VJing with a rock band? (Can it work?)

[dcarmich]

I've heard a lot about VJing in a rave/electronic music context, but can it work with a rock band? (Has it been done?)

The band I'm thinking of is called Ophur (http://www.ophur.com/) and plays what could be described as ... 'art-rock', although they can pull in many other influences and no one show is the same.

Could the improvisational nature of VJing work in a band context? I'm thinking of using a Panasonic MX50 with:
* Two cameras (one with a static shot of the band, one with a crowd shot)
* One DVD player
* Computer (PowerBook) with graphics

The images would be sent to a 61" plasma display panel on a stand behind the drummer.

Do you think that this could work?

Any suggestions for content I could use that fit each song?

(I'd be 'jamming' with the band, not playing prerendered sequences.)

Any comments welcome...

--Douglas

[InsideUsAll]

we work with bands as well as at parties/clubs and its great. A lot more laid back, and less restrictive in the kind of content you can project. Of course its best to try and suit your content to the genre of the band, but I think there is a lot more flexibility in what you can project, than at dancey type things.

Visuals tend to make a good impression with bands too, as less people generally make the effort.

[PilotX]

imo opinion music is music, whether a dj or a band, whatever style. Although playing for a band poses different questions - you need something to 'cover' breaks between tunes, we've used a band/club logo or a crowd lviecam shot for this before, but discuss that with the band.

Had a thought though, if you can get together with a tribute band to a certain rock group, you could call yourselves AV/DV ;)

Oh yeah, if you have any doubts, just remember U2s popmart tour...

Tom
syzygy visuals

[Amukidi]

U2 have been using VJs for a few years now - saw the "Zooropa" tour and was well impressed with the offerings - 3 massive screens, all different ratios, with a mixture of Text messages and footage with a bit of worldwide sattelite TV (bet their legal dept had fun clearing that lot for copyright!!).

[MoRpH]

Originally posted by jaffa808
U2 have been using VJs for a few years now - saw the "Zooropa" tour and was well impressed with the offerings - 3 massive screens, all different ratios, with a mixture of Text messages and footage with a bit of worldwide sattelite TV (bet their legal dept had fun clearing that lot for copyright!!).

Ah the good old days b4 the MPAA/RIAA wankers and the millenium copyright bollox up, they prolly didn't bother.... oh the good old days.

Back to your regular programming

[scarab]

TOOL is doing that also

[michaelheap]

i used to vj for a death metal Band ;-( <cringe>

Problems were i hate metal, i hated the content & had to wear ear plugs the whole set to prevent me going insane

[thomase]

Check teh apple site! There's something about a band having a vj onstage with them playing an instrument called the viditar. I forgot what the band was called, buit check the creative part of apple's site!

As for me, tomorrow, I'll be meeting with the singer of a rock/electronic band and discuss ideas fpr visualistion...

[vortex]

Yes as morph says I got the videotape of U2 it was an Irish student group how produce it. Try to find the video. For rock bands depend witch still of music if you have to play for an psycadelic rock kaleidoscopes are coll. if it is more punk just put cups an violence and destruction loops in it. But at all for the band it is super no buddy do generally. They made an big concert here in Luxembourg 15000 persons rock ( Nina Hagen, and much more) it was an other VJ group from Luxembourg on 2 screens size over 20 meters plasma, paid and sponsored of the European economic community see www.cornelius.lu see what they have done when you get a good budget. we vill do the next concert of twesla rock see www.vjz.biz/tveslarock

[vortex]

forgot if you have 2 cameras one fix and for the other take a cameraman to move on stage it will be much more dinamic when you fade from the group to the leader or to the drums ect

[MoRpH]

Yeah saw tool last time they were out, not overly impressed with the video (heard they were much better the time b4).

The viditar guys was on here (I think) or I know he was on eyecandy, I think it was some name like ocular noise machine or some such, have to admit I don't think much of the name or the concept really, guess making a guitar shaped video trigger just doesn't appeal to me.... although I too have done a little visuals for rock bands back in the day end enjoyed it thoughly and look forward to doing it again sometime soon, looking for oppertunities in sydeny now if anyone knows anyone :)

[wellREDman]

speaking as someone who spent all of the nineties and lots of the eighties bouncing around on stage with a bass guitar, i would looove to have a go with a viditar or something similar and bounce around the stage doing video :)


on the doing video with bands front, there are pro and cons, you get to know in advance what songs are gonna b played which gives you a much greater scope for sychronising your content , but you only have 3-6 minutes to play each bit then you gotta change which can be very hectic

[thomase]

wellred, have you tried applying a bass to midi converter to your bassguitar?

that should do what you want...

[krezrock]

was on tour with korn last year. i felt more like a guitar player than a vj. but with the video.

[eirenah]

yup, U2 did it nice, and we musn't forget Pink Floyd, huh?

[vjTranceKoder]

Sinch is the name of the Viditar (http://www.apple.com/hotnews/articles/2002/11/sinch/) band.:cool:

[wellREDman]

Originally posted by thomase
wellred, have you tried applying a bass to midi converter to your bassguitar?

that should do what you want...

havent ried it but from what ive heard that will just give me one set of variables which is way too little formy mixing style :)

[VirtualVisuals]

I think that you can VJ to any music, after all you can make a music video to any music, so why shouldn't you be able to VJ to it?

When I play (with myself) at home, I VJ to many different styles of music, basically whatever comes up in the mp3 collection, which due to me being a bit of an old Indie kid tends to be a bit Madchester. I also have rather a large amount of rock, goth (I used to live near Leeds) trance and even classical.

It's a shame that VJing is only realy popular with the dance scene.

[WordVirus23]

I do visuals for a rock festival every 6 weeks or so, everyone LOVES it... I highly reccomend, at least once in a while, pointing the camera at the screen... awesome feedback results w/ people on stage bouncing around... the bigger the screen the better. I'm going to have to agree w/ the rest... much more freedom to play non-happy/dancey visuals. don't forget to get (or make) a title picture/logo for the band... they'll thank you, do one for the venue too, and maybe get some repeat business out of them

..james...
NoInput:Visual Product

Originally posted by dcarmich
I've heard a lot about VJing in a rave/electronic music context, but can it work with a rock band? (Has it been done?)

[Anyone]

Some people might thik visuals started out with rock bands even...

Just look at Andy Warhol and the Velvet Underground fro example!

Ne1

[wellREDman]

Originally posted by VirtualVisuals
I I also have rather a large amount of rock, goth (I used to live near Leeds) .

do i hear a veteran of the duchess?

big ups to all the ex goths in the house :)

[mondo]

i started off in the days vjing simple stuff over gallon drunk and stereolab......must have done well cos they both got signed straight after!!

:-a

:p

[LarryLightshow]

I was touring with weed rap rockers the Kottonmouth Kings earlier this year
the show only lasts two hours, and you get to hang back stage
with all the groupies
It's really fun, I got way more respect as an "artist" then I do usaly at the partys I do
as well as the crowd is watching the stage at your average rock concert, but at most partys people are busy dancing
I'm really looking forward to hooking up with other bands ...
I'm really into the idea of having a "VJ" in the group as a member
like the way many rock groups have DJ's now.

rock on dudezzzz.......

[PlanB]

Heores played for a band last week and had a great time. It was our first gig and couldn't have had much more go wrong in the way of equipment failure but it was still great fun. Pod1 have a D&B feel, two drum kits and a pretty ecclectic style (violins and harmonica in there) so we got to really mess about with the changes in pace.
Yeah, music is musicIt totally works.

[naiveHQ]

imo visuals go with any music. I'd love to work with a band on a regular basis. However i find that any music with lyrics its a good thing to prepare for the words. I feel that association between words and images become more intense as the freedom of association is much smaller. They conect in a different way then plain beats... trying to make myself clear: if you have a male singer singing about a lost love and you show visuals of a dancing girl then the visuals will represent the girl in the lyrics to most of the audiance. This can creativly be a very nice thing as it allows for "story-telling" IF you prepare for it.....I did a gig a few months ago with a live band that i tought would be way more electro(thats what their albums sound like) but live it was straight up rock. At times i was uncomfortable with what i was saying with my visuals in conjuction with the lyrics. imo this doestnt apply just to rock but any music with lyrics like hip-hop etc.

[InfraRed]

I was talking to a guy on saturday who is a drummer. He told me of playing at a gig and the display guys had his drums connected to pyrotechnics via midi controllers.

Sounds cool - he said it was mucho impressive also.

N

[MotionMonkeys]

I saw Sigur Ros and Godspeed You Black Emporer and both were touring with wicked visual shows.

You can make it work with any type of music. Were currently developing a project to produce visuals for a live classical music piece.

d