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Hashie come home >> Dutch duo Arling & Cameron on bird calls, theremins and synchronized dancing
by RUPERT BOTTENBERG
Mirror: What's this business about a slide show of European birds at your upcoming show? Richard Cameron: Well, we have something that no other dance act in the world has: an ornithologist. He's Herr Dr. Jan Klug, also an accomplished sax and flute player. Otherwise we wouldn't have taken him along. This is a treat for the audience, to be able to learn something about European birds. And he can imitate them, with his mouth! M: I understand there's also gonna be a film presentation, a travelogue of Holland? RC: Yes, this will be sort of moving wallpaper, with images of the Dutch landscape, so people can see where we come from. Images of the canals in Amsterdam, and also of Gerry and me on our travels, in airports and train stations. M: You're bringing a theremin player along, too. RC: And a good one! It's Faye Lovsky, and I dare say that she is one of the top ten theremin players in the world. I'm not kidding. Usually, people use it as a sort of effects machine--woo-oo-wee-oo. This is a woman who can play a Mozart sonata... M: No way... RC: No, really. That's what she's going to hit off with. I have the title here--it's from the Zauberflute, it's called "Air of the Queen of the Night." Drut-dut-dut-duh-dut-duh-duuuh... that one. M: Right. RC: And she's playing it on a theremin! We first hooked up with her for our song "Gershwin" on All-In. She sings, and plays the singing saw on that. She's also on the album we're doing right now. It's called Music for Imaginary Films, with tracks like "1999 Space Club" and "Space Beach." We're going to play some of the tracks at the concert, Gerry can tell us about some of the songs. Gerry Arling: Oh, I'm sorry, I was just eating grapes. We have a kind of Hitchcock tune, Bernard Herrmann-like, very spooky, with the strings, theremin and fuzz guitar. We also have our theme from "Hashie." Richard, that's your call. RC: It's these big television corporation people who wanted to reinvent Lassie, the dog show from the '50s. But they got it wrong, because they thought, "The youth of today is interested in drugs, so we need the drug angle. So we're going to make a series about a drug-sniffing dog at JFK airport." Another one's called "The Only Guy," which is a comedy series about the last man on Earth. It sounds depressing, but this is a really, really positive-thinking guy. M: There's one other thing I want to know about. You've announced that there will be "synchronized dancing" at the show. What's with that? GA: It means we move at a certain time and do the same thing. RC: That's why we've booked three days in a rehearsal studio. GA: It's going to be very impressive!
At Jello Bar on Friday, August 6, 10:30pm, $8 |
Until now, "live" performances by Amsterdam stopover poppers Arling & Cameron (they of the brilliant disc All-In) have simply been DJ sets. Until now, that is, because not only have they got a proper band together, they've conceived a stage show comparable to that of Kiss. Except smaller. And no explosions. Or lasers. Or flying drum risers. But every bit as silly, damn you!