THWOMP Interview: On Convention Gigs

Originally written for Suite101.com on July 27, 2010 as part of my  Interview with Dave Marshall and Brad Stanton of THWOMP series. This one didn't make the cut (although the other parts did, go figure). Here, Brad Stanton and Dave Marshall of the Nintendo® cover band THWOMP discuss convention gigs:

Calgary-based Nintendo® cover band THWOMP has attracted a growing fan base of gaming enthusiasts. They will rock Edmonton on August 6, 2010 at Animethon 17.

In the fall, they will release their debut CD. Band members Brad Stanton and Dave Marshall came for an exclusive chat with Suite 101. In this segment, they talk about this year’s convention gigs.

Video Game Bands and Conventions – A Good Fit 

Conventions draw anime otaku, hardcore gamers and comic book fanatics, giving them a platform to publicly indulge in their geeky passions. In On Gigs, Past, Present and Future, Brad explained that these enthusiasts make for their ideal audience.

Having performed at Alberta's anime conventions for a couple of years has given the group members a unique insight in convention organization. "It’s interesting being on the inside a little bit, seeing how some of them are run," shared Brad. "How completely different they are, even when it’s a lot of the same people because it’s people from the same circle."

Anime conventions are mostly volunteer run, which the group admires. "They’re doing it just because they love the experience, which is kind of like what we’re doing," said Dave. "It’s a good fit in that respect too." 

Animethon is Alberta's longest running anime convention. The anime con takes place every summer at Edmonton's Grant MacEwan University. The guys from THWOMP are looking forward to their August 6 gig. "Last year was such a hoot," said Brad. "We tore it up. We had some fun. So we’re gonna expect some good people there. It’s a good show."

The group is appreciative of the efforts that convention organizers put towards hosting an entertaining show. man, they put in a huge effort into it last year, too," said Brad in relation to Animethon 16. "The stage last year was so wicked."

THWOMP at the Calgary ExpoLast year marked THWOMP's debut gig at the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo, held every spring on the Calgary Stampede grounds. The Calgary Expo attracts high profile guests such as Star Trek's Leonard Nimoy and Brent Spiner.

THWOMP's expo experience hit some sour notes. The guys tried their best to rock the convention "on some risers in a box" during their half-hour gig. Unfortunately, their gig was scheduled at the same time as the cosplay contest. "That was lame!" said Brad. "You can’t rock out in convention hall lighting. It just doesn’t happen."

THWOMP at Otafest  

THWOMP also enjoys their gigs at Calgary's annual anime convention, Otafest. This anime con is held every May long weekend at the University of Calgary. The organizers have experience hosting anime cover bands and video game cover bands and take great efforts to staging the shows properly.

The 2010 Otafest was extremely memorable. THWOMP's show blew a fuse, cutting off power in one side of the building. "It was exciting," recalled Dave. THWOMP is a Nintendo® band comprised of Calgarians Brad Stanton (lead guitar), Colin Mitchel (lead guitar), Scott Munro (bass), Scott Moffat (drums), David Marshall (keyboards/percussion) and Kirk McVean (keyboards).

For more information about THWOMP, the band or to listen to audio clips, visit their website and Myspace page. In upcoming installments of this Suite 101 exclusive interview, Brad and Dave discuss video games, fun and food.

Full interview series: Part 1 – THWOMP’s Origins | Part 2 – Band Names & Niches | Part 3 – Songwriting | Part 4 - Hey! Listen! CD Release | Part 5 - On Gigs | Part 6 - Convention Gigs | Part 7 - Video Games | Part 8 - Fun & Food

(c) Rhona-Mae Arca, 2010. All rights reserved.

New Videos on Musespeak Youtube Channel

Videos from some our performances at SAJETAA's Hana Matsuri are up on my Youtube Channel.Here's one of them:

Proceeds from the event will go to help the victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

We performed six Jpop numbers:

• "Tsubasa wo kudasai" from Neon Genesis Evangelion and K-On!

• "Houki Boshi" from Bleach

• "This is My Road" from Guin Saga

• "Crossbeats" by Pia no Jac

• "Fukai Mori" by Do As Infinity

• "Shima Uta" by The Boom

We're still playing around with the set but hope to perform it again soon.

(c) 2011 by Musespeak(tm), Calgary, AB, Canada. All rights reserved.

The Blindfolded Pianist

After fighting with my drum kit over the best arrangement to use with I Got Rhythm, I thought I better take a practice break before I give in to the urge to hit it.Martin Leung, AKA The Video Game Pianist burst onto the youtube stage with this "Blindfolded Pianist" videos. He is currently working on his Masters' Degree in Music and touring around the world with Video Games Live.

A pretty sweet gig if I say so myself.

I recently heard him perform with Video Games Live when they came to Calgary.

Here he is in his blindfolded glory:

(c) 2009 by Musespeak(tm), Calgary, AB, Canada. All rights reserved.

Game Sheet Music

After a hectic school year, it's nice to stop and catch my breath. One of the ways I've been relaxing is to play some video game music transcriptions. Yes, I know I really should be practicing for Piano Camp (and I have) but even music teachers need to play some fun stuff and yesterday, "fun stuff" for me meant playing Tetris Theme (Korobeiniki) and the theme from Zelda until my fingers gave out.

Hunting for game sheet music can be an adventure. Your local music retailer will tell you that it's cheaper to find it online. Oh yes, you'll find all sorts of sheet music online.

A few otakus have sat down transcribed their favorite themes and share them with other fans. You have to commend those with the patience and determination to listen to their mp3 player ad nauseum until they've picked out all the notes. And as far as I know, the transcriber can share their rendition with others.

On the other hand, one would like to smack those who have bought sheet music and have uploaded copies to the Internet for people to take for free.

Enough of that, here are a few places with video game music to explore:

• Animenation - music from the Japanese anime and game Bleach to Final Fantasy (and everywhere in between). I bought the Inuyasha sheet music from them a while back when some of my students were on an Inuyasha kick. It looks like I'll be placing an order soon since there are a few good collections available.

• Ichigos - otaku who have transcribed their favourite themes and share their arrangements as well as their own compositions

• Josh's Anime Sheet Music Collection -Josh Agarrado shares his own arrangements/transcriptions of anime and games on this site.

• Pianosquall.com - Game and anime pianist Michael Gluck performs at anime cons, game cons and charity fundraisers. He has published some of his arrangements here.

• Risembool Rangers -A fan site dedicated to voice actor Vic Mignogna, best known for his portrayal of Edward Elric in Fullmetal Alchemist in the English dub. Vic plays an active role on this site and even shares his own sheet music. He's great with his fans. I um, er asked him to transcribe two songs from his Metafiction CD that I like. Still waiting but I know, he's a busy guy.

Happy exploring!

PS: Since it's summertime, I won't be posting as often as I strive to during the school year. Must go enjoy the sun!

(c) 2008 by Musespeak(tm), Calgary, AB, Canada.

Friday Fun Link #2

There are many websites that boast free music sheet music (with or without a membership). It makes things easier than ever before to find some fun or leisure-play music. However, just be careful since that some versions are a little shady (error-ridden or infringing upon someone's copyright). Today's link is a place I go to for fun music: Ichigos - my students and I are currently on a Japanese anime/JPop kick and some dedicated otaku (obsessed fans) have transcribed the songs and share their transcriptions. These people sat down and played back the CD or mp3 file enough times to pick out the notes and jot them down. Now that's dedication!