Stewart Lee, Tania Chen, Steve Beresford, Alan Tomlinson
Battersea Arts Centre, September 23 2012
Even now, a century after his birth, John Cage’s art feels brilliantly fresh.
I say art, because although you’ll see him described as a composer, his exploration of sound was genuinely genre busting, exploding the idea of what music could be. While his European contemporaries were dryly dictating the terms of a new avant-garde order, Cage charted the outer limits of music with a wide eyed wonder, seeing all that was remarkable in the commonplace and the overlooked. And we’re still travelling in his wake, astounded that his big ideas could have been expressed quite so pithily.
While much of the archaeology of high modernism has been brushed aside, people flock to John Cage as to no other twentieth century experimentalist, revelling in the humour at the heart of his output. Cage’s works dare us to giggle, either in joy or disbelief. And so it seems natural that a comedian should have taken quite so strongly to Cage’s work; that’s just what stand-up Stewart Lee has done, locating Cage’s natural wit with his own laconic delivery for this touring event, caught by Devil’s Trill at Battersea Arts Centre.
Lee takes the role of the reader – originally performed by Cage – in Indeterminacy, a series of autobiographical one minute stories read at random to an accompaniment of improvised noise. Cage’s tales are expertly turned – sometimes funny, sometimes poignant and occasionally baffling – but their length determines the delivery, having to last one minute no matter how many words they contain. The composer’s friends and colleagues are brilliantly drawn: the almost chronically unimpressed David Tudor; the existential disappointment of Morton Feldman; the gnomic wisdom of Dr. Suzuki.
They all sound great fun. Lee’s deadpan, almost bored style only heightens the comedy. The slow retort of mushroom expert Guy Nearing, on having his mistake picked up by the young Cage (“There are so many…..Latin names…..rolling around in my head…..that sometimes…..the wrong one comes out”) could have been written for Lee.
And then there are flashes of the philosophy of Cage’s world view. He recalls a juke box playing at a swimming pool: “I noticed that the music accompanied the swimmers, though they didn’t hear it”.
And so the improvisations of Tania Chen and Steve Beresford, played mostly on musical toys, form an apparently random but often eerily synchronous counterpoint to the text. Sometimes they obscure it, rendering Lee’s commentary a different brand of noise.
Before all of this, Beresford and Chen take to two pianos to improvise wildly. On this occasion, their first improvisation ranged widely and recalled two other great American mavericks – Charles Ives and Conlon Nancarrow; their second was a terser, frantic affair. Cage’s fascination for extending instrumental techniques is demonstrated by Alan Tomlinson, following the composer’s diverse instructions in the Solo for sliding trombone – only some of which involve the mouthpiece. Tomlinson raised hoots of delight from the Battersea audience as he barked through his instrument like an angry dog, and that’s what Cage-the-comic would have wanted.
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter