BLOGDIAL : We are the best

Been reading about the Hafler Trio following the earlier posts. Fascinating stuff - has anyone got any of it and wants to share an opinion?

I don't know much about the Hafler Trio, but I had the honour recently of experiencing a Hafler Trio event in my home town [Preston, Lacashire]. Best thing I've been to in a long time. Lasted about 4 hours [20:00-24:00].

Arrived at the Arts Centre. Exchanged a piece of paper with faces on it for a piece of paper with a three-eared 'rabbit' on it. Bottom corner reads 77/222. Inside an old church, the centre of which contains a collection of instruments and objects, set-up in anticipation to be played. At either end of the central open space were two screens, both displayed an area of ground covered in white tarpauline. One screen showed soil being thrown off [film was reversed] three egg-shaped objects sat in a simple black frame construction. The soil was being replaced back onto the ground on the other screen. Sound was of the film backwards. Film[s] end.

A performer walks into the middle of a room and swithches on a motorised crank, at the same time placing an egg into a pan. The end of crank stretches and releases a small upright bellows. It wheezes. And is left to play on it's own for a while. Looking up to the walls above the central open space, a video projection of a [possibly - memory is fuzzy] pentagon opens and contracts like a sphincter. Other layers of video are added later on. A performer enters the space, sits and slowly begins to process electronically the sound of the small bellows. A while later, 3 more performers enter, play along and gradually a drone builds. The instruments: 2 harmoniums [I think] and one bass [unneccesary IMHO]. This continued for quite some, and 'this' was "Breath".

A bearded man dressed as a chef informs the audience they are now to follow the 2 other chefs [with umbrellas] to the next location. We all leave, walking along the streets of Preston's student 'district', following these two chefs, who are by now camping it up lordily twirling umbrella's and skipping merrily. We arrive at a small cafe and cram inside. Near the door sit the three egg-shaped objects in the frame as seen in the film. We are given the following text:

one

the transition of one part of the flood to another mode of ingestion.
previous speech made manifest through numerical significance as outlined previously.
bodily functions become prominent.
precursors of angels.
development.
a fan moves past a dagger.
the sun is used for divination.
emerald and flecked gold.
blue and emerald green.
sky blue and bright pale yellow.

the point.

Playing through a speaker in the cafe is a h30 drone. Also the sound of a space, people moving objects and talking. I assume this is live from the Arts Centre, setting up for the next stage. We sit and chat to our friends for about half an hour and the windows fill with condensation.

The 2 chefs gesture us to leave and follow them. They don't speak to us. We walk back thorugh the same 2 streets to the Arts Centre. As we get near to the centre we hear a drone sound being broadcast from somewhere. Can't quite judge where, but we continue into the church.

Inside the church, the central space has been arranged with tables and blue chairs. There is a low drone playing and the smell of toast. We sit at the tables. At the alter end of the space is a screen projected ontio which is 'to be contd.', and two small blue circles, one light blue and unfocussed, the other darker blue and crisp. On the opposing wall above the entrance is projected the time. The drone develops slowly and increases in intensity/volume throughout the next 45 minutes. Slowly, very, very slowly, waiters move towards the tables holding pots of tea. We are served tea, poured using very slight movements. This continues, at the same snail's pace, until we all have tea, toast, and finally blue mints. At one stage the music cuts, 'stop', then 'continue', and things proceed. Whilst this is going on, the main chef with the beard [Andrew McKenzie] occassionally throws bags of flour at the floor.

Again we are asked to follow the chefs with umbrellas. We leave and return to the same cafe. Again the drone, and again a text:

two

holding, and the absorbtion.
young women that help those at sea.
half a body, illuminated by reflection from another.
the possibility of the coming into being.
the third being made manifest by means of the duplicity.
a receptacle for something, with the imitation of the holy.
the smell of one of the gifts.
the substance that was the answer.
mother-of-pearl.
removal of dust.

the relation.

We are not in the cafe long before we are asked to follow again. This time we take a different route and go up the hill and towards a pub, "Einstein's Theory", which has a chimney-like tower near to it. The time, in the same clock-face is projected onto the tower. As we approach the pub we hear the drone sound again, but only for a short moment, and due to the doppler effect we assumed it came from the car that drove past.

We enter the pub into the room at the right side of the bar. There are a few locals drinking in there but they move out to the bar area. The room lights are off and the bearded chef hands a cd to the bar man, which is then played over the pub sound system. The 2 chef guides gesture us to drink. There are windows down one side of the room which look out onto a car parking space between the pub and tower. The area is brightly lit and our 2 chef guides start to dance, a la 'singing in the rain', whilst they are showered with water from a sprinkler pointed at them by the bearded chef. We stand there, in the pub, drink in hand, looking at this scene as if it were a large screen. When the dancing ends, all three stand together and stare up at the tower, onto which changing geometric designs are being projected. Some of us stand outside to get a better view.

Then back to the cafe. No paper this time. Sounds from speaker. Sit for a while. And then we leave.

Then off on another route. This takes us to a different building. We wait outside for a while then walk into pitch blackness, a tunnell of black cloth which gradually opens out into a smallish room which smells of incense/josticks. A pleasant smell. The lighting is somewhat orange and muslin is draped roughly from the ceiling. There is sound playing. On the floor is a small old white porcelain sink. It is tilted slightly and filled with soil. Two eggs rest on the soil in the bottom two corners. In front on a piece of tissue is the pelvis and leg bones [joined] of a bird. On the floor at the other end of the room are a pile of clothes. We gradually sit down as the bearded chef standing behind [not playing] the grand piano adjusts the sound. Projectors from around the room display different orange/red colours onto the muslin. Suddenly, a nude male and female walk confidently into the space where the clothes are piled. Slowly they begin to dress each other in each other's clothes. This takes time and with the absolutely stunning sound together with the general ambience in the room is an intense and rather beautiful experience. Once they are both dressed they embrace, then exit the room. At one stage the sound quietens and as it does the projector reels rapidly rotate from slide to slide causing there on inherent rhythms. The light dims somewhat and the bearded chef goes over to the sink, buries the two eggs using a spade, then buries the skeleton. At one point the sound jumps greatly in volume, a stimulating noise. The time is projected onto the ceiling.

We leave and return to the cafe. Pass the parcel. Some lucky individual leaves with the cdrs of material constructed/used for the evening. Never to be released. None of the people I'm with win, but my friend leaves Preston after his first visit believing it to be the cultural capital of England.

I want your love

love,love

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