Oh God...my nightmare clash scenario has came to be...

[deschwah]

It's a grower isn't it? It's obviously an unfinished track though. I didn't think much of it on first listen but now like it.

Be careful mentioning Orbital and cheesy samples in the same breath round here though. SOMEONE will be along to tell you that you're not listening to 'proper' music...

Edited March 18, 2010 by deschwah

[sifi]

missing a blinding Stevie Wonder set of hits from the 80s (v superstitous exemt of course) is palatable if a bit Radio 2, but missing a blinding Orbital set with the old and the new is just unimaginable

[Tugger2k]

The 80s?

Some people really don't have the first idea, do they?

[laid back in the sun]

but on topic.. the more i've thought about it, the more it has to be PnP on the sunday night

missing a blinding Stevie Wonder set of hits from the 80s (v superstitous exemt of course) is palatable if a bit Radio 2, but missing a blinding Orbital set with the old and the new is just unimaginable

[J1mbo]

yeah who'd want to go and see an absolute living legend like stevie wonder when you can go listen to orbital butcher a bunch of cheesy hits from the 80's instead!

[possum]

ONE song containing perhaps 30 seconds worth total of eighties tunage, two if they actually play the new number. It'll almost be like a whole 2 hour set based on eighties mashups won't it?

[Loopz]

oh all this talk of DAT's just makes me think they are looking for a reaction. No one is that stupid to think that actually happens...you will be telling me that Stevie isnt really blind next!

one thing i would say about this clash is that the sound at the Other Stage tends to be very poor. I've seen Orbital a few times and they always float my boat but that Stage really is disappointing.

[LusciousLucy]

I just don't get Orbital. It's barely music.

[Helsbels]

The more I think about this clash the more I think my heart may with be with Orbital on the night but then I'll totally regret not seeing Stevie. Gonna have to play this one by ear I reckon.

[0rbita1]

Thing is....I don't know if I could drag myself away from the Pyramid w/o hearing 'Superstition' and 'master blaster' and ever look at myself in the mirror ever again.

[sifi]

oh all this talk of DAT's just makes me think they are looking for a reaction. No one is that stupid to think that actually happens...you will be telling me that Stevie isnt really blind next!

one thing i would say about this clash is that the sound at the Other Stage tends to be very poor. I've seen Orbital a few times and they always float my boat but that Stage really is disappointing.

[Tugger2k]

I'm guilty of the DAT tape thing - but I'm only joking, I like the band and have seen the boys three times, twice at Glasto on the Other Stage - and the sound was fine from where I was standing, and I tend to stand near the back for gigs these days.

I'll be at Stevie this year though. I missed him last time he played (I was overseas when the tickets came out, didn't know anything about it and refused to pay the ebay price). So the fact he's playing Glasto is really awesome. First main stage headliner that I've been totally excited about. Never had a dream like this come true ....

[Wooderson]

Explain please?

Especially as I consider their music the greatest thing on the planet and able to move me in ways no other band, musician or classical artist can.

[Joem]

I don't get this whole what does a dance act do onstage...

A band who play a song from 20 years ago are still only playing the instrument that is clearly second nature to them to a song they've played thousands of times. Is that really that amazing? Having presence for a band is important, granted. But the same goes for the show that a dance act puts together. They still wrote the tunes that are playing and would have had a big part to pay in the lighting etc...do you think Stevie does?

Its a different style of music. Can you not accept that?

How many backing singers and band members will Stevie have with him? I doubt he'll be doing much other than playing keyboard and singing.

Did you know that Brian Wilson uses his keyboard as a prop? He doesn't actually play it live. Not sure what thats got to do with anything but thought i'd just say it...

[DORG]

Argh this makes me confused and worried because I was banking on the sunday evening other stage headline slot going to the chemical brothers... so when/where would the chemical brothers play? Or is it looking unlikely now for them?..

Or maybe orbital play- then the chems?

[sifi]

I doubt he'll be doing much other than playing keyboard and singing.

[Tugger2k]

Harmonica?

[Joem]

yep. there will definitely be a bit of that

not to mention of course that although he wont be playing them live, if he chose he could get on the drums and bass guitar too.

the mans a genius, just cant say it enough times

[sifi]

Thats ridiculous! I love Radiohead more than any other band, but i wouldn't dismiss a person who doesn't like them just because i do. I'd just feel sorry for them...

[Joem]

Put the Radiohead card back in the box, and step away from the conversation.

It's for your own sanity, promise.

[sifi]

Sorry i forgot that efestivals forums had become the Stevie Wonder appreciation site.

Edited March 19, 2010 by sifimaster

[Joem]

t'was I

I did qualify it by saying that obviously, it's all subjective

yet you feel sorry for someone who doesn't like Radiohead?

[J1mbo]

As If You Read My Mind

Master Blaster

I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)

Did I Hear You say You Love Me

All I Do

Knocks Me Off My Feet

Lets Get Physical

Never Can Say Goodbye

Higher Ground

Spain

Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing

Visions

Living For The City

Part Time Lover

Overjoyed

Lately

I'm Gonna Laugh You Right Out of My Life

My Cherie Amour

Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours

Sir Duke

I Wish

Isn't She Lovely

You Are The Sunshine of My Life

I Just Called To Say I Love You

Superstition

Do I Do

Yester-Me Yester-You Yesterday

For Once In My Life

Happy Birthday

As

noodly bobbins... like those...

Edited March 21, 2010 by J1mbo

[Kyelo]

Well obviously I can only go on what they said - not actually having been there myself...

If anyone DID say that I imagine it was Aphex Twin, who has a habit of being deliberately...er...'unusual' in his live events (playing a pice of sandpaper whilst DJing?).

Orbital play live using MIDI sequencers. This kind of sits in a very grey area between DJing and actual 'live' performance.

MIDI for the uninitiated, is electronic information generated by modern day sythesizers and drum machines at the same time as the keys are struck - each notes value, it's length, velocity etc can be recorded without actually storing the music itself.

Orbital painstakingly play each instrument, for each song, into the sequencers, seperated into as many loops and parts as they want. Each instrument has it's own track and can be triggered individually (they could strip a song right down to just the kick drum if they want) or as a whole song part (the bridge for example) with all required instruments playing. The sequencers hold no musical notes themselves but are simply controllers for the actual keyboards originally used to play the music. When playing live, pressing the correct button sends a signal to the relevant keyboard which will start to play that part of the song - basically Orbital make keyboards play themselves! Because they are 'playing' each synth seperately and in situ, the sound is raw and live, just as with any 'proper' band - if they just sampled everything up or just played a CD it would sound incredibly flat! It also means that the lads can stroll over to each bit of kit, bash out extra riffs and tweak all the knobs and settings so that songs don't always sound the same. A mixing desk allows the band to further bring all the elments together and add effects like echo, reverb etc. Each part can be looped, repeated or omitted as required meaning that the band could perform a 45 minute version of 'Chime' if they so wished!

The skill required to 'jam' with MIDI sequencers and keep control of all the disparate elements is close to the concentration required for actually playing an instrument - Paul Hartnoll has likened it to 'DJing with sixteen turntables'. Effectively it enables two guys with average keyboard skills to play songs that would otherwise require six excellent pianists and two drummers to perform.

It's always obvious when Orbital play live who is shouldering more of the workload - Paul running the sequencers is always more focused and concentrated that Phil, who seems to spend only half his time mixing and the rest jigging about. Actually it's noticeable that in early footage of the band that Phil clearly didn't know the songs or the gear as well as he does now - much less jigging and more knob twiddling!

The Chems and The Prodge run variations on the same theme, though Liam Howlett plays significantly more on his keys than either Orbital or The Chemicals, and has now added 'real' drums and guitar to the live set up.

For most of their career Orbital used three of these, the MMT8 :

which look hilariously like a 1980's cash register.

Just recently they've gone all modern and now use a mac as the 'brain' controlled by these two lovely iphone like touch screen beauties:

(Photo is ace simply because Phil looks about 90 and has the gayest 'tache)

It was a bit depressing to finally see a laptop sitting in the gear racks (what next - itunes?), but it has really improved the live sound. Each gig has much more expressive re-workings of songs than it used to.

[J1mbo]

painstakingly?..

Edited March 21, 2010 by J1mbo