The chems live gigs???? anyone with tech knowledge may know.

Well, to put it briefly, if they weren't there it'd just be the bassline loop from the JP version of TNK...

I'll give you what I know (or strongly believe)



Their set as we all know is run through a mixing board, they've said that each one controls an individual part of the song. A good example of this being true is it began in afrika. In the song they have a part where the congas get really reverberated. On mixing boards there are often reverb knobs so that alone if proof, plus it always changes how much reverb and how long. Also at the end of that song they change it around a lot, sometimes they strip it to a 4/4 beat, while other times they have the screeching noise. All the sounds get on the mixing board through a sequencer, which I'm gussing switches the songs for them at the right time, rather than have all songs on the board at once. To put it in short they don't have to worry about putting a vocal sample from music:response into star guitar. I believe they use some akai rack sequences (s2800 maybe) for that stuff. They also uses an akai mpc for various things such as those intense snare on hey boy hey girl also I've seen ed use a octapad during out of control.

Some of the real-time stuff they use are the analog synths and MPCs (plus probably tons of other shit). For example of use of analog, listen to out of control on music:response (us edition), you'll hear someone (I believe ed) doing a bang up job with playing, it's the thing that sounds like a bird. Someone asked about that like a year ago. I know how to make it now, it's just messing with the LFO so that the synth hits the note at a set tempo then the brilliance and other things are controlled to make it change. They do this on SS and SSU too, but it sounds different. I'm guessing that they always have a set time for each track so the veggie visions don't go on to the next track without them. And I'd imagine they have to do shit loads of setting up in the studio for the ideas and set list. I haven't seen the dvd yet but I'd imagine after I can get a better idea. But that's all I have.

I'll post detailed post tomorrow.

but I felt like mentioning this.

I was talking to my mum about Chems concert over dinner today. its funny, cause shes brought up with bands jamming and dancing on stage and Chems are just 2 guys doing their electronic thing and she was saying how little energy there is on stage. she enjoyed it though -she loves dancing and loves their music. but Tom and Ed: more stage antics. get people jump around or some shit. but keep the music the way it is. only way more twisted.



okay, technical post tomorrow

I think when you compare them to many live acts, they don't put in as much energy in physically, but in creativity they put in miles more energy than most concerts who just play the bloody album note by note, I think what they do live is great, they're able to change the songs to be higher energy and something the fans will love as much, even more in some cases. Also they show has a strong emphasis on the visual experience with strobes, the veggie visions, and good ol fog machines. I think the way I wrote it makes them sound like they don't do too much work but I would say if they didn't come out on stage it would just be looping. From the machines I have (and probably all) they are set so it will loop if you don't do anything with it, so they are in charge of sequencing and technically they probably could play the same track for an hour

This is a fascinating discussion. I've been wondering how much if their show is live, too. the only ever live clip I've seen was on TV briefly, before my brother changed the channel.. I know I can see some online right now, but I want to wait until I get the DVD (next week, fingers crossed). I know someone else who saw a live show on TV, and he described with something to the effect of: "It's like Captain Kirk or something..."

myself and my friend are haveing quite the heated debate about this............i believe that the bass loops and vocals are all pre-programed into the mixing desk they use, and are used when needs be, but ive seen on the dvd tom using a drum machine live and ed to a synth sample live, but he thinks this is all just "show" like when they are banging away at the desk, are they actually manipulating sounds with the things they are doing to that desk?? ive wondered this since the first time i saw them back in '97, maybe this would be a good "ask tom&ed" question! although they could be offended!!!!!

^



chem'd up I've gotten in quite a few heated debates with people when it comes to what is considered "live" in regards to a concert. Including a friend who I took to see the Chems during Surrender, he said the show sounded canned but I think he was probably messed up and didn't remember a whole lot anyway. I think I must've heard something totally different than him because to my ears it didn't sound canned at all.



From my point of view, it doesn't matter what's pre-recorded - it's what's done with it on the fly. The Chems music is so textured, there's so much going on, that I get the impression that all those sounds are harnessed and manipulated to get the desired effect - they're kind of like conductors of a symphony, each sound being an instrument of sorts, except the Chems are playing all the instruments themselves. As if what I just said made any sense. :P



As far comparing a live Chems set to a rock band performing on stage, well, there's going to be purists out there who feel negatively toward a more electronic approach like the Chems use. I even had my reservations about what they would sound like live until I experienced them. The way they do a live show cannot really compare to, say, a rock band, but it's all in the approach. Parrallels can be drawn. Either way it's fascinating how they do what they do, simply because as a wise person once said, music is music no matter how it's made.



You'll have to excuse my ramblings - I'm getting over a cold and feeling fuzzy in the head since I just downed enough cough syrup to tranquilize a pony.

Very good question.