Online performance mashes up air guitar

Friday, June 29, 2007
Online performance mashes up air guitar

A live audiovisual mash up of guitar anthems and YouTube footage of air guitarists will feature alongside online performances created by artists from all over the world, in a festival to mark a unique date.

On the seventh day of the seventh month of 2007 diverse performances will unfold in front of live and online audiences.

People anywhere in the world can participate in performances by going to www.upstage.org.nz without having to download and install any additional software.

The performances are part of the 070707 festival, which runs alongside the Wellington-based Film Archive’s exhibition From Puppets to Pixels – an interactive show for children of all ages.

Performances include shadow puppets, unique takes on classic theatre works by Samuel Beckett, contemporary dance, a site-specific work at a London building site and an audiovisual mash up.

The Best Air Guitar Album in the World Vol. II, is devised and performed by Anaesthesia Associates (www.anaesthesiaassociates.net), a band consisting of Paul Bradley and Dan Agnihotri-Clark, a doctoral candidate in Fine Arts at Massey University, Wellington. Mr Agnihotri-Clark is a visual artist, musician and curator whose work explores the intersection between art and technology.

He says he chose air guitar because it’s a lot of fun, but also because being online is ultimately about connecting to the world around you.

“The idea of an air guitar hero provided an exaggeration of the desire to connect with other people and to perform for them.”

Anaesthesia Associates will manipulate audio samples from the CD compilation, The Best Air Guitar Album in the World Vol. II, mixing these with video samples of the world's best air guitarists found on YouTube.

Their 21-minute show starts at 11pm on 07/07/07, live at the Film Archive and online at www.upstage.org.nz.

ENDS