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tfatina
Q )
THE
RENAIS0 B ^ l SANCE of Bgrade. Academics
of all persuasions
• ( [
clinging to their
wmmm own importance
by finding new
projects in which
^ %
they can pour
^ ^
their
crusty
adjectives.
Sitting
in
private
university
cinemas, watching Russ
Meyer movies, enjoying
the ogling until the end.
The lights go off and all is
quiet except for the sound of
changing film in the
projectionist booth. The new
movie comes on.
Satina Saturina vs The
Idiots.
Light reflects garish colours.
Vinyl and nylon. Electric
guitars and synthesised
noise.
Other
worldly
elements come together,
creating a scene that has the
academics
empty
for
adjectives yet drooling over
the B-grade splendour.
Is it goad? Is it bad? They
ask themselves, but only
Satina can answer.
"I like it... It's nice.."
What more needs to be

B

S

.•'

said? But the crusty
professors want more, so
somewhere in a small corner
of Wellington they ask the
questions.
Satina Saturnina (aka
Victoria Singh) has teamed
up with the idiots - Derek
Champion (Id), Chris Swain
(I), Simon Swain (ot), and
various 'S's that have
included Alistair Watson,
Rufus Dayglo, and Mire
Swain. The union has
created more than just
music, more than just
performance music/art. The
project has become an
industry of bizarre delight.
"Satina first came into being
with Dr Versuvus. After that
ended I still wanted to
explore the character of
Satina further. The first
performance was in New
Plymouth of all places, at a
women's music festival. That
was a solo show, with me
using drum pads and a
guitar accompaniment."
"In August of last year I went
to Vancouver. While I was
there the Poetpolloza was
happening, which preceded
the Lollapolloza tour. I
contacted the organisers
and told them I was a
performance artist from New
Zealand and asked if I could
perform. The show was

Wellington's smart arts weekly. The essential pick-me-up.
quite well received, and that "When we do record, we feel that they
inspired me to continue. would like to get material must fit into a
Back here, Derek suggested printed at that cottage certain format.
that he add a sort of wild record pressing plant in Many feel that
beat poet type character to Geraldine. The discs are they are doing
the show, and that was the great. They look really s o m e t h i n g
start of what we've got now." plastic and synthetic - and different, but
Since the beginning of this that's the kind of image we they're not,
and they can't
year, it has grown into a full want," says Derek.
band. Satina Saturnina was "We haven't played very break out of
commissioned to do a show many gigs with the line up that way of
at Bats for the Fringe festival, we've got now, so I think performing,"
and from there things have there's a lot of room to says Derek.
become stronger. Plans to explore the concept further. This shook the
tour have been postponed I'd like to go further into the foundations of
by an urge to record production aspect, as well as the academic
crusties as the
material, which must pose a the performance aspect."
problem for the act with . Satina Saturnina may be the lights flicked
such emphasis on the visual. chief focal point of the on after the
"There is a lot of improvising shows, but the attention can Satina
and spontaneity in the shift from her to Derek, or to Saturnina
shows, keeping things as the various 'S's who perform show. Russ
fresh and alive as possible, tasks that range between Meyer didn't
which I think is really distributing lollipops to the have a patch
important as the whole thing audience to bathing baby on this. But
they
is meant to be an abstract, dolls. Yet there is still slowly
impressionist cabaret, and another aspect to the Satina began to get
there are some things you Saturnina empire to be the meaning.
Packing note
just can't rehearse. So, with explored.
into
recording, we are still not Victoria is a designer with a pads
sure of how to really range of back packs, Satina
Saturnina
approach it."
holsters,
and
other
"Recording is quite an exact accessories that have all fit back packs,
thing, and if you try to make into tie
Satina image, they glanced
it sound spontaneous it can creating an industry inside at each other
with knowing
come out as contrived, so I itself.
think we'll come up with a "It's all about laughing at smiles.
different concept for our the
seriousness
of They like it... It
recording," says Derek everything. There are too was nice... .
Donald Reid
Champion.
many bands out ttiere who

Photography: Aaron Lucy]
Capital Times, f : u,'