Pat and Trevor - A mad and wonderful evening with Yeborobo AND Fulborn Teversham....

Well, the P & T brigade weren't going to let us down for their third and final chapter were they...?

Erm..sorry, what? Final chapter I hear you cry?!

I know, I can hardly believe it myself, but last Saturday's Pat and Trevor extravaganza was the last one..! For now anyway. And actually, I'm not worried. When big, sad Hollywood blockbusters can come back for more than there trilogy's worth, then I’m sure we will be seeing more of Pat and Trevor who provide unquestionably quality nights. I know the ICA won’t be able to resist their promotional prowess and creative charms for long. Saturday withheld the impeccably high standard of music with Yeborobo and Fulborn Taversham taking to the stage, and as usual an extensive array of wonderful and thought provoking art installations were laid out for the public to enjoy.

I had just arrived from the 02 Wireless festival when Yeborobo started playing, and it certainly jolted me into another reality. Far removed from the maze of kids with neon plastic shades and electro t-shirts that had filled my minds horizon, I was suddenly in what felt like an exclusive off off, and another off, broadway music performance. I was glad to leave the swathe of Daft Punk fans enjoying forced intimacy with one another, but not the artists. The punk pair were masked as usual in their futurismo helmets and set far away from the crowds apon a giant vortex stage. In the ICA I saw something no less theatrical, but far more personal, with a musical performance not ‘staged’, but making use of the stage.
This music wasn't slick but thrilling in its experimental value, and the audience were made part of a live musical exploration.
Yeberobo ‘don’t really rehearse’ their music, so the audience were treated to new songs being developed live, and reworkings of old songs all in part improvised from suggestions made just before they went on stage.

Like Daft Punk, the Yeborobo gang played with masks and costumes... Sam (aka Christmas Log)Rob (aka Bendy Dog and also birthday boy) Andrew aka Cattle Prod Sophie (aka Leafy Clog)
But they did not use them for hiding behind, but for having fun and provoking, inviting the audience in to enjoy the experience. Matt (aka Crucial Taunt)They do not care about what people think, or put another way, they get people to think maybe; arousing them out of any sleepy senses with a bombardment of extreme sounds, movements and visuals. Vocalist Andrew and Matt made frequent trips down into the audience, hitting them with giant mits and going wherever they wanted to in the theatre space regardless of other human bodies. The movement is not rehearsed either so the crowds enjoyed improvised magic, exciting to watch and at times alarming. You were never quite sure if you were not going to be asked in to participate somehow.. these moves you could not pre-meditate...

When I asked Andrew
if there was any reason for the highly charged, often angry and crazed movement, I was told it was simply ‘A chance to have fun.’ . The movement is not about a particular subject but more about 'throwing yourself around.’ Sam
inferred , 'when else can you hit people with giant hands and not get arrested’..'Everyone should join a band for that reason.’ Fair play people, I admire their honesty on that one.

But while Yeborobo’s interest in ‘having fun..(and) messing around with dirt, sloppy stuff, noisey stuff, messy stuff’, is very contagious to watch,that is not to say this band are not musical, (and can appear pretty 'normal' whatever that means, which didn't feel right somehow after their multi-coloured performance) Sophie Russell (aka Important Blog) Matt

When I listened to the sampling of tracks of on their myspace, http://www.myspace.com/yeborobo, I was impressed by the music in its own right; and I’m not the first either. Online publications such as PIMP magazine have reviewed them and various underground blogs such as http://tinydancing.blogspot.com/ (who in good taste laid out their blog like this one)have given them a good mention. http://www.pimpguides.com/PIMP_home.htm
http://www.pimpguides.com/vol7/PIMP%20Vol7_p80_84.pdf
The label Caff/Flick http://www.myspace.com/naivepainters have even remixed one of their tracks on their eclectic, contemporary album called Lucky Dragons Very. The band have also released two of their own albums, even when as Sam says, ‘putting chaos onto a CD is quite hard'. Go to www.mentalistassociation.co.uk for details.

SO a wonderful way to start my Pat and Trevor evening.. And when it was over I enjoyed the task of browsing around the extended number of art installations, increased in size and number because of an albeit questionable, decision to keep the bar and the theatre open for the duration of the whole night. There was space for a whole bedroom in the bar, providing all sorts of role play for certain people in the crowd,
and watched over by additional guests enjoying their own special evening..

In the theatre we had DJ’s including The Holy Triangles playing in between acts and if you didn’t want to listen to them you could always tune into one of the various TV screens dotted around the stage. They showed an eclectic range of subjects including live footage of other instruments and people on stage, to topical media sensations including David Beckham, who incidentally celebrates his birthday as I write this, hmmm I wonder if that was intentional.. . And just when I thought I couldn’t find my boss and head of music programming Jamie to share in my excitement at the array of wonders around me, I found him chilling downstairs near the café.. With,
and without company..

Silly.
Then onto the not so silly Fulborn Teversham.
Full of musical ability and a serious connection with their music and each other, this band continued the experimental tip but in a different style with a more indie-jazz vibe. The quality of musicianship was clear with some very impressive and expressive passages were offered by each of them. No doubt Alice's mesmerizing presence

and Pete's sax solo's demanded your complete attention..
Unfortunately some people just don't have attention spans, period. These two particular young men got on my nerves so badly I made this poster to stop them from acting up again..Believe me, I'm a very open lady and think everyone in this world should be welcome most everywhere else.. but you've got to have manners please.
Anyway, they and the public in general did settle down after a while, and everyone was able to enjoy the varied and passionate repertoire of songs. Big up the big haired creator behind the music, Mr Sebastian Rochford also of Polar Bear, check out that myspace on http://www.myspace.com/sebastianrochford. Here he is playing on Saturdayand drinking..

Oh I get it...so that was who that was.....
ha ha..

Thank you Pat and Trevor - loving your work as they say x