Chris Abbott wrote:Oddly, BIT Live was originally conceived as something designed to be as different to copy parties as possible. No skills required, no intervention required except to enjoy what was on offer. Meet people you never thought you'd meet, do things you'd never thought you'd do... and all in a relatively manageable period of time.
Copy parties make me _shudder_. Packed into a school hall trying to code in realtime? Sleeping bags?? brrrr... no, that's not for me. I can understand who it WAS for, and I'm glad that this experience was there for them. But for the rest: the actual audience... the non-creators... the fans.. what for them? Most of us were too young to experience the old computer shows of yore, especially the legendary sense that things were happening that people would talk about for years. I wanted to be a part of that. But I couldn't be... and then the wilderness years. And then the chance for a short while to give ourselves that feeling while everyone was in the mood.
And then, unexpectedly, live bands started up. It just seemed like a good idea at the time to use BIT Live to expand the performance art: I have a huge respect for real performers, and I've also got a taste for the quirky
And so it grew. People volunteered to perform, and every year people who had been spectators at the previous event became performers at the next one
It became clear quite early on that the thing people enjoyed most about the BIT Lives was meeting people. Obviously copy parties are about the same thing, but if you merely meet people in the shadow of some happening, it lends an entirely new dimension. The word "magic" has been mentioned, and it is a kind of alchemy. It's the same alchemy that turns a dreary building with crap carpets on the walls into a magical setting by night. Like turning the lights on a dreary iron structure turns it into a lit bridge of beauty. People need a reason to get off their butts, because just spending money to go and meet people isn't something to do: people come for the event, but what they usually get is much more: a whole heap of people who have put the usual cynicism aside and experienced a wide-eyed wonder at what's going on. It's all in the perception. Ironically as the organiser I can see through the illusion: I've seen Gossips at its worst, I've seen the Brighton Centre empty, I've seen St. Luke's without a stage with tramps pissing on the flowers... but when I looked around, I didn't just see people enjoying a concert. I saw people living a dream they thought they'd never have, and not believing it. I saw people who've never met before become firm friends without the usual suspicion. The amount of openness was astounding. And it had the added bonus of demythologising the composers. To us, now, Ben is a funny, brilliant musical performer who's great to share a drink with, not some untouchable legend. And that's healthy.
I forget what the point was. But even if I'm not doing it, BIT Live should not become a copy party. It's gloriously different. BIT Live at its best gives fans the chance to become rockstars, and to do musical things they never thought were possible, in front of an audience that appreciates it. I was always convinced that C64 music should be appreciated by more people. I was, and am, still quite Messianic about that. And luckily the talent was around to really give people who wanted to play (and put the work in) a chance to live the dream for a day. C64 mafia are a perfect example. A silly chance remark in IRC resulted in a funny and memorably live performance that forever changes how Makke and Larsec are viewed. BIT Live has changed lives. Seriously. I just wish that more of the fans could have removed their cynicism and apathy, met me halfway and given it a go.
It's all about the people, people...
Um, I'm sure there was a point there somewhere. See if you can find it!
Chris
So basicly Chris, because you never became a scener (coding) f.ex, you never felt at home at these copy parties, and as you grew older it just frustrated the hell out of you that you couldn't make you dreams come true in this world.
So you started to create your own scene.
You have succeeded! 100%
So did I, ripping and making sure that I get all the SIDs collected and spread, so they don't get lost.
What is going on now, is simply that:
1) you didn't talk to EVERYONE at any copy party, its almost impossible..
2) then you go home with DATA in your head, but no INDEX to use it
3) this takes its turn over some years
4) too many non existant INDEXes, too much data = explosion
"now I HAVE to do SOMETHING!!!!!!"
You know what caused this ?
Hacked up, random computer-use. Multiplex life.
The world is not so simple as it was just 20 years ago.
I have spent a great deal of time studying the music evolution, and roughly, it has taken each 'style' 33 years to go from start to public mode.
I shall never give up, in fact i know that I don't even have to do anything other than just ripping tunes, because it is going to go where you want nomatter what.
Because our generation is now in charge, until we get old (watch out, the young ones a SPEEDY as hell! but lack experience)
There's a cycle going every 33-35 years, where a generation matures finally, and it's just a natural law that this will be reflected in the world.
It's not a mystery of any sort of something, it's how it has been for a long long time.
So don't worry.
Just go on.
