Who will be Australia’s first King or Queen of improvised music?
This idea has been kicking around in my head for a while. In some ways, it follows on from my Good Improv/Bad Improvgame piece/structured improvisation that has been played a few times over the past couple of years. It was at a performance of Good Improv/Bad Improv last year that I mentioned the idea of Improv Idol to Carmen Chan (who was performing that day), who said she’d be interested in working with me to make it a reality.
I’ve always been interested in the competitive nature of some improvisers; where one player seemingly plays over the top of the rest of the ensemble, and ends up being hailed a star. I wanted to come up with a format that would push this idea to the fore and see where we end up, and have some fun along the way. I’m also really interested in seeing how performers react to the situation where they are aiming to win the vote of a majority of an audience, and also what kind of performances audiences favour.
And so Improv Idol is born, a ‘talent show’ where the audience votes for their favourite member of an improvising ensemble, who then progresses through to the next round, guided by a panel of expert judges. It will be a lot of fun, and interesting as well.
Applications are open now – get yours in before they close on 4 September. Do you have what it takes to be Australia’s first Improv Idol? I think you do!
Australia chooses its first Improv Idol at the Wesley Anne in Northcote, Thursday 1 October 2015. I will be your humble host. Judges announced soon.
Photo’s from last week’s performance at Conduit by myself and Barnaby Oliver, overlapping occasionally with Ernie Althoff and Carmen Chan. Photos (except of CD covers) by Ernie Althoff.
The launch for our CD Discretions this Friday night will involve Barnaby Oliver and myself performing 30 short, scheduled improvisations over a 3 hour period. This concept grew from the Discretions recording sessions themselves (after a live performance at Quiet Noise III – pictured), where our focus was on recording short, acoustic improvisations. We decided in playing, we would instead of looking for how to continue the improvisation (a common goal of improvisers), we would ‘look for the ending’. That meant that sometimes each improvisation went for only a minute or two, sometimes less than ten seconds.
We recorded many of these short improvisations over two sessions in 2013, and culled them to the thirty that make up the Discretions album. In launching the album, we wanted to do something that was interesting, challenging, and reflected the process for the album itself. The plan is to perform short improvisations, looking for an ending; thirty of them, reflecting the number of CDs in the limited edition, and the thirty tracks on it. We have scheduled the thirty improvisations to happen at precise times as well, some of which will occur simultaneously with the other acts on the night:
8:01 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
8:03 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
8:04 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
8:06 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
8:09 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
8:12 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
8:13 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
8:14 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
8:20 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
8:22 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
8:25 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
8:29 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
8:30 – David Evans & Louise Kellerman
8:55 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
8:57 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
8:59 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
9:14 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
9:15 – Carmen Chan
9:25 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
9:29 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
9:38 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
9:52 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
9:53 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
9:54 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
10:00 – Ernie Althoff
10:08 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
10:15 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
10:20 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
10:30 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
10:40 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
10:50 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
10:51 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
10:59 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
When initially coming up with this concept, I was wondering about how the audience would find this, but as we get closer, I think both Barnaby and myself are interested in how this quite demanding schedule will effect our mental states on the night. It’s really a three hour performance with some short breaks, but we basically have to be on our toes from 8pm to 11pm. It’s performance with a big significant durational factor, but not in the usual way of long performances.
We will keep on the schedule by setting alarms on both our phones to inform us of each performance time. We are hoping this will allow us to turn off from performance mode (as much as possible) in between each performance, and then move into each improvisation with little forethought.
As to how this will work in practice, and how our improvisational dialogue develops throughout the night, you are invited to find our with us on Friday night, at Conduit Arts. Doors at 8pm, our first performance is at 8:01pm. Also performing on the night are Ernie Althoff, Carmen Chan, and David Evans/Louise Kellerman.
The thirty, beautifully hand-drawn individual Anna Dusk covers will be displayed and for sale on the night for a mere $5 on top of the cover charge. Each copy has a unique track order as well. Choose your favourite cover: first in, best dressed!
Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver’s “Discretions” is made up of 30 improvised tracks, designed to be played in random order. Issued by Shame File Music in a limited edition of 30, each CD has individually hand-drawn cover by Tasmanian artist, Anna Dusk. Each CD has a unique track order as well.
Joining Clinton & Barnaby on the night are:
Ernie Althoff
Carmen Chan
David Evans/Louise Kellerman
Around these guests, Clinton & Barnaby will present 30 short sets, sometimes playing simultaneously with other performances. Playing times (deep breath…):
8:01 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
8:03 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
8:04 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
8:06 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
8:09 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
8:12 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
8:13 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
8:14 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
8:20 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
8:22 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
8:25 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
8:29 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
8:30 – David Evans & Louise Kellerman
8:55 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
8:57 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
8:59 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
9:14 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
9:15 – Carmen Chan
9:25 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
9:29 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
9:38 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
9:52 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
9:53 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
9:54 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
10:00 – Ernie Althoff
10:08 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
10:15 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
10:20 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
10:30 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
10:40 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
10:50 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
10:51 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
10:59 – Clinton Green & Barnaby Oliver
The 30 CDs are available on the night. Get in early to choose your favourite cover – these are indeed works of art (view all 30 covers here ). Any remaining copies will be available from Shame File Music. A web app playing the 30 tracks and displaying the 30 images in random order is coming soon.
Clinton Green 