MYSTERY DISGUISE
OFFICIAL WEBSITE
Thomas Dolby ICA 2007
Thomas Dolby performing at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, The Mall, London, October 3rd, 2007
Thomas wanted someone to film him and the Radio Science Orchestra at the ICA. On his forum the administrator Lunesse asked if a couple of people could film the show for Thomas and make a DVD; so I emailed offering to help.
On the evening of the show I was positioned in a little alcove, stage left, with my small JVC GR-DX77 camcorder. I hoped it wouldn’t malfunction as the damn zoom had played up for about twenty minutes beforehand. However, with that point aside, I filmed both parts of the show: the first part was to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the launch of the Soviet satellite Sputnik. Bruce Woolley, with his Radio Science Orchestra performed with Thomas during that set, with rare film footage of Sputnik - projected onto a video screen on the back of the stage.
In the second part, Thomas done his one-man show in which he looped and layered sounds in real time, growing them into engaging, rich, electronic tunes. During breaks between songs, Thomas explained that his USA brass horn section had been unable to perform due to UK Custom and Immigration procedures. So with just four hours notice a UK brass section stepped in and done a brilliant job. The whole show was excellently put together. Later, I eventually got back to my hotel at about 12.20 a.m., and had a large white rum in the bar, which cost £8.00! Before going to bed shattered.
Credits:
Thomas Dolby: Everything else
Bruce Woolley (Theremin and ring modulator)
Lydia Kavina (Theremin)
Joy Smith (Harp, Dulcimer)
Andy Visser (Flute, tenor and baritone saxophone, keyboards)
Kit Woolley (Moog Voyager and ring modulator)
UK horn section:
Kevin Robinson: trumpet
Fayyaz Virgi: trombone
Ian Kirkham: sax
Cameramen:
Lindon Lait, Clive Radford, and Nathan Toms
Snapshots underneath are taken by me from part two of the show.
There are more photos taken by a professional photographer who I met briefly and chatted with - Click here for his review of the ICA show.
Eventually after filming I finally got to meet Thomas - bringing an end to a colourful night. I just want to add this little piece before I finish off the page. I’ve always been a fan of Thomas since 1983. It began when I purchased an album called ‘Chart Wars’ released on the Ronco label. I think it was track twelve on this scratchy vinyl album that my sister and me first heard ‘She Blinded me with Science’, and from then on I was hooked. I bought the next Dolby album ‘The Flat Earth’ in March 1984 and was blown away - even aged thirteen, on what a really stunning album it was. Unfortunately, this priceless gem of music never got the real commercial acknowledgement it deserved.