Subj : Re: The Mannequin Smiles
To   : JIM STAAL
From : STEVE KEMP
Date : Mon Sep 25 2000 06:38 am

JS> SK> Oh, in one production I hooked my theremin to a little powered
JS> SK> toy airplane which was in turn attached to a center pole by a
JS> SK> string so that it went around and around altering the theremin
JS> SK> tone. While this occurred I climbed a cheaply constructed Empire
JS> SK> State Building like King Kong and did the King Kong thing. Then
JS> SK> some female friends shot me with BB guns and I fell to Earth. A
JS> SK> sample of "Oh no, it wasn't the airplanes...it was beauty killed
JS> SK> the beast" (the final line in the original King Kong) was then
JS> SK> played.

JS>Mercy! Quite a bit more live stage production than I have ever
JS>attempted. :-) (Psst...BTW, what's a 'theremin'?) 

A theremin is a proximity devise that changes tone dependent upon same. 
You know, those things used in so many old Sci Fi movies that gave that 
Woooooooowooooo pitch shifting sound.

JS>You must have had a knack.

I simply fell in with an artsy performance crowd while in college, 
really. And I definitely have a wacky imagination for such endeavors.
There was also an air of friendly competition between us all to see who 
could do the most funny and/or dramatic performance. 
 
JS> SK> Then, about a year later I got all messed up with hard drugs for
JS> SK> several years and nearly lost everything else I had in the
JS> SK> world. Never did get back into the music scene.

JS>That's too bad. Sounds like you really had something going on. :-(

That which does not kill you makes you stronger, so the horror of the 
experiences did have their positive impacts. :)

JS> SK> I have great memories though, and about 50 something cassette
JS> SK> tapes of recordings to listen to. I made a couple of amateur
JS> SK> videos too. I bore friends and family with them all the time. ;)
JS> SK> Wish I had thought to have had someone videotape my performance
JS> SK> art things though.

JS> Nothing like great memories. :-)

Yep. 

And at least I tried, and in doing so enjoyed the hell out of myself in 
the process. ;)

þ CMPQwk 1.42 18775 þ "Vote like a beast" -Frank Zappa
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