The Bays

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so, i did a search and found no thread for this band, and saw them last night. their schtick is that they 'just love playing' so dont release any records - 'we dont want to sell music, we want to play it'....so its basically a jam session between seemingly a bunch of session musicians showing how versatile they were that they could play all different styles of dance music - first some jazz-funk (their natural oeuvre i think), to some electro-disco-ey stuff, then some house-ish thing, even a bit of schaffel(?!), then some synth pop, hiphop, all delivered in a bland completely forgettable manner.

They have a big following, and one that is quite dedicated, travelling round the country etc. but why? all of it could be done on a laptop, or better still, just by playing some records. But hey, its all Live! and Improvised! so that totally validates it, right! if this is their only selling point, then frankly its a con. anyway, any other thoughts?

― ambrose (ambrose), Friday, 14 May 2004 09:30 (twenty-two years ago)

the necks for coral fans.

― Marcello Carlin, Friday, 14 May 2004 09:31 (twenty-two years ago)

but why? all of it could be done on a laptop, or better still, just by playing some records.

I don't particularly want to defend them because I don't like that elitist sessionman thing but presumably they're much better at playing instruments than they are at operating laptops. They appear to be just doing what they like doing and are good at. What should they do, give up? ... because you have a cultural objection to traditional notions of live music? And anyway people playing instruments sounds and feels different to records being played. Not better but definitely different.

― David (David), Friday, 14 May 2004 11:53 (twenty-two years ago)

i found their performance alright on stage alright but the audio output rather lacklustre...'dance' music typically depends on some structure and the same can be said for a lot of electronic music so their "freestyling" left me exiting right

― Gus (Gutta_Funk), Friday, 14 May 2004 11:56 (twenty-two years ago)

pah bunch of amateurs they haven't paid their dues i've never facken seen them at the klinker or red rose or vortex or bonnington square or at any of prevost's workshops or at the gathering facken improv tyros away go listen to some proper improv i.e. derek bailey amm evan parker then come back and this time be good.

― Pyewacket, Friday, 14 May 2004 12:08 (twenty-two years ago)

"And anyway people playing instruments sounds and feels different to records being played. Not better but definitely different."

yeah but for example, they were doing their level best to get their instruments to sound like computer music! The drummer spent most of the time playing the syndums aroudn him that the real thing. that was the thing. it just seem a bit pointless. im not attacking their right to play, just the way people are like "theyre live! its dance! its all made up! thats actually a drummer! amazing!" which is the thing that keeps them popular. it really seems like their entire gimmick revolves around the fact that theyre a live band, right, that, get this, isnt a rock band. i dont have an objection to live music, but i dont see the point in what appears to be extreme tokenism in this case. the fact they pay live adds nothing and just ends up with somethign pretty substandard. i think they should stay in the studio....

― ambrose (ambrose), Friday, 14 May 2004 13:23 (twenty-two years ago)

they don't make records.

― Marcello Carlin, Friday, 14 May 2004 13:30 (twenty-two years ago)

I think that was his point.

Was it Rinocerose that used to do the "live house on guitars" thing as well? I saw them once and they were shit

― DJ Mencap (DJ Mencap), Friday, 14 May 2004 13:47 (twenty-two years ago)

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