FRIDAY 16 – SUNDAY 25 April 2010
Ether, Southbank Centre’s annual music festival of innovation, art, technology and cross-arts experimentation, returns from 16 – 25 April 2010. Mixing rock iconoclasts, proto-rap legends, audiovisual experimenters and contemporary-classical innovators, headline acts at the Royal Festival Hall include Lou Reed’s Metal Machine Trio, a performance based on Reed’s radical and controversial 1975 album Metal Machine Music (19 April) and Gil Scott-Heron in a rare London date, showcasing material from his acclaimed new album – his first in 15 years – I’m New Here, with support from 2009 Mercury Prize Winner, Speech Debelle (20 April). On 23 April, acclaimed filmmaker and audio/video maestro, Chris Cunningham brings his pioneering live show of original and remixed music and film to Ether – following ecstatic receptions at last year’s Big Chill and Tokyo’s Electraglide vs Warp 20 festivals in 2009. Also appearing on the bill is BEAK > – the trio formed by Portishead’s Geoff Barrow.
Opening the festival in The Clore Ballroom and foyers of the Royal Festival Hall will be a one-off collaboration between Stereo MCs and The Bays with support from The Herbaliser (16 April). On 21 April, renowned Warp artists, electronica outfit Broadcast perform in the Queen Elizabeth Hall with the wildly inventive punk experimentalists Micachu and The Shapes and cellist and Southbank Centre Artist in Residence Oliver Coates as support acts. LA art-noise band HEALTH team up with the genre-trashing, visually-spectacular Chrome Hoof for a special London show on 22 April. Pianist, collaborator and Blank Canvas curator Will Dutta plus special guests Plaid, Max de Wardener and John Richards have been confirmed for Saturday 24 April (Purcell Room).
Always a platform for showcasing new work, Ether in 2010 features an evening of premieres of music by Mark-Anthony Turnage (UK premiere) and Philip Glass (European premiere) plus Henryk Górecki’s Symphony No. 3 played by the London Philharmonic Orchestra on 17 April (Royal Festival Hall). In addition, the festival features Varèse 360° – the complete works of musique concrète pioneer and formative influence on Frank Zappa, Edgar Varèse, in one weekend (Friday 16 and Sunday 18 April), performed by the London Sinfonietta (Queen Elizabeth Hall) and the National Youth Orchestra (Royal Festival Hall).
Ether 2010 will also feature a talks programme with ‘in-conversations’ and themed events exploring how sound, surveillance, society and space relate to art and aesthetics. A free events programme across the festival will transform The Clore Ballroom and surrounding areas into a space that celebrates the sonic adventures of musicians, instrument makers and other artists in the search for new sounds, featuring a series of demonstrations, performances and films. Full details to be announced.
GIGS
STEREO MCs vs THE BAYS
+ HERBALISER
Friday 16 April, The Clore Ballroom and foyers at the Royal Festival Hall, 9pm, Tickets £20
One of the UK’s most iconic bands, and with Mercury nominations, Brit awards and million-selling albums behind them, the Stereo MCs return to their hometown to open Ether. A very special collaboration sees the band joined by genre-busting, jazz/dance improvisers The Bays, as well as performing some of the songs from their six studio albums, most recently Double Bubble, that have made them talismanic figures in the UK dance scene. Support comes from jazz-infused hip-hop of The Herbaliser, who have been responsible for some of the most innovative and acclaimed sounds to have come out of London since their debut album Remedies was released on the legendary dance label Ninja Tune in 1995.
LOU REED’S METAL MACHINE TRIO
Monday 19 April, Royal Festival Hall, 7.30pm, Tickets £45 £40 £32.50 £27.50 £25 £22.50
Lou Reed’s Metal Machine Trio performs a night of deep noise and features rock music icon Lou Reed on processed and unprocessed guitars, sonic experimentalist Ulrich Krieger on tenor sax and live-electronics, and live processing specialist Sarth Calhoun on continuum and live processing. The three musicians take the stage together to improvise musical soundscapes by using their instruments and an array of electronic treatments and venture into deep acoustic space, drawing on new music, free jazz, avant-rock, noise and ambient in a set of intense conceptual pieces and intuitive improvisations.
GIL SCOTT-HERON
+ SPEECH DEBELLE
Tuesday 20 April, Royal Festival Hall, 7.30pm, Tickets £27.50 £25 £22.50
In 1971 Gil Scott-Heron laid out the blueprint for the whole rap genre with The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, and now, as vital as ever, he returns with his new album I’m New Here (XL Recordings) and this rare London show. One of the most important figures in 20th century music to have come out of America, his thoughtful, provocative and still rebellious voice is something to be heard. Support comes from English rapper Speech Debelle, winner of the 2009 Mercury Prize.
BROADCAST
+ MICACHU AND THE SHAPES & OLIVER COATES
Wednesday 21 April, Queen Elizabeth Hall, 7.30pm, Tickets £15 £12.50
Acclaimed for their unique brand of atmospheric melodies and textured electronics, Broadcast are one of the UK’s great innovative bands, who will be supported by English singer-songwriter Mica Levi, known by her stage name Micachu, and her band The Shapes and young solo cellist and Southbank Centre Artist in Residence, Oliver Coates.
HEALTH & CHROME HOOF
+ GUESTS
Thursday 22 April, Queen Elizabeth Hall, 7.30pm, Tickets £16 £14
LA art-noise band HEALTH come to London for a special show with the genre-trashing, visually-spectacular Chrome Hoof.
CHRIS CUNNINGHAM LIVE
+ BEAK >
Friday 23 April, Royal Festival Hall, 7.30pm, Tickets £28.50 £25 £22.50
Acclaimed film director and video artist Chris Cunningham has created some of the most iconic music videos of recent years from Bj?rk’s All is Full of Love to Aphex Twin’s Windowlicker. This special live show sees him combine his own and remixed music with brand new and unreleased videos to create a hugely anticipated multimedia experience. Also appearing are BEAK >, the new project from Portishead’s Geoff Barrow.
WILL DUTTA
Featuring special guests PLAID, MAX DE WARDENER & JOHN RICHARDS
Saturday 24 April, Purcell Room, 7.45pm, Tickets £15
Pianist, collaborator and Blank Canvas curator, Will Dutta is noted for his unique and intelligent programming skills, connecting the dots between modern dance music and classical, contemporary and experimental art music. Here he presents his latest collaborative works for piano and electronics with special guests Plaid, Max de Wardener and John Richards alongside music by Ligeti, Adams, Debussy, Messiaen and Satie.
