The Chiptune Alliance Tour 2008 - my last 48 (ish) hours

I've grown to Really love Chiptunes in the last year. I've documented it here on this site before . I even contacted the poster of this Audiosurf video for info on the artists/songs featured in it. And although he couldn't reply with any info on that front, he was willing to host the songs in question on his own personal webspace for me to download. Turns out he's a 21 year old dude from Finland. Chezda, your generosity towards a distant unknown stranger like me is Highly commended! Anyways I digress.

I've tried to listen to as many different Chiptune acts as possible. But nothing has come close to my appreciation for Dubmood, She, and Random. It was that fact that he formed part of the tour, was the main reason for me to Drive 150 miles from where I live (Aberdeen) to the Event at Glasgow's Cathouse, then the next day, roughly 50 miles eastwards to Edinburgh (the hive) for the next leg (stopping off somewhere across the firth of forth to view a potential place to live, but that's another story), then Back home again.

At the Glasgow gig, I arrived with the misconception that it started at 8pm, it actually started at 6pm. I missed all of syphus and part of Firebrand Boy. But I still arrived in time for Random's set who was on not long after Firebrand boy.

During Random's (unfortunately rather short) set, I felt he undersold himself. He didn't play any of his stuff from, what I think, is his best work ( the bad joke EP) Also the Glaswegian crowd wasn't as "up for it" during his set as I was, since I was the only one dancing like "a maddie" during his set (stopping only to film this). Also during his set I did also shout for "Spontaneous Devotion" to get an airing, which it didn't

After his set he was hanging by the merchandise desk and I went to speak to him. i obviously came across as a major fanboy stopping just short of doing the wayne's world "we're not worthy" but what the hey, In Aberdeen we get very little concerts/decent new music coming through and what little we do get are greeted by the most bored, unenthusiastic, and ultimately shite gig crowds in the country. For example at a recent Aberdeen concert for Electric Eel shock (Crazy Japanese rock band) I was only one of a 3 man mosh pit, whilst 100 or so hipster/cool kids watched from the side of the venue totally motionless, an absolute disgrace!! But again I digress. Anyways as I was talking to random, I was asking if he was coming on a bit later for an encore performance (I was chatting with 'random' crowd member who thought this might be the case), but random said he was done for the evening :( the conversation continued and I mentioned that if I liked the rest of the gig, I might attend the Edinburgh leg as well. Random then stated that If I attended the Edinburgh leg, He'd play "Spontaneous" for me there. Very tempting indeed.

Stopping for a photo:

We parted ways and I went to see the rest of the gig. And to Be honest, the rest of the lineup didn't appeal to me at all. 1st after random, was the Unicorn Kid, his stuff was too hard and too fast for me, he spent most of his set bouncing around the stage with all the enthusiasm and co-ordination of a kangaroo on a pogostick after OD'ing on red bull. The only interaction with any chip "instruments" he did make was to press a key on his laptop right at the very start of the track, presumably to get it playing (something that was noticed not just by myself but a few others, so I'm not being a hater here). Also, the enthusiasm of the crowd turned at this point. Where as I was dancing and bouncing around like a lunatic to random. The majority of the crowd were doing so to these latter acts, including unicorn, some even resorted to join unicorn onstage.

Next up were American trio Anamanaguchi.. Now their approach is something i commend. This is where one of them kicks off a sequenced chip/drum track from a laptop, and they all play along to it with 2 of them on guitar, and one on bass. This was impressive to watch. but the sound again didn't appeal, but at the same time the crowd's enthusiasm was still inversely proportional to mine, which continued at at the same level from that of the unicorn kid.

And Lastly was the turn of Sabrepulse. Before I get on to his set I'll fire up a bit of history. Sabrepulse is a chip artist that has gained huge following and respect of many chiptune artists and fans alike from around the world, touring extensively around it also. He nearly quit chiptuning altogether this year, but now he's ready to continue touring and composing more stuff. He is also the chiptune alliance tour's organizer in chief. I was made aware of his stuff by a friend/ex call center colleague/local Aberdeen amateur chiptune composer Malodix around the start of the year.I Was going through some of sabrepulse's stuff on 8bitpeoples.com around the same time I discovered Random and she. And IMHO his material fell into the "too hard too fast" category that the unicorn kid's stuff falls into and I didn't think he was in the same league as She and random (and still don't). This brings me onto his set, again, apart form a couple of exceptions, it was a deluge of stuff that, again, didn't appeal to me (too hard too fast, oh and if I need to refer to this again I'm gonna acronym it to "THTF") nearly the whole crowd was lapping it up Even moreso than the unicorn kid. Now here's some Irony, where does this world conquering Chiptune maestro come from? Only the same place where I have lived nearly all my childhood and adult life... Aberdeen, Scotland! and I was most likely the only person at the gig who travelled such a distance with the specific intent of seeing one of the other acts :P

The people that came to see Sabrepulse went away happy, perhaps they felt they got a bonus in seeing the unicorn kid as well.After the gig I stuck around at the Cathouse for their Quite decent metal night. Then went back to the hotel. After the gig I made the decision to catch the Edinburgh leg of the tour, but Start hitting the long north road home soon after Random was done.

The next morning, after a walk around Glasgow City center, I ventured eastwards to Edinburgh for the gig. In the queue I ended up speaking to a friend of Firebrand boy. I queued for the ticket at the venue and because I caught the majority of the acts in Glasgow already. I went for a bite in a nearby royal mile pub soon after. Coming back to the venue in time to see the end of Syphus (who had swapped places with firebrand boy in the line up) one of his last tracks was a sweet chip cover of "hearbeats" by "the knife". Random was on next. Firebrand boy was in the crowd and before Random took the stage,I was able to have a very good long chat with him about many things in music and chiptunes, like acts to coax into future alliance tours, to performing and attending at the blip festival. And the sad fate of anamanaguchi (more on this later). Also it turned out that he was as much of a Random Fanboy as I was, and was pleased that I turned up because he also wanted to see "spontaneous" performed live just as much as I did :P . For the record Firebrand boy is a Top, Top Bloke, very friendly and approachable and willing to give you the time of day.

And when Random took to the stage, he didn't disappoint. He kept his word and kicked off with "spontaneous" :D , although it was a smaller crowd than in Glasgow. Quite a number were willing to display unicorn kid levels of enthusiasm in the viewing area this time, myself included :P . This set was definitely a more fun set than he played in Glasgow. After the set I said my farewells to firebrand boy and his friend. I said a lengthy Fanboy thankyou and farewell to Random. Bought a "kill club" CD then started the journey back.

Just to see Random live, to me, was definitely worth not only the ticket price(s), but the cost of the combusted tank of fuel that My ford Cougar's thirsty engine roared out of it's exhaust getting me through the 300 mile round trip for it. - Some £47/$94US worth of it. And from this day forth I will still continue to go perusing through various online/other sources of Chiptunes for artists just as worthy of my attention as She and Random.

Now I don't intend to come across as a hater when it comes to Sabrepulse, Anamanaguchi, and the Unicorn Kid. As us limeys say in Blighty, they're "not my cup of tea". Not only that, lets not forget that they all mainly use tracker software/old video game equipment to make their music. Plonk me in front of Milkytracker with an uninterrupted week to compose 20 seconds of chiptunage and I'll still come out the other end scratching my head in a state of utter confusion. Also the unicorn kid is just 16, so in terms of composing at least, he deserves a lot of plaudits and praise. Also, epecially as far as the artists on 8bitpeoples are concerned, they release their stuff for Free (on creative commons).

On a final and sad note I'd like to finish off with what has happened to Anamanaguchi... I learned from Firebrand Boy as I was talking with him in Edinburgh, that after the Glasgow gig, Anamanaguchi would not be continuing the tour and that they were "getting deported" although he didn't elaborate this in too much detail there and then. But today I found this article stating that the work permit issue was to blame!! As much as they aren't "my cup of tea". I don't begrudge them for coming to play to their UK fan base as well as attempting to gain more fans along the way, even if it is out of their own skin/finance. This is not just an opnion I hold for anamanaguchi, or even chiptune music as a whole, but any musician/band of any genre in general. The Glaswegian contingent were certainly happy with their offerings and I sympathise with any other uk-based Fans of theirs that was looking forward to seeing them on this tour who won't be able to see them any more.