Posted by: Necci – Oct 21, 2015
FEATURE SHOW
Cheap Fest VI @ Strange Matter
Day One: Friday, October 23, 2 PM-Midnight - $5-15 (sliding scale)
Daggering, Stone Garden Jam Temple, Mutwawa, Broadcastatic, Scant, Creeping, Stress Orphan, Burak, Neurology, Bryan Lewis Saunders, Zack Kouns, Bernard Herman, Nate Schieble/Ian McColm, Astrology Diet, Cornelius Van Strafin III, Jim Capps, Metamorphic Blood vs. Kaontrol Kontraos, Radio Shock, Nu Depth, Yoga Demon, Subklinik, Coteries, Eunich, JND, Floral Print, Deleted User, One Lifeless Eye, Lugweight, Outer Heaven, Blue Nine, Le Bron, Fake Object, 10-56, Negative Space, Lacanthrope, Skirts, Alpha Decay, Seven Hundred Club
Day Two: Saturday, October 22, 2 PM-Midnight - $5-15 (sliding scale)
Laundryroom Squelchers, Tinnitustimulus, Unguent, Narwhalz (of sound), Radiator Greys, Shredded Nerve, Newton, Yohimbe, Drums Like Machine Guns, Faster Detail, Pvre Matrix, Predation, Rosemary Arp, Trogpite, Boy Harsher, SB & C, Drippy Inputs, Extended Release, C10, Mall Prowler, Jokif Behr, Bachelorette, Embarker, Clang Quartet, Pony Moon, Quna, Suicide Magnets, Dave Public, Zoe Wordlaw, Muscle Academy, Lead Pipe, Cloning, Bath Assaults, Xambuca, Bushmeat, New Loft, Flesh Control, Schwarzkali Effect
There are times I worry I won't have enough to say about one of the shows in my column. Suffice it to say, this is not one of those times. If anything, Cheap Fest VI offers more action than I could possibly cover in a few measly paragraphs. This annual gathering of experimental music acts from all over the country is organized on some strict principles--each band gets 15 minutes in which to perform, and the music happens on a continuous basis for 10 hours each day for two days. During that time, something like 80 different groups take the stage, all assaulting the ears of listeners with a glorious wall of their own particular take on "noise"--which could involve a variety of musical instruments, or a pile of sound effects, or almost anything else you can think of. But it won't involve laptop computers being used to play back some prerecorded sounds, because laptops are strictly prohibited by Cheap Fest's charter. All noises you hear will be generated live and in the moment.
So what sort of noises can you expect? Well, the entire affair will be brought to a close by a set from Florida heroes the Laundryroom Squelchers, led by maniacal noise legend Rat Bastard. Meanwhile, day one's events will be wrapped up by a set from Daggering, a noise supergroup whose members once called Richmond home but are now scattered up and down the east coast. They return to action for a rare Richmond appearance in celebration of Bad Moon Rising, their brand new tape released by CNP Records earlier this month.
There are soooo many more performers on this bill, though. Groups that have attained a measure of local fame through legendary past performances (Drums Like Machine Guns, Clang Quartet), artists who once called RVA home and are back to blow minds once again (Narwhalz (of sound), Lugweight, Nu Depth, Scant), local up-and-comers just starting to make their mark on the Richmond scene (Alpha Decay, Schwarzkali Effect, Seven Hundred Club), RVA veterans doing what they do best (Mutwawa, Flesh Control, Coteries), and a ton of other local and out-of-town performers with plenty of awesomeness to bring you all. If you like your music to remain safe, calm, and totally normal, this isn't the event for you. I, for one, am down with the freakouts, and testing the limits of what sound can do; I hope you are too, and I hope you'll make an appearance at Strange Matter this weekend for Cheap Fest VI. You'll be glad you did.
