Notes About Noise

Several people have commented favorably about this past weekend's quarterly noise report. A few of those praising the two day event have also made comments about how many acts were very good, but not necessarily noise. I don't necessarily know what would definitively qualify as noise.

I remember playing with the band Numb Right Thumb in the 90's, and the early part of this century. I think of the band as dipping into space rock, fake jazz, soundtracky sort of music, but we also were called noise by many amateur musicologists (most of my friends) , and some music critics.

I grew up calling John Cage noise along with Ornette, Albert Ayler, primitive pop acts like Half Japanese, Flipper and Red Krayola. I also remember bands like Led Zepplin used to be called heavy metal.

Now, it seems like the tag of noise is usually more related to ancestors like Merzbow or Metal Machine.

Anyway. I don't always know what to call it, and I don't care. I don't want to become a part of the dogma tribe, that needs to quantify. Whatever happened during Saturday's performances was great in my little world.

I read something about the artist Robert Rauschenberg. A critic said something about him not being a real artist. He responded by saying something like, I don't care what you call it, I'm going to keep doing it.

I'm paraphrasing, because that's the best I can do.

-Pat Greene