|
the big nOte files - february 2004 |
|
|
the big nOte files - february 2004 |
|
updated: 2004/02/08 & 2004/02/22
First things first: I'm looking for anyone who
can get me in contact with Antoine
Occhipinty.
I'm told that Antoine released a Zappa tribute album, but don't have
more info.
Has anyone any info on this? -- > yudjin99@yucom.be
| ZZZZZ | The Central Scrutinizer Band |
| ZZZZZ | Vinnie Colaiuta |
| ZZZZZ | The Blue Devils performed and recorded Frank Zappa's 'Echidna's Arf (Of You)' |
| ZZZZZ | An interview with the Ant-Bee |
| ZZZZZ | "Creatures", the latest album by Frogg Café |
| ZZZZZ | A new album by the PrimeTime Sublime Community Orchestra: "A Life In A Day Of A Microorganism" |
| ZZZZZ | Chris Opperman, on very short notice |
| ZZZZZ | Van Kemenade - Palinckx 2 - Sparly perform Zappa's 'Son Of Mr.Green Genes' |
| ZZZZZ | the latest Palinckx album (from 2002), called "Henry" |
| ZZZZZ | Ian Underwood |
| ZZZZZ | Chunga's Revenge, from Salt Lake City |
| ZZZZZ | an Austin update |
| ZZZZZ | Don Preston's Akashic Ensemble will be touring in April |
| ZZZZZ | additions & corrections to the Robert Martin discography |
| ZZZZZ | The Metropolis Orchestra will perform a Zappa tribute on 2004/02/18 in Milan, Italy |
| ZZZZZ | Breakfastime |
| ZZZZZ | Cucamonga radio show featured the Ensemble Modern and Dietmar Bonnen |
| ZZZZZ | NoneRadio by Mike Keneally and Rich Pike |
| ZZZZZ | The Rare Bird mystery revealed |
| ZZZZZ | Hans Annéllsson's "One More Time For The World Some More" album |
| ZZZZZ | News from the International Conference of Esemplastic Zappology |
| ZZZZZ | Taco The Wonderdog plays Beefheart and Zappa |
| ZZZZZ | ZAPPANALE |
| ZZZZZ | Chris Opperman |
| ZZZZZ | Christophe Delbrouck's latest book on FZ & the MOI |
| ZZZZZ | Guy Darol's book on FZ |
| ZZZZZ | James 'Birdlegs' Youmans sent in some extra info |
| ZZZZZ | Joe Satriani DVD: the satch tapes |
| ZZZZZ | John Guerin |
| ZZZZZ | The Residents |
| ZZZZZ | John Trubee |
| ZZZZZ | A nice picture of your mothers |
| ZZZZZ | Hawaiian Tan Ratface |
| ZZZZZ | The Foolz |
| ZZZZZ | The Muffin Men |
| ZZZZZ | Sandy Hurvitz |
| ZZZZZ | Rose Marie Zappa |
| ZZZZZ | Marc Guillermont |
| ZZZZZ | Bogus Pomp |
| ZZZZZ | and the concert calendar |
|
FROM ALT.FAN.FRANK-ZAPPA |
|
|
Hi, I would like to report that I have found some Zappa related music on the recent Jefferson Airplane re-issue of the "Crown of Creation" album. Released August 19, 2003. RCA has released this classic title yet again (under the BMG Heritage label) as part of the Jefferson Airplane Original Masters series. This time, the disc contains 5 bonus cuts (one being an untitled hidden track tacked onto the end of track 15). One of the bonus tracks (credited to Frank Zappa / Grace Slick) is called "Would You Like a Snack". It had been released on the "Jefferson Airplane Loves You" box set in 1992 and is known to fans. But another track (not credited to Zappa but to Spencer Dryden) called "The Saga of Sydney Spacepig" is released legit here for the first time, and it contains without a doubt Zappa contributions. You can here parts of the song "The Air" fading in and out, and Zappa type Snorts and grunts are heard throughout. "The Saga of Sydney Spacepig" has been on bootleg before, but the version on this new "Crown of Creation" CD is a very different and seems to be a more realized mix. Just thought the die-hard Zappa fans should check this out. --
info: Kenn |
|
|
The Oxford Street Brass is performing at 4:00 PM, Sunday, January 11, 2004 at the First Congregational Church, on 1985 Louis Road in Palo Alto. We will be performing works for brass quintet, sometimes accompanied by the mighty and majestic First Congregational Church pipe organ. The concert will include pieces by Malcolm Arnold, J. S. Bach, Richard Strauss and Charles Ives, and a tango by Astor Piazzola. We'll top it off with a unique arrangement of "Peaches En Regalia" for brass quintet by yours truly. --
info: Ken Walter |
|
|
Tune in to Wisconsin Public Radio's Sunday Afternoon Live from the Elvehjem today at 12:30pm CST to hear the Sotto Voce Tuba Quartet. Among the several pieces they will be performing during the hour-and-a-half program is Echidna's Arf. The WPR News and Classical network can be listened to via the web right here: http://www.wpr.org/webcasting/ If you happen to be in Madison, drop by the Elvehjem for the concert. "Sunday Afternoon Live" is free to the public, as is admission to the museum. -- info: Kevin McDonald |
|
|
http://www.svd.se/dynamiskt/noje/did_6770645.asp The article is about a musical theatre staging of "You Are What You Is" that's in preparation in Sandviken, Sweden. No dates are specified, but apparently it will be this fall. And before you start ridiculing the beautiful language in which the article is written, please note that I actually bothered to translate most of it this time: === "Beauty knows no pain" is one of the twenty complex and musically tricky songs on Zappa's album "You are what you is" from 1981. The entire upcoming show is based on the tracks from that album. How did the whole thing really happen? - The idea to make a show with singer Per-Erik Sortti in a leading role has been in my head for a while. He hasn't been used fully as the good actor and singer that he is. At the same time, I have felt like doing something with Frank Zappa's music. "You are what you is" happened to have the theme I was looking for, it's about different roles and the songs are rather short. The subject was suitable to write lyrics about. Today is so much about "you're not good enough" - reality shows and plastic surgery - always the striving to re-make yourself, Lena Mattsson says. So "You are what you is" became "Du är den du blev" ["You are what you became"] and Frank Zappa's 80's was turned into the Swedish present. For example, "Charlie's enormous mouth" becomes "Lindas enorma bröst" ["Linda's enourmous breasts" - Linda is a Swedish reality show star - ed.], "I'm a beautiful guy" is turned into "Jag, en dokuperson" ["Me, a reality-person"] and "Teenage wind" into "Tonĺrsdröm" ["Teenage dream"]. - What was hip and satirical in the US in the 80's doesn't work in the 21st century in Sweden. That's why I dropped the idea of translating the lyrics and focused on writing new ones. But they're written in Zappa's spirit: daring to be audacious, not apologize and to provoke - to do what you want. Earlier that morning they'd met keyboard player Mats Öberg at the Gävle Central where he arrived in a train from Stockholm. Öberg has played with Zappa and has big experience of his compositions. Mats Öberg is blind since birth and may look lost when he leaves the train. But in the musical world he finds his way anywhere. His ear is second to none. Bertil Fält puts him in front of the synth and places his right hand over the buttons and tells him what functions they have. That's all that Mats needs to sound exactly like Zappa wanted Tommy Mars to when the album was recorded 23 years ago. Öberg joins only once a month during the preparations, but it's obvious what a musical force he is, and his presence feels necessary to make this project come to frution. With Mats Öberg in the band, the public interest might increase, and the project might stretch further that the planned ten performances in Gävle. The Zappa family, headed by widow Gail, is known to be ticklish about how his material is being treated. So Gail has been contacted and the new lyrics has been translated back to English for final approval. - Yes, I know she's difficult, but if Gail troubles us, we'll have to use the original lyrics, says Lena Mattsson, seemingly without worrying about the hundreds of hours of effort she's put into it. === All linguistic atrocities should be blamed on the translator, not the journalist. -- info: Jon Naurin |
|
|
IKE WILLIS RECORDED WITH YOUNGBLOOD BRASS BAND |
|
|
Q+A with Youngblood Brass Band lawrence.com January 16, 2004 http://lawrence.com/news/music/story/125008 Take a Wisconsin-made meat grinder found at a New Orleans yard sale and cram it full with a sousaphone, a snare drum, a bass drum, two trombones, a sax, two trumpets, and eight people who can play the hell out of these ingredients. Then stuff in a liberal dose of hip-hop inventiveness and start crankin'. Fry this up with a healthy portion of cultural consciousness, and oo-wee, you've got the delicious (and nutritious) Youngblood Brass Band. Lawrence.com spoke with Youngblood MC/snare drummer David Henzie-Skogen, in Cajun accents as far as you know. |
|
|
Where's the Beefheart? Sarah Dempster pays tribute to the Magic Band, reformed without its infamous Captain Saturday January 17, 2004 The Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/features/story/0,11710,1124751,00.html |
|
|
|
|
|
Absolute Ensemble and Adelaide Symphony Orchestra perform Absolute Zappa at Adelaide Town Hall, 9pm, on March 8, and Blood on the Floor at Adelaide Town Hall, 8pm, on March 9. conductor Kristjan Jarvi |
|
|
If you speak Portuge, you may want to check out, http://www.scrutinizer.com.br. The Central Scrutinizer Band
played a gig somewhere in Brasil recently, and they'll play another one in
a couple of days. |
|
|
VINNIE COLAIUTA |
|
|
Vinnie Colaiuta plays the drums on the latest Mike Stern album, "These Times". Out on ESC Records. -- info: Zjakki Willems |
|
|
THE BLUE DEVILS |
|
|
|
|
There's an interview with Billy James, the Ant-Bee, on the Nucleus website: click on "interviews" and search the alphabetical listing. |
|
|
|
|
THE PRIMETIME SUBLIME COMMUNITY ORCHESTRA |
|
|
|
|
CHRIS OPPERMAN |
|
|
news from Chris Opperman, on very short notice: Hey everyone! Quick update to let you know that I will be playing a
solo set at The Cat Club on Sunset (8911 Sunset Blvd., W. Hollywood, CA,
on Tuesday starting at 8:20. The cover is $5 with this e-mail and I
hope to see you there! You can tell me what you think about my
beard. Also, I'd like to thank everyone who has pre-ordered
"No Memories, Please." The response has been really
terrific. However, I'm not quite at where I need to be to be able to
afford to manufacture the CD's, so if you've been waiting to pre-order,
now would be an excellent time! Or if you do not yet have "Oppy
Music I" or "Klavierstucke," now would also be an excellent
time to pick those up and complete your collection! You can order the CD's here: http://www.onesheet.com/chrisopperman.html. Thank you so much and music is the best. -- Chris Opperman I received this message on Saturday the 21st, so
I'm assuming that 'next Tuesday' is February the 24th !!
|
|
|
Early 2004, Bert and Jacques Palinckx teamed up with Paul van Kemenade and Hans Sparla to tour as van Kemenade - Palinckx 2 - Sparla. It had been 20 years since these musicians had first played together. During this short tour in Holland, their setlist included Frank Zappa's 'Son Of Mr.Green Genes'. line-up:
concerts
|
|
|
|
|
Have just seen the film "The Four Feathers" (2002) and see that Ian Underwood is listed under Synthesizer Programming, with Randy Kerber. -- info: Richard
Witt |
|
|
CHUNGA'S REVENGE |
|
|
In 1999, Ike Willis toured with Chunga's Revenge, from Salt Lake City, a band put together and managed by Steve Auerbach, who also played with the band. line-up: Ralph Mason, Steve Auerbach, Donna Gibbons, Dale
Lee, Ike Willis, Burch Moon, Bob Smith, Tara Duff and John Flanders. |
|
|
AUSTIN UPDATE |
|
|
The Austin scene does know its Zappa. Check out the following links: - Added data, including discography for Groovin
Ground http://www.groovinground.com/
|
|
|
DON PRESTON'S AKASHIC ENSEMBLE |
|
|
Don Preston's Akashic Ensemble will be touring in April: 2004/04/02 WPRB LIVE Webcast+ FM Broadcast !!
--
info: André Cholmondeley |
|
|
Charles Ulrich sent some corrections & updates for the Robert Martin discography. Thank you Charles. I also added the superb "Purple Cucumber" album: various artists:
the purple cucumber |
|
|
THE METROPOLIS ORCHESTRA |
|
|
The Italian Metropolis Orchestra will be performing a Zappa tribute concert on Wednesday, february 18, in Milano, Italy at the Via Ascanio Sforza, 49. More info at: www.metropolisorchestra.com -- info: Alessandro Baglioni |
|
|
Here's a short chat with John Hancock: (from October 2003) UM: Who are you & where are you from? John Hancock: BREAKFASTIME is a moniker I've
used for many years as a sideman for various singers/etc. BT
is a multi-instrumentalist/producer type guy. BREAKFASTIME has
appeared on numerous records, last couple of years he's been popping up
on various compilations as a solo act doing stuff like David Bowie's
"Golden Years" (1995's "Only Bowie" comp on
defunct Austin label Only Boy) to a Shadowy Men cover (Deep Eddy
Records, couple of years ago) and recently "Jesus Christ
Surferstar" on OMOM Records (Italy). Also a new comp early
next year on Deep Eddy Records called "Texas Guitar Showdown"
which will have an original cut called "Maddison County".
I also released a solo CD single in 2001 of a cover of Gershwin's
"Rhapsody and Blues"-also available from Deep Eddy Records (www.deepeddy.net)
Phil Dirt at Reverb Central has given me a couple of real good reviews
and some airplay as well.
|
|
|
UM: What kind of music do you normally play? John Hancock: Various stuff from the punk rock/c&w/blues/jazz/heavy metal disco school UM: Are you a Surf kind of person or band? John Hancock: Surfed once, hurt my back. Love the beach, though UM: Is it your way of life? John Hancock: Someday I will return to my hometown of Galveston, Texas and I'll never have to worry about sand in my shoes again... UM: Do you really want to live in California? John Hancock: I lived in California for about five years - Texas Beach is nice too. If I can ever get this full album out I'll return to the Golden State and rock the house. UM: Do you play (have you ever played) other Zappa compositions? John Hancock: Oh yeah. A thing we do
here in Austin in October is called "Frank Zappa Hoot night"
wherin various local musicians interpret Zappa tunes for a most
appreciative audience. It's a benefit show for the American Cancer
Society and a lot of fun. Happens again tomorrow night. This
year my band is called "Saint Breakfastime's Memorial Pancake
Bar-B-Que" and features Walter Daniels (Jack 'O Fire, Big Foot
Chester, South Filthy) on harmonica and Ralph White (Bad Livers, Solo
Artist) on Kalimba. UM: Put them on record? John Hancock: This will be the first
Zappa composition on record for me. I'm thinking of making a Zappa
tribute page for my website and having some music from these shows on
there-I want people to hear my (fuzz bass) version of "Watermelon
in Easter Hay" and my original composition "This One's for
Frank" UM: How did you find out about Alan's Zappa Surf Project? John Hancock: Ted James at Deep Eddy Records sent me the contact info. Thanks, Ted! UM: What was first: the project or your track? In other words, were you already playing a Zappa Surf Classic before you heard of Alan's project, or did you start working on it after you found out about the project? John Hancock: The project dictated the need for Zappa Surf music. I answered the call. The music is our master. We just get to hold the guitars and act cool. UM: How did you choose the Zappa composition? John Hancock: It just jumped out at me as having Surfin' possibilities (it's about the Sea, I think...) UM: Is it your favourite Zappa composition or just the one that needs a Surf Treatment? John Hancock: Whichever one I'm learning or playing right now is the fave - a guy can learn a lot about music from this stuff. UM: Any other comments? John Hancock: Thanks for asking! Also check out www.zappahootnight.com UM: Thank you, John.
|
|
|
additions to the Others of Invention section: |
|
|
THE ENSEMBLE MODERN - DIETMAR BONNEN |
|
|
Hah, the joy of living in Belgium. January 12, 2004, the Cucamonga radio show featured the Ensemble Modern January 26, 2004, it featurend Alexei Aigui and Dietmar Bonnen http://www.radio1.be/radio1_master/programmas/cuc/r1_cuc_luister/index.html
|
|
|
Just wanted to let you know, the new season of NoneRadio starts Feb 9, at http://www.noneradio.com -- rp |
|
info: Chris Warot |
|
|
|
|
ICE-Z: International Conference of Esemplastic Zappology |
|
|
ICE-Z: International Conference of Esemplastic Zappology ... which took place at Theatro Technis on Crowndale Road on Friday, 16 January 2004, has now been put ONLINE ... inscrutable philosophical papers ... sentimental reminiscences ... poodle revelations ... golden turds & Zen Buddhism ... Peter Frampton's wrist array ... the true meaning of HRATCHE-PLCHE & Kaiser Rolls ... Cheepnis versus the commercial sublime ... materialist polemic ... rocket science ... insane grafts ... cute photographs of delegates in front of the speakers' pink satin tablecloth (stills from Esther's camcorder or Bruno Le Tohic's camera) ... anti-Mojo ranting ... pearls from the Output Marco-Structure (Maurizi extensions) ... photos of the drinking and dancing to Zappa records at the College Bar ... Evil Dick & the Banned Members ... Les Fils de l'Invention in wigs and drag portraying Francesco Zappa (fl. 1763-88) ... a freakmap of Crowndale Road ... late-nite discussions in front of anti-Nyman placards ... as advertised on a slip of paper given to select members of the audience for the Grandmothers with Don Preston, Roy Estrada & Napoleon Murphy Brock at the Borderline last night ... the secret word is: www.militantesthetix.co.uk/ice-z/ice-z.htm PS: People in London (or those anywhere who can access webradio on www.resonancefm.com) listen to Resonance 104.4 FM at 2pm (GMT) on Wednesday to hear Brendon Burton on Beefheart, politics and world music !!! !!! !!! !!! Get
you to www.militantesthetix.co.uk -- info: Esther Leslie |
|
|
http://truemeaningoflife.com/taco/coversthehits/coversthehits.html |
|
Welcome to the tape-manipulated world of Taco
The Wonderdog.
|
|
|
In the meantime, the arf-boys are releasing a 3-cd set and a 3 DVD retrospective on Zappanale 14. Mick Zeuner says: Subject: ZAPPANALE # 14 - STUFF TO BE RELEASED ON MONDAY, FEB. 9, 2004 Hi Folks! The time for slaving over a hot stopwatch in their dungeon of despair is finally over: the naughty Arfs be proud to unleash the music and films from their latest summertime adventure on Mo. Feb. 9, 2004. Yes! Zappanale # 14
on a 3CD-Box and 3 DVDs - to hold in your sweaty little mitts. Do you want it? Answer: 'Yes' or 'No'
arfshop@arf-society.de You'll love it... www.arf-society.de
or www.zappanale.de Zappanale # 15 Did you know that the Zappanale 12 album exists with two different covers? Check out:
|
|
|
And if that isn't enough, the arf-society will be releasing another
album. This one's a bonus for those who buy a Zappanale ticket. It isn't out yet, but it'll look something like this:
Just take a look at these names. Wow:
|
|
|
From: Chris Opperman Hi! I'm happy to announce that we are now accepting pre-orders for my third studio album, "No Memories, Please." Produced mostly by myself and Mike Keneally, the album is comprised of duets recorded during the sessions for "Klavierstücke" and features Rachel Arellano on vocals, Robert Thomspon on violin, Ben Adams on vibraphone, Marc Ziegenhagen on mini-moog, and Mike Keneally on acoustic and electric guitar, bass guitar, vocals, and piano. It's a really beautiful album and I'm very proud of it. Hopefully you will be too. To pre-order, simply visit this page: http://www.onesheet.com/chrisopperman.html. The price is $15, plus $2.50 for domestic shipping and $5.00 for overseas shipping. I will be happily signing the first 250 pre-orders. I'm counting on being able to sell out of the pre-orders in order to pay the manufacturing costs for the album, so I would appreciate it greatly if you would order one and tell your friends to do the same! Our target release date is Tuesday, April 20th. If you have any problems ordering, please do not hesitate to e-mail me @ chris@madphat.com. After I get this album out, I will be finishing up a live compliation of some of the cool performances we've captured over the last two years that will feature various incarnations of Chris Opperman & Friends as well as some solo material and material from Special Opps for release this summer. We're hoping to make enough money from these two releases to fund the recording of the "Special Opps" studio album, which will hopefully be released in the first quarter of 2005. In the meantime, I'm still working, working, working on the Vai orchestrations and getting ready for the Holland performances this May. For those of you who have been waiting for another L.A. performance, the "No Memories, Please" CD release party has been tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, April 21st at The Mint in Los Angeles. More information will be posted when available. For a complete track listing and more info regarding "No Memories, Please," there is a rough draft discography entry that you can check out @ http://www.oppymusic.com/nomemories.html. From that page you can also download two of the songs from the album for free: "Kamp Keneally" and "Cynthia H." Thank you so much for all your support! Music *is* the best. Chris
Opperman |
|
|
CHRISTOPHE DELBROUCK: FRANK ZAPPA & LES MERES DE L'INVENTION |
|
|
|
|
GUY DAROL: FRANK ZAPPA - L'AMERIQUE EN DESHABILLE |
|
|
|
|
JAMES 'BIRDLEGS' YOUMANS |
|
|
From: Birdlegs I filled in for Frank's bass player (Tom Fowler) in 1974 when he broke a finger while on tour. It was fast and furious but wonderful fun and quite challenging. I was fortunate enough to cut some tracks with him at Caribou Studios near Neaderlands Colorado. Some of the tracks were used on the "One Size Fits All" and the "Laether" albums. I don't know if any are on other albums or not. Frank was a workaholic like myself, and we spent a lot of after hours at caribou in the studio. It was great to work with one of the great masters of our time. The world doesn't yet fully know his genius. It was obscured by the "pop" (If you can call it that) stuff he had to do to pay the bills. How would one pay the bills writing orchestral music these days? I hope his good stuff someday will get played. After years of playing every kind of music you can think of, I finally returned to my roots (My Dad was a Baptist Preacher) and since 1997 I only perform gospel music. My style oddly enough is mountain gospel since I use and play mostly acoustic instruments. After so many years of high decibel music I've come to love the quiter instruments, tho the music is still up beat. In 1997 I realease two CD's - How Beautiful Heaven Must Be, and Gospel Ship. In 1998 I released my third CD, Turn Your Radio On. In 1999 I then release Lord Build Me A Cabin In The Corner Of Gloryland and then in 2002 my fifth CD was titled Angel Band. More information is available at my website, theolivebranchgroup.com. I still perform more that 100 dates a year. I have an incredible 48 track fully automated studio in Covington, GA where I produce and record mostly gospel music for myself and many others. God has truly blessed me since I "made my way back home!" Hope this helps in some way. Yours truly, -- Birdlegs website:
www.theolivebranchgroup.com |
|
|
JOE SATRIANI |
|
|
|
|
In the John Guerin
discography you missed the Todd Rundgren Lp. Ballad of. (1971 Ampex) -- Js Thank Jeffery, addition has been made. |
|
|
THE RESIDENTS * THE RESIDENTS * THE RESIDENTS * THE RESIDENTS * THE RESIDENTS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
I told you last time that there was a Gianteyeballs' tribute to the Residents awaiting your download on the net. Well, the tracks have only been there for a very short while, but they were there. Here's the list:
-- info: Ive Hapers |
|
|
PRESS RELEASE John Trubee,
leader of the band THE UGLY JANITORS OF AMERICA, in conjunction with the
Real Time Opera Company will present a production of Trubee's
quasi-opera HAWAIIAN TAN RATFACE at San Francisco's Studio Z on
Wednesday evening, February 11th, 2004. The production unfolds the
allegory of its main character, OUR BELEAGUERED PROTAGONIST, as he
encounters various conflicts, enemies, and travails in an absurdist
spiritual sojourn. OUR BELEAGUERED PROTAGONIST encounters the vicious
LITTLE MAN, the 3 BITCHES, THE FINGER-WAGGING PLATITUDE UTTERERS, and
THE SEXPOT VAMP with the brain-damaged DOGMEN in the DESERT BEYOND TIME,
among others. Performance begins promptly at 8:00 PM, door cover is $10, 21 and over with ID. END Contact info: Studio Z (415) 252-7666
- 314 11th St. @
Folsom, SF, CA -
www.StudioZ.com |
|
|
A picture out of Carl Franzoni's collection l to r: jimmy carl black, frank zappa, ray collins, elliot ingber, carl franzoni, some nice girls and roy estrada |
|
|
|
|
|
HAWAIIAN TAN RATFACE |
|
|
HAWAIIAN TAN
RATFACE ORIGIN OF THE TITLE: In early 2001 I was employed
performing menial clerical drudgery at a hedge fund in California. The
company was owned by Microsoft Corporation and was in the process of
being sold. Microsoft promised all employees of the firm a hefty
retention bonus if we remained employed at the company through its sale. SCENE: Here and now today and forevermore. CHARACTERS: OUR BELEAGUERED PROTAGONIST, hereafter known as
OBP. LITTLE MAN--bullying tyrant who unrelentingly verbally excoriates OBP and who narrowly escapes a raid by the vice squad at the whorehouse and who, accompanied by a whorehouse floozy, flees to Europe with funds he embezzled from the bank where he was a trustee. MIXED GROUP MALE AND FEMALE--finger wagging platitude utterers. 3 OFFICE BITCHES: RATFACED JULIE, SNOTHEAD KAREN, and NAZI SONIA. They wear exposed football shoulder pads and blue jeans. They viciously beat OBP with large rubber dildos and shriek at him during THE GAUNTLET sequence. LUCRE LUST--male character who goads, taunts, teases, and humiliates OPM using a cash/carrot combo on a string on a stick during THE GAUNTLET sequence. MIXED GROUP MALE AND FEMALE--dancers and habitues of THE GROOVY NIGHTCLUB in the CITY NIGHTS OF ARTIFICIAL EXCITEMENT sequence. 2 MALES & 2 FEMALES--Human Punch & Judy Show characters who smack each other with plastic bats in a tiresome, mechanical, and predictable vignette. MIXED GROUP MALE & FEMALE--playing tug of war to demonstrate the tiresomeness of collective struggles and battles between groups and organizations. THE STARVING DOG--OBP undergoes a radical transformation in a weird dream sequence and learns something in the process. LADY WITH THE PINK PURSE--mystery woman, a vampish sexpot in THE DESERT BEYOND TIME in MYTH OF THE STARVING DOG sequence who feeds the snarling, vicious dogmen raw porterhouse steaks out of her pink purse but who, of course, disdains the starving dog/OBP. 3 SEVERELY BRAIN-DAMAGED DOGMEN--snarling, vicious dogmen bite and snarl at the LADY WITH THE PINK PURSE who willingly feeds them. The 3 dogman have distinctive personalities: THE CHAIN SMOKER is a chain smoker whose mouth is crammed with a ludicrous number of unlit cigs which he attempts to light with a long-flamed lighter; the second dogman, THE LIAR, has bongo drums hanging from a strap around his neck which he alternately waters with a child's gaily decorated flower watering can and drums upon to garner the woman's favor and attention; and lastly THE DRUGGIE, who ties off with a rubber hose and shoots up with a comically oversized hypodermic needle. He nods off lying flat on the stage floor as the woman flops a raw steak onto his face. DANCE TROUPE--2 men and 4 women dance at various times in an area of the stage exclusively reserved for them. They may join the actors in selected areas of vignettes when and where deemed appropriate at the discretion of the director/stage manager. INTRO: Band performs 2 instrumental tunes: 1. The Electric Love Nudity Supreme 2. Struggling Against Bullshit & Lies (Ratface
Theme) VIGNETTE # 1: THE LITTLE MAN TORTURE SEQUENCE: OUR BELEAGUERED PROTAGONIST lies prone on stomach on stage center. LITTLE MAN sits on OBP's back banging his head into the stage floor. OBP is helpless to resist as HE IS ONLY 5 YEARS OLD. Narrator holds a microphone to the mouths of the characters not unlike a sports interviewer to capture their dialogue. Little Man: Don't you know it takes hard work and responsibility to get ahead in life? You can't go out and play all the time! You gotta roll up your shirtsleeves and sweat and struggle and suffer and die if you wanna make it in the world! OBP: But I'm only 5 years old! LM: Shuttup! No backtalk! No arguing! 1st FINGER WAGGING PLATITUDE UTTERER (bending down to condescendingly wag his finger at OBP): Children are to be seen and not heard. OBP: But I'm only 5 years old! LM: Shuttup! Get Serious! Potential is nice, promise is OK, BUT PERFORMANCE IS EVERYTHING!! (bitterly, with bile and a shaking head and a shaking voice) GET THE FUCKING JOB DONE! OBP: But I'm only 5 years old! LM: Shuttup! Your mother told me you lost one of your galoshes. Don't you know that if you were in the Marines at boot camp and you lost a galosh your drill sergeant would force you to carry the other one around in you teeth for a week! OBP: But I'm not a Marine! I'm only 5 years old! LM: Shuttup! No backtalk! [PARADE OF THE FINGER WAGGING PLATITUDE UTTERERS]: 2 men and 3 women take turns striding up to OBP on the floor as LM continues to smash his head into the stage floor. They bend down to OBP and condescendingly wag their forefingers at him as LM holds up his head to hear their scoldings. OBP is rolling eyes, drooling, and clearly feeling the effects of the head-banging torture. LITANY OF PLATITUDES UTTERED BY THE FINGER WAGGERS: God only makes you suffer what you are able to
bear. Band with vocalist performs 2 songs: 4. Lies A lone TV sits upon a tall, four-legged stool. It flickers typical images from TV: talking heads, commercials, titillation, stupidity. If cable can feed the images, fine. If not, a VCR with VHS tape programs the standard TV images. TV must be small enough to be smashed with a sledgehammer to dramatic effect. VHS player must be inexpensive enough to not cause its owner distress when it is destroyed along with the TV. A sledgehammer is concealed behind one of the PA columns or elsewhere where it is within handy reach of the ranting narrator yet concealed from the view of the audience. NARRATOR: TV, I KILL YOU NOW. O great destroyer of human potential O vomiter of vast stupidities O unintelligent screamers wallowing in Jerry
Springer's cesspool O vacant spewer of buy this, buy that O embarrassingly stupid comedies and meaningless
melodramas of soap operas torturing emotions into Gordian knots for no
discernible reason Shuttup, you stupid box! Shuttup, you stupid box! TV, I kill you now! VIGNETTE # 3: CITY NIGHTS OF ARTIFICIAL EXCITEMENT NARRATOR: After Our Beleaguered Protagonist escapes the idiocies of the finger wagging platitude utterers and the vampiric timesuck of the TV box, he ventures into the CITY OF ARTIFICIAL EXCITEMENT to make money and take advantage of all the attractive career opportunities that can only be found in locales of CONCENTRATED URBAN SQUALOR. He spends his nights at a GROOVY NIGHTCLUB where he repeatedly fails to obtain the phone numbers of young women who are only there to flirt, dance, get drunk, and then brag about it the next day at work. At THE GROOVY NIGHTCLUB OF ARTIFICIAL EXCITEMENT OBP encounters loud, pulsating music that changes with the times but is always regarded as hip, whatever it is. Nude Go-Go girls in thigh-high white plastic boots undulate on little risers by the DJ's booth. Sometimes groovy bands play senseless music artificially contrived by SATANIC SONGWRITERS to induce the club patrons to drink more so the club owner can garner ever larger profits so he can throw ever more lavish sex orgies with paid NUDE ESCORTS in his hot-tub at his estate up in the hills. OBP dances in imaginary nightclub with dancers to next 2 tunes. Band with performs 1 tunes: NARRATOR: OUR BELEAGUERED PROTAGONIST eventually
finds gainful employment filing paperwork at a hedge fund. Band with singer performs 1 song during THE
GAUNTLET sequence: "Hell is other people." He wanders solo into the vast desert plains, far away from any other human being, falls asleep nder the desert stars, and dreams deeply... (OBP wanders slowly across stage as if on long
walk, slowly grows tired, and falls asleep in fetal position in stage
center. He remains there throughout the next 4 tunes.) He observes 2 people, 2 men, talking. In his previous life he would have observed just that: 2 people talking. With the filters on his brain opened wider he perceives 2 men as demented puppets whapping each other with the bludgeons of their talk, each attempting to dominate the other in some twisted Punch & Judy show. (2 actors stiffly take turns babbling scolding gibberish to the other, then mildly whacking the other on the shoulder with an exclamatory grunt. This sequence continues on for a few minutes as the point of its tiresomeness is made.) NARRATOR: OBP perceives groups and collectives and
organizations battling each other in an eternal tug of war which,
despite all the yelling and screaming and triumphant crowing by these
various belligerent teams about their great progress in achieving their
ends, no net gains are ever made by either side. The middle of the tug
of war rope always remains firmly in the middle after each boisterous
campaign. Band with singer performs 1 song: The woman, LADY WITH THE PINK PURSE/SEXPOT VAMP, manifests the demeanor of a zombie. Her actions are those of an entranced automaton; a startling lack of awareness and an instinctive, dreamlike quality characterizes her movements. Her body movements are somnambulantly mechanical while feeding the dogmen. She never directly looks at OPB or acknowledges him other than by brusquely pushing away his heart box when it comes too close to her. OBP/dogman seeks to get hunk of meat from the woman
and waits patiently and obediently in a begging posture by her. She
ignores him. THE CHAIN SMOKER is a chain smoker whose mouth is crammed with a ludicrous number of unlit cigs which he attempts to light with a long-flamed lighter. THE LIAR has bongo drums hanging from a strap around his neck which he alternately waters with a child's gaily decorated flower watering can and drums upon to garner the woman's favor and attention. THE DRUGGIE ties off with a rubber hose and shoots up with a comically oversized hypodermic needle. He nods off lying flat on the stage floor as the woman flops a raw steak onto his face. At one point THE LIAR thrusts his phone number on a scrap of notebook paper into the woman's face. She impassively stuffs the paper into her bra and flings him some meat. His face is animated and he is the dogman equivalent of a social butterfly, blabbering blandishments and vacuous chatter between the snarls and aggressive, doglike gestures. OBP/dogman proffers the Valentine's heart box to
the vamp. She firmly pushes it away in annoyance. OPM several times
repeats offer, vamp woman repeatedly pushes it way with increasing
irritation. NARRATOR loudly stops BG music of band as near silence envelopes the stage. The Dogman continue to snarl at and paw the SEXPOT VAMP. NARRATOR with a microphone amidst the silence interviews VAMP. NARRATOR: What a minute, what a minute, what exactly is going on here? VAMP (with somnambulant Forrest Gump accent): Ah don't know. Ah'm jest an insensate zombie. Ah don't know what the hell ah'm doin'. NARRATOR: But OUR BELEAGUERED PROTAGONIST here is starving to death, he hasn't been fed in ages, and is offering you something of substantial value--yet you blindly feed only the most severely brain-damaged, inferior, subhuman DOGMEN with obvious character defects and addictions galore who only lie to you, bite you, snarl at you, disrespect you, and give you nothing of lasting value. Why? WHY are you doing this? VAMP: Why, I don't know. It's jest chemistry ah s'pose! NARRATOR (barely containing his anger, becoming
nauseous): Chemistry? CHEMISTRY?! Yeah, it's chemistry, all right! NARRATOR crumples to the stage blasting obnoxious
retching and snorting sounds closely into the microphone as the band
begins to squeal and create a din of chaotic noise behind him. After a
minute or so of this madness the band continues its earlier MYTH OF THE
STARVING DOG background vamp. Band with singer performs 1 song: 19. World Agony Processional NARRATOR: Our Beleaguered Protagonist ultimately realizes that despite the world's many miseries he must will himself to happiness if he is to remain alive. He starts to ignore the many stupidities that make him sad and pays attention to the things he loves-- such as listening to beautiful music... Band performs 1 tune: 20. Round & Round Actors & dancers dance and mug and cavort to jazz waltz in uptempo 6/8 meter. Band performs opening instrumental theme music: 21. The Electric Love Nudity Supreme 22. Struggling Against Bullshit & Lies (Ratface Theme)
END |
|
|
THE FOOLZ |
|
|
More
info at www.foolz.nl
or www.foolzfreakz.nl And if you want the Foolz to open Zappanale, go to www.zappanale.com
and vote for them. |
|
|
THE MUFFIN MEN |
|
|
Here's Roddie Gilliard with the latest on the Muffin Men: muffin men newsletter feb 2004 |
|
|
|
|
LOS ANGELES - Rose Marie Zappa, the mother of the late musician Frank Zappa, died Thursday. She was 91. Zappa died at a Burbank convalescent hospital, said daughter Patrice Zappa, who added her mother had been in declining health. "We were with her today, talking to her and letting her know we loved her," Patrice Zappa said. Zappa was born in the United States, the daughter of Italian immigrants. She and her husband married in Baltimore in 1939 and moved to San Diego 15 years later. In addition to her daughter, she is survived by sons Robert and Carl and eight grandchildren. Frank Zappa died of prostate cancer in 1993 at age 52.
|
|
|
Last month, I told you that Marc Guillermont recorded an album called "Zappostrophe", a Zappa tribute album. Marc Guillermont was kind enough to send some extra info: More info soon.
|
|
|
Subject: Bogus
Pomp news Hi gang, The Bogus Pomp Acoustic Band will perform at the Palladium in St. Petersburg on Saturday, March 27. Showtime is 8:00. I will write later with additional details. -- Fred |
|
|
the concert calendar * the concert calendar |
|
