I was listening to the new WCN episode, with Blood Ties interviews, and Macronympha interview as well as Bloodyminded interview, and made me realize few things. When they were talking how previous Macro show was sonically good, but No Fun was chaotic and full of energy. Or how Solotroff complimented Deathpile live and so on.
Both shows ruled, but how exactly was the NOISE? In Macronympha, almost nothing was plugged in at the end, hah! Most of it was physical chaos and very little to do with sound. Deathpile was strong vocals and the noise was just Connelly doing mixer feedback. There was feedback loop in tiny mixer and he would just push mute between tracks and rest of it was just mixer noise. Violent and broken for sure. But how it really was? Who knows. Too busy in the pit!
Most of the time, I am watching or listening noise. That's why I am there. Or sometimes I am there also meet the people. Eventually it might not be very accurate memories of how the noise was exactly, but the experience overall.
Macronympha and Deathpile at No Fun are indeed some of the best noise gigs where I have been, even when I have no more actual memories how it sounded like and if it was any good. Atmosphere, energy and action made so long lasting impact that it is sort of beyond technical or compositional aspects.
I am sure there are former topics of noise gigs... but was there topic of memorable gigs that made impact even when you really don't know was it "objectively" good noise - in terms of sound or playing?
I'm reminded of a Peter B set where he had one of his Ciat Lonbarde synthesizers - a big wooden skateboard deck-looking device with a series of two dozen or so contact point metal prongs that attenuated the sound coming out from the top of the synth. He pulled out a large container of earthworms and poured them onto the synthesizer allowing the worms to "play" the synthesizer as they wriggled their way against all the metal prongs.
Couldn't remember what it sounded like worth a damn but was an ingenious / memorable set.
Hazy memories, as opposed to clear facts! My clear recollection is seeing Connelly with small mixer and pushing mute between tracks, turns out that he actually did play each song. Not mixer feedback, but sound generated from loops made of each particular song. Well, regardless of hazy memories of sound of tech, otherwise memorable show. It must have been wildest show at the fest plus I remember some veterans of PE scene compliment that this particular show displayed Deathpile "how he really was". Despite dark topics of songs, vibe of gig wasn't trying to look "dark" and aggressive, but it was almost like pure energy. Smile on his face watching chairs crowd surfing etc. I don't think that takes anything away, but perhaps even fits many songs better that topics are indeed something you do not need to keep emotionless face.
In Finland, many of the old Bizarre Bunker shows were memorable. Pogrom was cutting his arm with razorblade, and it wasn't some neat little scratches, but more like "holy fuck!" -level cut and man clearly noticed that it was more than it was supposed to be. He continued playing, plus fingering his open large hole in arm and fingerpainting rusty dirty sheet of metal and I had borrowed him. All sorts Pogrom blood drawn symbols are still on that piece of metal. There is live recording, so one could memorize how it really sounded, but it was memorable most of all due all these things happening. Man didn't want to go, but was taken to hospital to be stitched up so nobody else has to deal with him getting blood poisoning or losing arm over this, hah.. They were not amused at the clinic.
Pogrom cutting gig was definately a memorable one! Very little of memories of the sound itself remains in my head but thankfully there is the live tape. It was exceptionally brutal to see a guy with his forearm basically split open and continuing the gig as if nothing happened. Crazy!
BU 25th anniversary gig was one for the memory books as well. So intense chaos with dead rats flying in the air, PA almost knocked over, blood pouring on the performers in latex nun suits. Next morning I tried wash my shoes in the hostel shower. Only to leave bloody foot prints all over the hostel floors as wet shoes oozed of still bloody water.
One gig that strikes me like this was when I got to see Deterge & Cloning collaborate at the old Collision spot in Pittsburgh. It was hard to describe afterwards, but the feeling that set had made me think "wow, that was one of the greatest performances I have ever got to see." Only way to describe it was monolithic.
This recording came out on a tape from Fusty years later, but even that recording couldn't capture the energy in the room that night.
Peenemünde gig at Galleria 3H+K where me, another Pori Noise Collective member and one Anal Barbara member destroyed a part of V2 rocket launching platform or whatever Pentti and Pekka had there, good times!
First time seeing Wolf Eyes in 2005 was a truly chaotic fist pumps in the air happening. In my memory it was loud & everyone went nuts.
I think that year i also saw Caroliner Rainbow ,which was truly mindblowing, both the music and def the visuals.
Quote from: MT on June 13, 2026, 09:46:08 PMPogrom cutting gig was definately a memorable one! Very little of memories of the sound itself remains in my head but thankfully there is the live tape. It was exceptionally brutal to see a guy with his forearm basically split open and continuing the gig as if nothing happened. Crazy!
This was the only gig I've seen where I was genuinely worried if the artist lives or not.
Recalling another monumental show was going to the second night of Ende Tymes in 2019. Lineup for that night consisted of The Haters, Pedestrian Deposit, Form Hunter, Skin Graft, Coagulative Necrosis, M. Sidnam, Ex-Jesus & Sickness. Can't remember much about the sound really, but I remember just feeling a powerful realization of "yes! This really is what I love to do!" Particularly when The Haters played, I was very mesmerized by a group that wasn't especially harsh, but presence just carried a certain weight around with it.
Hijokaidan and Incapacitants at LAFMS Festival, London 2020. It was wild and loud.
Quote from: impulse manslaughter on June 16, 2026, 05:27:19 PMHijokaidan and Incapacitants at LAFMS Festival, London 2020. It was wild and loud.
*2010!
But the Hijokaidan set gets my vote. Pure chaotic bliss, one of the best things I've ever seen, don't remember a moment of it sonically
Quote from: Ultra-Satanist on June 16, 2026, 07:53:01 AMPeenemünde gig at Galleria 3H+K where me, another Pori Noise Collective member and one Anal Barbara member destroyed a part of V2 rocket launching platform or whatever Pentti and Pekka had there, good times!
I didn't remember Peenemünde live activities at all. Was this a one-shot or were there other gigs as well?
Peenemünde also played in Turku with MK9, Vanhala and others, late 2012.
Survival Unit in Chicago at Club Rectum, 2019. Complete chaos-blood, sweat, and beers. Survival Unit's gear table managed to stay erect this time in spite of the crushing crowd.
Oh shit, I just remembered one 2013 BU gig in Pori, the venue was this small bar/art gallery type place and BU got firmly banned from the venue by the angry owner right after the gig and the owner was also threathening to shut down the whole event if anything like BU was still coming, haha
Quote from: MT on June 16, 2026, 10:31:08 PMPeenemünde also played in Turku with MK9, Vanhala and others, late 2012.
There was also one more gig in Turku, in some kind of "pop-up" art gallery event with more or less experimental bands and performance artists. I think it was earlier in the same year.
I am thinking of these two live shows right now:
-The set by Kapotte Muziek at the 25 Years of Dead Mind Records Festival this year is perhaps a good example.
You could hear every sound from the various objects they used..the volume was beautiful, etc., mixed together with care. The visual aspect was not like, for example, a harsh / PE set, but both formed a captivating whole.
-The New Boyfriends in Oulu 2022, I think, their first performance at the two-day festival... I've forgotten the name... The stage had been transformed into a construction site with a concrete mixer, boxes of glass, half a kitchen, etc. The sounds matched the visual aspect perfectly, but I remember most that the sound/noise sounded right in every microphone set up there, down to the last detail.
Pissoir Rouge only live show, at the first Harsh Frequencies over Limburg, in 2023, Landgraaf, Netherlands. Mesmerizing experience, between the sound, the high-speed erotic powerpoint screening in the back and the man in the front, like a beast in a cage by times. Truly electric atmosphere.
Quote from: Duncan on June 16, 2026, 08:04:20 PMQuote from: impulse manslaughter on June 16, 2026, 05:27:19 PMHijokaidan and Incapacitants at LAFMS Festival, London 2020. It was wild and loud.
*2010!
But the Hijokaidan set gets my vote. Pure chaotic bliss, one of the best things I've ever seen, don't remember a moment of it sonically
Check! 2010 off course. The Incapacitants set was my favorite but I can't remember why..
Dead Audio 2002 in Houston. Could not tell you one thing about the sound. All that comes to mind when I think of it is Eugenics Council's amazing presence, Shaun Kelly getting his hand sliced open during said set, seeing T.E.F. perform acts of wizardry, and Viodre being "too cool for school" (the NY way). Had to there to understand the impact.
There has been couple gigs where sheer volume itself was the key. Not really remembering how exactly artists sounded, but it was so loud as fuck, it was becoming ridiculous. One of those being Prurient/Emil Beaulieau/Jessica Rylan and bunch of others at Eastborne UK. Room was small, and there was massive dance hall sound system meant for beach parties or something. Just insane power compared to small concrete room. When you stood in corner of room, it feel like you are almost throwing up due pressure. Not being nauseous, but just the pressure starting to trigger vomiting, hah.. Never in my life felt like that. I recall recording devices like Minidisc recorder was skipping due sound pressure. It could not write digital information in such sound vibrations and had to be hidden inside layers of clothes or something. Memorable also that Grunt played TWO gigs during night. First one was playing first, when audience had not yet arrived. Then I was requested to play new set, but when I played last, everybody had already left. So two gigs for pretty much just artists & hang arounds. haha! No problem!
Quote from: FreakAnimalFinland on June 17, 2026, 06:36:56 PMPrurient/Emil Beaulieau/Jessica Rylan and bunch of others at Eastborne UK.
The guy who arranged that show said RRRon told him it was the only time he'd ever seen Dom smile during a Prurient set.
Quote from: Duncan on June 17, 2026, 07:06:32 PMQuote from: FreakAnimalFinland on June 17, 2026, 06:36:56 PMPrurient/Emil Beaulieau/Jessica Rylan and bunch of others at Eastborne UK.
The guy who arranged that show said RRRon told him it was the only time he'd ever seen Dom smile during a Prurient set.
And how could you remember the sound of anything when a highlight like that occurs?
Peenemünde's "II" has to be one of the absolute finest noise albums to come not just out of Finland, but out of Europe in general in the 2010s. Perfect sounds, framed by perfect titles and imagery. Seeing the project on the same live bill as MK9 and Jaakko Vanhala sounds like an all-time great noise gig. If they got around to recording a 3rd album eventually, I wouldn't mind.
I have vague feeling that Peenemunde gig I was at, was more "electric". I may have even reviewed it back in the day. When first Peenemunde CD was quite different, the gig felt almost like something from Sähkö recordings kind of thing. Of course not techno, but somehow electric signals?
Project's "II" CD is still available from FA, but curiously it still sells little by little even if most probably don't even remember such project, or release. If someone would say to me, here's album when Sick Seed & Umpio teams up, I'd check it out right away.
Also curious example how back in the day in Japan, I got to see Diesel Guitar and Aube (among others) and while I remember exactly DG greatness, how it sounded, what he was doing.. Absolutely master level minimal drone! I remember how Akifumi looked like, but what it sounded like, no idea whatsoever. Don't even remember what was sound source. Just remember he was busy adjusting mixer buttons, very very fast compared to how slow paced stuff Aube usually is.
I saw Aube once in a small venue in The Netherlands and was very impressed by the way he was totally in control of the sounds. Every time he touched a knob it had a meaningful impact.
MK9 gig in Stockholm in 2004. Michael Nine would step down from the small stage and prowl around the room. He'd sneak up behind people, especially targeting those sitting down on chairs, screaming into the poor victim's ear. I especially remember him scaring the living daylights out of a very prominent female author. What the gig actually sounded like I have no recollections of.
Quote from: Dries on June 17, 2026, 01:43:15 PMKapotte Muziek at the 25 Years of Dead Mind Records Festival
Thanks for mentioning it. This was an outstanding performance and my favorite of the weekend, together with Alice Kemp and Altar of Flies.
One that I still remember was Juri Suzue's show at Hokage basement floor few years back. Usually she does cut up sort of fast noise, but this was mostly just nearly static drone I guess, and her voice reading down the basement floors, 地下二階, chika nikai and so on. It actually started to feel like you are in some huge elevator going down into hell and when it started to be around basement floor 700 or something it felt physically unnerving, hah.