Clayton Thomas, the NOW now Festival photo Tom Banigan |
As noted by Shannon O’Neill in his review of the 2006 festival the phrase ‘the now now’ is from renowned UK guitarist Derek Bailey, a personal hero of festival founders Clayton Thomas and Clare Cooper. In an interview at the end of 2002 Thomas talks of the festival’s development from the fortnightly series (awkwardly titled If you like improvised music we like you) into a large scale event. He also talks of the partnership with Melbourne's regular improv event Make It Up Club to present a range of national and regional tours. It was clear from the start that these two young artists were passionate and ambitious about integrating “non-idiomatic improvisation," to quote O’Neill, into the musical landscape of Australia.
Natasha Anderson & Amanda Stewart photo Clare Cooper |
Zeit Kunst 6 photo Sam James |
The festival returned to the city in 2011 making use of the new batch of artist-run spaces and 2012 looks to continue this model. The NOW now is perhaps most impressive because, amongst all the format, venue and co-ordinator changes, what has remained constant is the passion for improvised music defined in its broadest sense. Experiencing the NOW now for the first time in 2003 I wrote: “Improvising is a valiant and foolish attempt to capture each moment, feel each slice of time as it passes over and through you. To do it right you have to surrender completely to the whims and vengeance of the temporal.” The festival is still around and successful because, it has responded like a kind of organism, in a similar way.
Jim Denley, the NOW now 2003 photo Joe Glaysher |
The 2012 NOW now festival program will be launched Dec 14, 2011 at the Red Rattler. See www.thenownow.net for the schedule of regular events.
Gail Priest
2013
a spectrum of spontaneity
kate carr: now now festival 2013
RealTime issue #112 Dec-Jan 2012 pg. web
2012
borders down, camaraderie on
romy caen: 2012 now now festival
RealTime issue #108 April-May 2012 pg. 37
2011
delicacies, brutalities & inbetween
tony osborne: the now now festival 2011
RealTime issue #102 April-May 2011 pg. 38
part 2: sydney scenes & sounds
gail priest: the now now; sound series
RealTime issue #104 Aug-Sept 2011 pg. 48
2010
vigorous exercise & a well-balanced diet
gail priest: the now now festival 2010
RealTime issue #96 April-May 2010 pg. 39
2009
the improvising animal
gail priest: the now now festiva
RealTime issue #89 Feb-March 2009 pg. 39l
riding the impro wave
gail priest: fred rodrigues, S.I.M.S, the now now series
RealTime issue #94 Dec-Jan 2009 pg. 48
2008
relocation and reinvention
shannon o’neill takes to the hills for now now
RealTime issue #84 April-May 2008 pg. 41
2007
subtle assaults
tony osborne at the now now festival
RealTime issue #78 April-May 2007 pg. 42
2006
Impro: ethical, musical and now
Shannon O’Neill at the NOW now
RealTime issue #72 April-May 2006 pg. 30
2005
What NOW for experimental music?
caleb.k
RealTime issue #66 April-May 2005 pg. 48
the NOW now: present and accounted for
Gail Priest
RealTime issue #65 Feb-March 2005 pg. 42
2003
The NOW now: time slices
Gail Priest
RealTime issue #53 Feb-March 2003 pg. 45
2002
MAKE IT NOW: the impro revolution
RealTime talks to Clayton Thomas
RealTime issue #52 Dec-Jan 2002 pg. 39
RealTime issue #105 Oct-Nov 2011 pg. web
© Gail Priest; for permission to reproduce apply to [email protected]