The Bays, Barbieri and White CMN Tour

The Bays, Photo: Tom Oldham

In May 2005 the hub produced a national tour for the Contemporary Music Network, featuring electronic dance-meisters The Bays with legendary guitarist and ex-Japan member Richard Barbieri and the Egg’s Matt White.

As the band never rehearse, don’t have a set list and have no ‘songs’ to perform no two performances are ever the same; what the band plays is determined by the experience that exists between them and the audience for only one moment in time. It was this attitude and disregard for the conventional that made us want to work with them. The tour was about exposing the band to new ideas. It allowed them to work collaboratively for the first time, quite a challenge for a band with no set list or tunes. It enabled them to experience and respond creatively to performing in a totally new environment – on stage in major concert halls instead of at festivals or in front of late night club audiences. It also opened up a whole new audience, people who wouldn’t have heard them at a festival or in a club, but whose ears were open to their musical ideas.

“I have never seen The Bays before last night. I had never heard of them and only came along because Richard Barbieri was there. But WOW – I am going again – superb! And Andy Gangadeen kicks ass – awesome drumming.”
MikeT, The Bays message board - 7th May

the hub produced this tour because we were interested to see how a band like The Bays would respond to the challenges of working collaboratively in large concert hall settings. This challenge was interesting to us because of the move on the part of concert halls to expand their music programmes to include more contemporary music. The tour was a real learning opportunity for all involved, and has gone on to inform our programming ideas and the advice we give to clients.