[2012015] Bed Percussion
BED Percussion @ Idolize
5:30pm, Sun 19 Feb 2012
The blurb for Bed Percussion in The Guide was delightfully ambiguous… but I like percussion stuff, and it’s an agreeable time, and it’s a one-shot – why not give it a bash (pun somewhat intended). Into the Idolize we wander, and there’s percussive bits littering the (expanded) stage, and even a forlorn neglected drum kit sitting out to one side.
Of course, within moments of the trio – Belinda Hogarth, Erica Rasmussen, and David George – taking the stage, my subconscious reminded me of why I (apparently) really wanted to see this performance: because female drummers tend to stir primitive emotions within my core. That is, they are hot.
Now, the entire BED trio are attractive specimens, to be sure – but with David hidden at the back on a “standard” drum kit, I couldn’t help but admire Belinda (swoon) flitting between all manner of instruments and implements (her hand speed was amazing), as Erica (double swoon) pummelled the bass-line for the opening number. It’s a complex, multi-part affair, and completely engaging; as Belinda explains, it was supposed to replicate the cyclical nature of sleep itself.
The second piece is a curio; the trio work with lummi (or rhythm) sticks to create a relatively quiet polyrhythmic construction. We’re then introduced to their pipes: chunks of discarded metal cut to size, and struck to produce uniquely textured sounds, in another curious composition of varying tempos.
The trio then come to the front of the stage to their marimba – “Who played Game Boy?” asks Belinda, and I – excitedly – know where this is going. But my hackles are raised by the fact that the inevitable Super Mario Bros. theme was classified as “Game Boy” – petty, I know, but gaming is my other passion. But the resultant piece evolved from the World 1-1 theme through other iconic Mario tracks, and whilst there were some key changes that I might not have agreed with, it was still a giddy (and recognisable) delight.
And whilst recognition, in that case (and the odd Queen cover), was a benefit, I’d hardly be able to tell a duff note in any of the other pieces. The BED trio are all wonderfully accomplished musicians, and the final piece – again, mostly marimba-based, was a dynamic and punchy affair… then they alter their intensity, shifting the tone, and leave us on a high.