Violence In Action

Sydney fans of musical improvisation, rejoice! In case you didn?t notice, the incomparable and unmatched Lachlan Kerr of Sydney progressive outfit Godswounds has developed, nurtured and massaged his incredible gamepiece VIOLENCE IN ACTION for you to witness.From the Facebook page:

?VIOLENCE IN ACTION gets its name from a subversive take on the term ?Violence of Action,? which refers to the climactic point in CQC (Close Quarters Combat) defense/offense as used by the U.S. Marine Corps. This connection also acknowledges the game?s link with John Zorn?s remarkable work in the Game Piece ?Cobra,? which, itself, was based on a war strategy game of the same name.

VIA is not a singular game. VIA is a myriad of small games of varying complexity that make up the elements of a performance of the work. It may be said that VIA is like a martial art where any player in the context of the group must come to terms with a vast array of different skills and techniques that must be employed in endless combinations to survive (avoid getting a black dunce cap, as the case may be.) It may also be said that VIA is like a language comprising of gestures, words and idiosyncratic responses that the players and the conductor use to both limit and free the improvisational music that is the outcome of the work. Like Zorn?s Cobra, the game makes use of prompt cards and gestures. The latter exist as tools of both the conductor and the players, the former representing a movement from one game to the next?

If you are interested in participating in a rehearsal, visiting a show, or just viewing the complex rulebook, contact violenceinaction@hotmail.com.