Lets face it, most of us have been to a house party where, at silly o'clock in the morning after most of the (cheap) beer has been drunk, some joker will whip out an acoustic guitar and start serenading the remaining conscious revellers with poor indie covers. (I grew up in the age of Brit Pop. Painful.) But these days, the humble party is floundering and giving rise to a new entertainment phenomenon - the 'GigParty'.
A GigParty is pretty much what you would expect it to be. Musician(s) turning up at your house, setting up in your living room and playing a show for you and your friends. Sure, it seems scary at first when imagining your house filling up with your (slightly bemused) acquaintances, glancing at the instruments arranged around the edges of the room. To be honest, I never thought it would be an entirely comfortable scenario for anyone - audience and performers alike. In practice however, a GigParty is an amazing experience. It takes the excitement and spectacle of live music and makes it intimate, personal and really rather special. It makes it yours for that brief moment and it creates memories that will survive long after those of your average gig. Because its live music, two foot away from you, in your house. Mental.
Unconventional gig locations are becoming more and more popular with established artists too. Arcade Fire (above) and Get Cape.Wear Cape.Fly are just two examples of bands who've recently performed impromptu sets outside venues before or after shows, and Badly Drawn Boy did a tour of chip shops to promote his new album! I'm all for this kind of performance too - no booking fees or ticket touts, just people that make music and people that enjoy it, having fun together! Whats not to love? Plus it makes great stories to tell your grandkids one day...
My own GigParty (one of the best parties ever if I do say so myself...) involved the ace musical stylings of Luke Leighfield and Sam Isaac who've spent the last few months making the GigParty their own up and down the country, leaving a dedicated following in their wake. How can you not be dedicated when you've had someone play in your house?! Check them out. They'll probably come play at your house if you asked nicely - a BBQ tour is planned for the summer. And they're not the only ones. Check myspace for up and coming bands and acoustic artists to invite to your house - try Dave Hughes for example.
Below: Sam Isaac - Compass Scattered Love
Come on all, be part of the party revolution. It's honestly as cool as it sounds.
Luke Leighfield Myspace
Sam Isaac Myspace
Dave Hughes Myspace
Content by Cerian Absolom
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