rob Hubbard and Martin Galway (who I've since found out doesn't 'play' as such, d'oh) were going to be playing, and when I found out they weren't, I thought I wouldn't bother coming but as I had the ticket anyway, I thought I might as well, and I even tried to help out to get those people back!<G> Desperate measures for a desperate man indeed, I hear u cry.

Anyway, I did come, I had to leave early, right before Stuck In Da'80's (I think I got their name right?) came on, ie the last band I saw was Visa Roster). I didn't leave early because I didn't like it, although the friend I told about the gig and brought with me wanted to leave because "this is crap mate", but I told him to shut the f*** up. Though I did agree with him on the drinks prices, SHEESH!<G> I had to leave early as I had to go pick my lady up from the hospital, otherwise I would have stayed for the whole thing.

The gig was amazing, and the 'best' band, though that's a kinda dumb thing to say but I'll say it anyway, was Visa Roster, but obviously I missed all the bands after that so I can't comment there. I'd have paid a ticket to see Visa Roster alone! I'm completely besotted with their music now! I'd only ever heard of them once, one track, before the gig, and seeing them live and buying their two CDs there, was just amazing, I can't wait to see them again! Ben also was spectacular, truly an insane person (in a good way), I love him so even though I've never met the guy. Also the whole gig was really funny, and lots of kind of 'in jokes' and stuff, which made the night really entertaining and made up some for the shortcomings of the musical quality.

The format of the thing was 'different' from the Brighton format, and I thought the format was cool, once I realised 'ok this is a gig'. Coz when I first walked in, and I saw no computers all about the place, and no people milling around talking/dancing/making asses of themselves, a-la Brighton Bit Live, I thought 'oh no why did they do this format! It sux!' But that feeling dissipated quickly, once the music started.

Most of the music (that I saw) was 'crap'. Again, define good/bad, but what I mean is, you have to be a fan of the 'scene' to 'get it'. Other wise the music is just mediocre cheesy pub band type, and not worth actually paying to see. But again, not Visa Roster, they were absolutely amazing on so many levels, and again I can't comment on who came after.

My wish list for future BIT Lives, I know most of this is restricted by costs, but it would be:

-Have a place with some C64's etc set up, where people can mill around and chat.

-The 'interval' music was better than the music music<EG>, we need some remixers playing live, with synths etc, not just 'pub rock band does C64 remixed' stuff.

-Somehow convince Martin/Rob/Ben/etc to do a set for the next BIT Live!

I know I'm going to be flamed into dust now, but I can tell you that it is possible to get thousands of people into a BIT Live gig, I KNOW it! But stuff I've said above needs to be disseminated and meditated on. HOWEVER, having said all that 'in a perfect world' stuff above, there is absolutely nothing wrong with having BIT Live as a small affair, for the 'scene' people and the most hardened of geeky fans, that is cool, and that is fine, and I would still show up occasionally probably. But if one wanted to go for the whole enchilada, the complete 9 yards so to speak, I think it could be done, but I know this takes vast monies and vast man days.
:-/

Have I been harsh above? Maybe, but, it's important to give an honest opinion here, people are being flamed for doing so, this is bad! A musician in the audience is well qualified to make constructive comments, things to take on board and consider for the next gig, to up the ante, notch it up, make it better, etc, where as a musician on the stage isn't the best person to ask<EG> Sorry Ben, but you know it's true. This is because they will often say 'it was amazing' as they're buzzing on the vibe and ego, one needs to 'check the mix' so to speak, from the audience’s point of view, that's why they put the mixing desk there. Needless to say I'm speaking metaphorically here, I don't mean the ACTAL technical sound quality of the gig, which was pretty good, so no complaints there. Though Ben your flute vol was too low. And you need a feedback interceptor on the mic lines.

Thanx again to Chris and co for throwing an event which was one of the highlights of my year!


I'm coming to the next one, no matter what country it's in!

-Somehow convince Martin/Rob/Ben/etc to do a set for the next BIT Live!

- Youd get Ban and Rob certainly, but i doubt Martin will get on stage.....

Matrix wrote:

-Somehow convince Martin/Rob/Ben/etc to do a set for the next BIT Live!

- Youd get Ban and Rob certainly, but i doubt Martin will get on stage.....

We could drug him, I have drugs, I can 'donate' some?<G>

(removed 4 u hacky m8 - whats the prob anyhow lol)

<CUT>

No biggie, it's just that saying that kinda thing could get Chris into problems, I've seen it happen before on other forums, you know these paranoid times we live in and all that.
:-/

This thing Chris was saying of having BIT Lives every 2 years as opposed to every 1, I think that makes sense, but I guess then you have the thing of we're all getting too old to go to such a thing without being really sad.<G> I don't care though, I'll most likely be coming when I'm 50.

But if BIT Live could be made 'BIG' then a new generation would come after us, but they would only be interested if the music stood up in its own right, like a kind of genre unto itself, and was varied, like Visa Roster. Simply doing covers of C64 tracks with different instruments doesn't cut it, though there is a place for that of course, but what you also need is a good chunk of bands doing various 'interpretations' of stuff, ie the, dunno what one would call it, the '64 Genre'? You could get a real 'fan base' there, I can say for one, that if I'd never owned a C64, some of the music on remix.kwed.org is utterly fantastic and stands in its own right, and pees on 99% of the commercial music you can buy in a shop! So I'd love it, and go to gigs of it, no matter what.

Theres very few modern game tunes that really stick in peoples minds today... with me its Tekken 2 / 3 and Soul Blade / Soul Calibur - but really i cant name any more, and i have loads of games..... for XBox and Dreamcast AND Pc....

Fact is, SID music was really catchy and just sticks - todays music maybe cinematic, grande', orchestral, PHAT or whatever.... but it just doesnt stick does it..... delta you can recall in a second, outrun you can, but can anyone, right now remember the theme to say Grand Turismo 1 on the PS1 ? I cant and i played it TO DEATH and back.

Todays stuff lacks catchy originality.... but hey thats just me..... very few modern games have music that "just sticks" in my mind.... or that i hum along in the car.

Well, thats my 2p anyhow.

LMAO - what a shitsorm over such a tiny thing .... oh well lol ....

Matrix wrote:Theres very few modern game tunes that really stick in peoples minds today... ETC...

Oh god SO TRUE! Yes indeedy sir, I'd go yet further, I don't think the C64 musicians realise how much impact their music has had! I've worked with a number of 'famous' bands who have told me they've been heavily influenced/inspired by it, and the amount that have been indirectly, ie without actually knowing it consciously, is too huge to calculate.

I won't start name dropping coz that's gay, but I have to just tell u one instance, I had a chat with Bjork about this very thing, and, let me just say, that she is a genius, but anyways, her and a lot of the people she works with, take a lot of their influence off of C64 game music of old! The same is true for many many bands, either knowingly or otherwise. The SID musicians shaped the modern electronic musical age as much as did the early techno bands, yet no one knows this, it's almost painful.