Peteskibreen's Blog

Last weekend at The [Jugglers] Shed at Hamilton Northshore, Random Overtones hosted their second Under_scored micro music festival. [The first was held at Jugglers Brunswick Street space in 2011] Curated and organised by Janet McKay and her core team of Julian Day [of  ABC Radio’s New Music Up Late] and Luke Jaaniste, the weekend long event fitted into The Shed beautifully. Instead of berating the low and loud industrial hum that defines the audio landscape of this part of Brisbane, the musicians and music blended and worked with landing aircraft and the thump thump thump of diesel car semi trailer carriers. My experience of the weekend was of the glorious trombone improvisationas playing of Ben Marks [Qld Conservatorium of Music] and the 6 young trombonist he had with him. As a once was one, I warmed to their rich tones and skills. The Sunday night Critical Mass however, was an event of evocative and moving pageantry on a low scale of theatrical delivery. In the massive hard space car park next to the shed, small lights marked a grid of pathways to walk where over 1 hour 10 bell ringers marched in time to another dimension’s silent leadership, using the brass bells made for Australia’s Federation and kept in the Melbourne Museum. As a lover of the long and slow reflective walk [cf The Labyrinth] this was home for me. The hour was not enough but it was enough. Landing planes and diesel motors were recorded along with the intermittent “dinging” of the brass bells in a final to a weekend of open ended musical play and skill. Let’s do it again! [Funds for this event were raised through Crowd Funding Pozible ]