Episode 3 of Shlomo’s Babelbox Podcast is out now, and it’s a Glastonbury special.
The podcast includes a backstage audio diary following Shlomo’s performances on the main stage in front of tens of thousands of people, plus highlights from the two-hour show on Park Stage. Features music and interviews from DJ Yoda, Get Cape Wear Cape Fly, Martha Wainwright, Martina Topley-Bird, Ed Harcourt and loads more.
It’s 3pm. The show starts at 6. Emily Eavis has given us free reign of the Park Stage for two hours.
I’ve got the Vocal Orchestra and a heap of guest collaborators and I need to rehearse. We find a bar backstage with a decent soundsystem and get to it. Before I know it we are ready to go on, Park Stage is totally rammed!
The sun has come out and the people are smiling. Pavan from Foreign Beggars is helping me host the stage. I hear him saying my name followed by a cheer and next thing I know I am beatboxing to about 10,000 Glastonbury punters.
I kick it off with a short solo set to introduce the crowd to what I do. As I power up my looping setup, there is a loud popping noise followed by silence. I’m told that I have blown the generator for the entire Park Area. Oops. Now I am freaking out – so much work has gone into this show. This can’t be the end of it! The audience aren’t having any of it… they remain enthusiastic, singing and cheering until the power eventually comes back on. Phew!
No time to lose now, I skip straight to my drum n bass looping song to get everyone moving again, and then bring out the Vocal Orchestra. They are on fire today.
The Vocal Orchestra
What follows is a unique mish-mash of guest stars performing spontaneously. The music ranges from folk to jazz to hip hop to tabla to scratch battles to raucous sing-a-longs. If you would like to hear some of the music you will have to wait for the podcast – we did an audio diary of the whole weekend which will be out soon. There are some pics below, mostly taken by RJ Fernandez, more to come.
Martha Wainwright sang a version of ‘In the Middle of the Night’ with me on beats
Martina Topley-Bird sang ‘Police and Thieves’ by Junior Mervin with the Vocal Orchestra as backing band
DJ Yoda survived a scratch battle with Bellatrix!
Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly performed ‘Ghost Town’ by the Specials with the Vocal Orchestra
Ed Harcourt presented me with a fake diamond encrusted golden microphone onstage… I think he wanted me to look as bling as Jay-Z! Then he sang ‘50 ways to leave your lover’
Me, Ed Harcourt, Pavan and Reverend from the Makers (these pics courtesy of BBC)
The other guests were Portico Quartet, Pete Lockett and Lemn Sissay.
It was a moving experience, I came off stage exhausted but happy – I felt like all the collaborations and musical experiences from the past year as resident at Southbank have armed me with all the tools I needed to rock a two hour improvised show. It was probably the best show I’ve ever done, certainly the most fun show I have been a part of. I can’t wait to do it again. Watch this space!
There are new ‘Shlomo and the Vocal Orchestra’ t-shirts available to buy now from the AFTM Shop, featuring specially commissioned artwork from illustrator/spy Eleanor Meredith.
For the first time, Colette McWilliams’ feature length documentary ‘The Beatbox Choir’ is now available to buy on DVD from the AFTM Shop.
Watch as Shlomo and The Vocal Orchestra create the world’s only 13-piece beatboxing choir in only 6 weeks.
Watch the trailer here:
I think John Humprhies must have chickened out - when I got to the BBC studios he wasn’t there. Still did a great little interview with Evan Davis, myself and jestar* from the Vocal Orchestra… have a listen: Shlomo and jestar* on BBC Radio 4.
i seem to have done no end of press interviews for the show on Saturday - it’s nearly sold out so get in quick if you still want to come…
In the past few days I’ve been working with Gospel singers and a Brazillian choir for the commission I am doing with Brent Respect Festival, and been busy rehearsing the new line up of the Vocal Orchestra. We did a gig at the Guildhall School of Music last Friday to big up Sir George Martin who was a student there many years ago. We performed a medley of Beatles songs, some of which may make it into the setlist on Saturday! I meant to invite Sir George but totally forgot. Him and John Humphries - I missed the opportunity to get two legends beatboxing in one week !
Glastonbury and Bestival!
Shlomo’s collaborative concert series ‘Music Through Unconventional Means’ will depart from Southbank over the Summer to hit some of the UK’s festivals! Starting with a massive 2 hour collaborative show headlining the Glastonbury Park Stage, followed by a reprise of Shlomo and DJ Yoda’s collaboration on the mainstage at Bestival. Details below.
6-8PM, GLASTONBURY PARK STAGE, SAT 28 JUNE 2008
We are proud to announce that a special collaborative show will take place at this year’s Glastonbury festival, led by acclaimed British beatbox artist SHLOMO with his beatbox choir THE VOCAL ORCHESTRA. The two hour show will feature a secret list of guest acts from across the musical spectrum, with several of the festival’s key artists playing exclusive acoustic performances before collaborating and jamming with Shlomo and each other.
The emphasis of this extraordinary evening is on spontaneous collaboration and improvisation, often pushing the guest artists away from their usual performance zone to create something entirely original and unique.
The title ‘Music Through Unconventional Means’ is taken from Shlomo’s monthly concert series at the London Southbank Centre, where he is currently Artist in Residence. The series has been running since November 2007, and so far Shlomo has collaborated with Martha Wainwright, Teddy Thompson, DJ Yoda, Mad Professor and Polar Bear.
The Glastonbury show came about after discussions between Shlomo and Park Stage curator Emily Eavis. “This is one of the most anticipated shows at this year’s festival…” says Emily, “Expect special guests, unusual collaborations and amazing beatboxing for two hours…This year’s big surprise gig.”
6.30PM, Bestival Main Stage, Sat 6 September 2008
The amazing collaboration between Shlomo and AV artist DJ Yoda will be revisited in front of 30,000 people on the Bestival mainstage in September. The show was originally created for a special show at the Queen Elizabeth Hall as part of Shlomo’s residency at Southbank Centre. It features a crazy mashup of beatboxing, scratching and video trickery, and is one hell of a party starter!
‘Shlomo and the Vocal Orchestra’ are the world’s only Human Beatbox Choir. Their show is a phenomenal blend of live music, all performed using only the voiceboxes of 8 incredible musicians!
This summer they will perform at the Southbank Choral Festival and headline the Park Stage at Glastonbury Festival. They are also planning to create the Guinness World Record for leading the World’s Largest Beatboxing Choir.
In the Autumn of 2008 they will return for a UK tour taking in some of the country’s most prestigious arts venues.
Shlomo started out as a solo beatboxer, touring the world with hip hop outfit Foreign Beggars. He went on to record with Bjork, appear on ‘Later.. with Jools Holland’, and to play at Glastonbury as a solo act.
Somewhere along the way, Shlomo had the idea of working with a large group of beatboxers. Together with the Southbank Centre, he set out to create the world’s first beatbox choir. Shlomo had 6 weeks to put together the initial performance, which headlined at the International Beatbox Convention in March 2007.
The original line-up featured some of the UK’s foremost vocal talent, including legendary A Cappella outfit The Swingle Singers, alongside MC Zani (UK no.2 beatboxer), Bellatrix (UK no.1 female beatboxer), Spitf’ya and jestar*.
That first performance at Southbank was a sell-out, and the choir went on to headline at the Big Chill festival in front of 10,000 people.
In May 2008 the choir will return to Southbank to lead the World’s Largest Beatboxing Choir, and in June they’ll headline the Glastonbury Park stage.
In Autumn 2008 the Vocal Orchestra reform for a UK tour of concert halls and arts venues.
With a new streamlined 8-piece lineup, the choir now features some of the UK’s top jazz and soul vocalists, including Natalie Williams (resident at Ronnie Scotts Jazz Club), Vula Malinga (front-woman of Bassment Jaxx) alongside Shlomo, MC Zani, Bellatrix, Spitf’ya, Jestar* and former Swingle Kineret Erez.
Shlomo’s blog is powered by
WordPress
Entries (RSS)
and Comments (RSS).
