Beautiful Noise
The International Noise Conference (INC) – Frank “Rat Bastard” Falestra’s annual experimental noise freak fête – returns to Churchill’s Pub in Miami for the dirty-dozenth time on February 3 for a five day-run of chromosome-crushing volume, lewd do-it-yourself costumes and far more than enough raunchy performance art to make middle America take a big, gasping collective crap in its pants (which some INC artists may enthusiastically use to coat themselves on stage).
Drum machines, synthesizers, effects pedals, oddly tuned guitars, iPads (but no laptops!), power tools and a load of hard-wired homemade contraptions – it will be an orgy of electronic hardware tweaked to inflict the most hearing damage possible, which is just how noise fans like it.
“People are going to hear and see stuff that’s gonna blow their minds,” Falestra said. “Some of it will be minimal, some of it will be explosive. Open-minded people are going to have a lot of fun. If you don’t have an open mind, don’t come.”
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More than 150 acts – with colorful names such as Vasectomy Party, Unicorn Hard-on and Breakdancing Ronald Reagan – will blemish four indoor and outdoor stages during 15-minute sets at the venerable live venue of ill repute in Little Haiti. For the uninitiated, think of noise as the musical equivalent of the cousin who shows up late for Thanksgiving dinner, doesn’t say hello, gathers up the rest of the kids to smoke weed and do shots of whiskey, and then leaves without saying goodbye to go drop acid with his friends.
It’s like that.
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Falestra said the conference, which grew out of the annual Bored Shitless Festival, is intended to have “locals intermix with acts from out of town” to collaborate and trade shows in their home cities. That mandate helped persuade the Knight Foundation to award INC a grant three years ago, which matches money from event sponsors. Falestra said those funds get spent on recording, sound and video gear used in live and studio settings throughout the year in South Florida.
This is the first time INC will happen since longtime Churchill’s owner Dave Daniels sold the bar in mid-2014. Falestra said he’s seen no differences.
“We’ll get to do what we want,” he said. “Mr. C will be working the door, so things will pretty much feel the same.”
Falestra said every invited act is worth hearing and refused to name any favorites, but here are some of the many highlights noise fans will experience:
Credit: Bleeding Palm
• The burgeoning South Florida experimental scene will get three featured days, February 3 thru 5, curated by scene-shakers such as the Jellyfish Brothers (Greg & Eddy Alvarez), Robert Brantley III (a.k.a. Human Fluid Rot), Liz Ferrer and Janise Weingarten.
• Must-see locals on Thursday, February 5 include: Holly Hunt, Sharlyn Evertsz, Xela Zaid, Nunhex, Shitstorm, the Dot Dot Dot Orchestra and the godfather of noise himself, Rat Bastard and his Laundry Room Squelchers.
• On Friday, February 6, Kenny Millions will bring his Be Creative Or Die night back to the cozy confines of the Dan Hosker Green Room for the first time in nearly a year. Expect ear-splitting frequencies and lots of hardcore video porn to be projected on the walls.
• If you can only handle one night, make that the final night on Saturday, February 7, when more than 60 top noise acts from as far away as Antwerp, Belgium do things you simply cannot un-see and will not be able to un-hear for several ear-ringing days afterward.
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• Acts not to miss include: Cock E.S.P. (Minneapolis), Tinnitustimulus (Rochester), Andy Borsz (Jacksonville), Bernard Herman (New York City), Eva Aguila (Los Angeles), Dennis Tyfus (Antwerp) and Profligate (Philadelphia).
For many of the participating experimental musicians, INC is the live performance highlight of the year.
“What I love about INC is the atmosphere of spontaneity,” said Ed Matus, who is playing INC for the third consecutive time. “Being a part of it you’ll never know what you’re gonna see that may inspire you to throw your plans out the window.”
12th Annual International Noise Conference: February 3-7 at Churchill’s Pub, 5501 NE 2nd Avenue in Miami. Each night has different start times. Check squelchers.net/inc.htm for more details. Free!
~ Adam Matza
