alt. title: hangover music

OK, started losing steam WRT the glogging (awesome, gig-logging), but while I'm straining to clear some of the backlog (klog?), I HAVE to mention this awesomely cute wee show in a little white room littered with angular & boldly-coloured mechanisms. The Gus Fisher Gallery was exhibiting "Homages to engineering in contemporary art" and some genius decided it'd be the perfect space for a set from Phelps And Munro. I'm not sure if they had any other clicky beepy music during the course of the exhibition, but it really was a great idea, and a good way to spend an hour on a saturday afternoon for those of us that feel guilty about not getting enough culture.

When we arrived, Phelps & Munro (AKA a skinny white boy called Gerald) was kneeling on the floor in front of his knee-high desk, dressed entirely in beatnik black, with spectacles to match. His music sounds GREAT in real life, more.. expansive, perhaps, than recordings - which is kind of perplexing given it's all electronica - and the set suggested (at least to this amateur) that his ideas have matured subtly since his debut album, Slowpoke. It also complemented the stark surroundings; it very much felt like the set was another art installation specifically chosen to fit the exhibition.

There was an installation rotating on the wall right behind P&M - on one hand I was fascinated to watch it curl up one way into a triangle, then uncurl the opposite way and curl into a square. On the other hand I was ever-so-slightly worried it might come apart & bop Gerald on the head. 5 minutes before the end I noticed that the giant boxy column right in my field of vision was moving back and forth.

Granted, it was bloody difficult to work out whether the event was a proper gig, or an exhibition with sound. My companion and I got there probably halfway through (took a bit to park and find the place) & despite just having to slide through a door & stand there, I felt a lot like I was intruding. There were about 20 people there, and they perched awkwardly on one of the two giant padded backless seats, sat on the floor by a wall, or stood around the exits. Everyone looked vaguely sullen. I think noone was sure whether they were free to ramble around and check out the art, or even talk, so by default took the uncomfortable sit-quietly option, and even then still felt self-conscious about just sitting quietly. I guess it's possible that they were all just hung over. Thank god the there were no breaks between tracks, the silence would've been excruciating. At the end of the set, Gerald said "that's it, thanks" and everyone clapped, and started breathing again.

Phelps & Munro
August 18th, 2007
Gus Fisher Gallery

Rating: 11am rise-time on a Saturday & worth every stolen minute of sleep.
Earworm: The main reason I finally got around to writing this was that P&M's Hat Hair was playing in Altezano this morning when I walked in & it's been stuck ever since.