Narc. Magazine Online
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Laura Doyle enjoys a night of musical daftness and AI ruminations from one of the best performers around
The people of Stockton (and the surrounding areas) seemed woefully underprepared for the chaotic energy that is a Bill Bailey live show. Maybe it’s because they were more used to seeing him doing the foxtrot on Saturday night TV or admiring otters as part of a nature documentary, but the multi-instrumentalist maestro demands a damn sight more participation from the stage than he does from behind the screen.
Thoughtifier is Bill Bailey’s attempt at a celebration of humankind’s ability to make noise. From the humble rudimentary pipe upon which humanity blew its first note (then probably immediately bashed out Frere Jacques) to the extraordinary technological accomplishment of the laser harp (which is exactly what it sounds like), Bill Bailey can crack out a comedy tune on practically anything.
The only thing he can’t play ball with, however, is AI. His failed Sea Shanty sang by a LLM that could neither call nor respond left us feeling more unsettled than any seafarer’s tale of woe. For Bill Bailey – and hopefully for most of us out there – art without a human touch is just a plagiaristic pale imitation of the real thing.
Some of these concepts might have gone over the heads of the people of many in attendance who seemed more glum than gagged by the more thought-provoking aspects of the show. Then again, maybe it was a Tuesday night at the end of the summer holidays; maybe the ethical dilemmas of AI isn’t at the top of everyone else’s list of concerns; maybe some folks were here for silly songs, Kraftwerk nursery rhymes, and Strictly Bill Bailey rather than environmentalist, existentialist Bill Bailey.
To them, I say this: stick around until the end of the show, because then you do at least get The Wheels on the Bus a la German electronica.
