Whole presentation above.
I believe that overall this was a good presentation. I explained in detail both the musicality and stage presence of the performance. In musical terms, I explained the tempo, tone, and instrumentation of the tracks that were played throughout the set. I showed a good knowledge of house music and the specific type of house music that disclosure makes. I compared their RNL performance to a 2015 boiler room set they did. This gave everyone an idea of how good this performance actually was. I also went into detail about the size of the disclosures fanbase and how Reading and Leeds suited them massively. Overall I gave a good performance and made some really good points. Although this was a good performance I could have improved in a number of ways. The first is a video of the set to show people exactly what I’m talking about. This would have added a visual aspect to my presentation and helped people understand the points I am making. I could have also been more confident when talking. I’m not too worried about this as it is something I will learn and get better at as I do it more. Overall I believe this was a strong presentation and I got my points across very well.
Another Example:
For this example, I have chosen Gorillaz’s performance at the Brit awards in 2010. This performance is intricate, interesting, and extremely unique. Cartoon bands have been toyed with in the past, way before Gorillaz. However, this is the first time that it wasn’t just a gimmick and was something to be taken seriously.
I chose this performance because I find the whole history of the band very interesting, and this was Gorillaz’s breakthrough single. The song is a mix of multiple different genres, genres that would never get radio time before this. The song has elements of pop, rock, metal, reggae, and Latin soul. All of this creates an amazing track and a mind-boggling live performance that truly makes you feel like you are in a different dimension. This is exactly what Gorillaz set out to do.
The stage presentation is extraordinary in this performance. Damon Albarn, former frontman of Blur, was tired of performing and being the voice of a whole band, hence the cartoon characters stood on the stage playing instruments. This is one of the first times this was done in a live setting, let alone at a big award show like the Brits. The projection of these characters is paired with a stunning light show and backup dancers. The backup dancers mimic the zombies in the Clint Eastwood music video. This ties the live performance right back to a video that millions of people had viewed already.
Musically, Clint Eastwood is not a very intricate song, but considering that Damon did all of this by himself with a new sampling technique was extraordinary. The song is slow and deep, almost sounding like a grunge record from a band like Nirvana, but then with instruments like the melodica, they create a whole new style of music that is both interesting and enjoyable to listen to. This song specifically includes bass, guitar, vocals, drums, melodica, keys, and many different percussion instruments all layered to create this masterpiece.
I could have compared this performance to any other Gorillaz track that came after this and they would both be as impressive as each other, so instead, I’m going to compare Clint Eastwood to a blur track to show how Damon’s musical progression created one of the biggest bands of the 2000s.
Blur’s ‘on your own’ is said to be ‘Gorillaz’s first tune’. That was said by the lead singer of Blur Damon Albarn who later became the ‘frontman’ for Gorillaz. You can clearly hear the similarities between the two tracks, and this was the first taste Albarn had of going in a different direction musically. I believe this is what first kickstarted his decision to have a solo career and leave blur. Damon wanted to create a different style of music and present this different music in a way that has never been done before. This was the first step of many but it was a step in the right direction. Gorillaz became something massive.
Overall I think the live performance of Clint Eastwood was incredible. Nothing like this had ever been done before, and Gorillaz was a stroke of genius.