Dj Marc Reck Djing Events Tutorials and life in Birmingham

On the other hand, the dj set is strongly based around the narrative of the hero’s journey, and also to the Project X performers narrative, which should all be made clear from audio samples, the feel of the tracks, a touch of performance, the lighting, and of course Leon and Matt’s vj set.

Our section in the Hero’s Journey is the “freedom to live” section, where the hero (you/the audience) revists and relays all that have gone before.

I’ll be featuring one of my own tracks, reediting a lot of my favourite breaks, and also (hopefully) conducting a four piece string orchestra for a short live/dj version of Completion, where we revist the shadow in the final battle section. This however is not going to be rehearsed or confirmed til saturday, as the strings players are all only available on the night itself, so will be down to their comfort with it. Liam seems well on top of the lighting, with talk of cue points, and a quick run through, and vj Leon is working in typical fashion, with vj/dj rehearsals once again looking unlikely until the dress rehearsal.

Tickets are selling fast, the production week/venue setup is going well and i really can’t fxckin’ wait to get down there!

While it was sometimes difficult to pick up on what was being said (which was all in english btw), it was pretty amazing to hear some of the scales the leads vocalists could reach. Performances from birmingham locals were equally impressive and it was really nice to see a few friends on staqe dropping great moments. (I must admit i was at times, more looking out for them, than paying attention to the script!)

Highlights for me were hearing Talise Trevigne (who played the lead Violetta Valery) with the cbso, at the end of scene 1, really hitting the spot with a vocal that went off the scale, in a kind of call and response with the cbso. The male lead character at the end of scene 2, (Alfredo Germont) played by Mark Wilde. And then right at the end, Mr John Mostyn delivering the bouquet to Talise, just at the right moment, to end a heartwrenching climax of the final act. (My efforts to capture it were unfortunatly not at the right moment, due to fumbling for the camera, and capturing it a few seconds too late!)

All in all a great experience and we have a new found interest in the opera, which i believe is one of the missions for the company.

Afterwards it was everyone to the Spotted Dog, where we had a party til the early hours of the morning. 250 people were superbly looked after by landlord John, and its fair to say the room was totally rammed and rockin right up until the end from a djing point of view. A great gig personally, and a most diverse, responsive and well up for it crowd of lovely people. Playing all through the record collection before a big finale, and then a few close numbers, it was very satisfying and much fun. When all had gone home to bed, me and pyn stayed up drinking with John until Dawn, having one of the most inspiring conversations about Birmingham and Project X.

A most wonderful evenings entertainment!

More pics of the night are here, and if you haven’t already please sign the Spotted Dog’s petition. Its very important!

I was most pleased that Liam (lighting) and Matt (visuals) took a keen interest in making our set at the end really strong and integrated. After all the setbacks of the Drop Beats/Que Opening set, the dj set i’ve always dreamed of is now looking most likely!

While i have learnt a lot about the world of masks, performance and workshops from Pyn, i have never participated in one, so i had a mixture of emotions about it,and wasnt sure what to expect. What i found were lots of performers, all lovely people, and a fairly energetic workshop, beginning with a game of tag, then stick in the mud, to get us all limbered up, before another drama game of leading with different body parts and noticing how it made us feel.

Splitting up into 2 groups, we were then taken through some basic mask performance techniques, beginning with picking a mask that fitted, and then meeting its character, before physicalising it in front of the other group. While there was only a few masks that would fit over my big dreadlocks, i really enjoyed this, and found a certain ease with performance, spurred on from the postive reactions from my peers, which helped calm any nerves i had. The workshop then went onto simple performance actions with the oness being on obvius actions in order to communicate to the audience without words. All in all a great workshop, and i have know a deeper interest in both masks and performance.

After a couple of drinks in the local pub, we then went back to the festival for the Dance of the Gods performance held in a big top tent. This was how it was described.

“Dynamic dance and powerful drumming in elaborate traditional African costume.

Pantheon of Deities is a fast and furious annual festive dance from Yoruba. The origin of this dance comes from the Yoruba’s belief that they must contact the gods through their deities (lesser gods). Each of the masks in this performance represents the ancestors who represent the community as protectors and cleansers of unwanted spirits, purifying the environments and bringing sanity and peace.”

We both enjoyed the performance, though an hour and half was a little too long for me, and didnt really hit the parts that something like the Young Zulu Warriors had at the recent rootsville festival. Great vibe though, and we all got to dance with them at the end, which made me very happy

The mask festival is on for th next few days and i would definitly encourage you to check it out. Its a train from brum to stourbridge junction, and then a fiver taxi, or another train and bus. The bus and train day tripper tickets are only £4.70 for the whole jounrney.