About
Wake Up and Listen is a band from Sydney, Australia that makes improvised, experimental music and radio.
Background: Radio & Improvised Live Performances
From 1991-1999, Adrian Bertram and Shannon O’Neill produced the radio show ‘Wake Up And Listen’, presenting a unique blend of live to air musical improvisation, cut-up mass media, and radio studio deconstruction. Their methods were so successful that the show also became a ‘band’ which has subverted many a live event. Their peculiar combination of absurd humour and mind-warping sounds, added to their uncompromising attitude, has had a quiet but important influence on the resurgence of Sydney electronic & experimental music over the last decade.
In February 1991, Adrian and Shannon found themselves doing a graveyard shift on a small community station called Radio Skidrow. They set themselves the task of filling five hours of air-time per fortnight without resorting to simply playing recordings of other people’s music. Records were scratched, played backwards, played at the ‘wrong’ speeds, layered with cassette cut-ups, cheap synths and drum machines. CDs were made to skip by smearing them with grease. Live sampling and feedback effects were achieved with quarter-inch tape. Dictaphones were added to real and fake talk-back, etc. Basically, it was just two edgy 18 year-olds running rampant and abusing machines for fun. After a while, the show became more sophisticated as the lads acquired old, new and ever more expensive equipment. The time had come to move on.
Wake Up & Listen then broadcast on 2MBS-FM 102.5 MHz, from 1-3 a.m. fortnightly on Wednesday nights (Thursday mornings). They would jam live to air over their own electronic compositions, often with guest musicians who might play anything from saxophone to mobile phone - traces of the old anarchy remained. On several occasions, they took this concept out of the radio studio and onto the stage - usually to critical acclaim (to the bemusement of WUAL).
In 1999, Adrian, an accomplished classical clarinettist, decided to pursue opportunities in Europe, and so WUAL the radio show came to an end. After fourteen months away, Adrian returned to Sydney and is now co-presenting Furthermore on 2MBS-FM, with Ben Byrne and Shannon. WUAL the band has also resumed activities.
Musicians who have collaborated live to air with WUAL include: Jon Rose, Lloyd Swanton, Alister Spence, Michele Morgan, Tony Gorman, Toby Rapley, Jasmine Guffond, Steve Buchanan, Geoffrey Gartner, Michael Sitsky, Peter Hollo, Tim Hopkins, Biz E, Kate Crawford, Cathy Harley, Antigone Foster, Alex Castro, Jeff Smith. Many more musicians have also collaborated with WUAL at live events.
WUAL has played at many live events including: The Big Day Out (Sydney, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004); Electrofringe (Newcastle, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005); Disorientation (Sydney, 2003, 2005); Liquid Architecture (Melbourne, 2001, 2005); Frigid (Sydney, 2001); Triple J’s Mix Up (National radio, 1998); Dis-locations CD launch at The Globe (Sydney, 1998); Diabolica at Slapoworld (Melbourne, 1998); Itchee & Scratchee’s Farewell gig at The Metro (Sydney, 1996); Clan Analogue’s club Electronic (Sydney, 1996); What Is Music? festival (Sydney, 1994, 1995).
About The Boys
Adrian Bertram is a professional classical clarinettist, who also has a huge collection of analogue synths. He also knows something about the projects Winner, League of Infinite Justice, Lieutenant Colonel Spastic Howitzer, and Satan’s Little Helper(s). Adrian’s thought for today is, ‘Fuck MIDI!’.
Shannon O’Neill is a media artist working accross film, video, internet, installation, radio and music, and has a day job teaching that stuff at the University of Technology, Sydney. He also knows something about the projects Plenum, Time Being, and Projek Lansac.
What The Critics Have Said
‘Sometimes it is hilarious, a beautiful shower of sonic fragments, like bits of broken glass, resembling Stockhausen’s improvisations with cello, oscillators and short wave radios.’ Sydney Morning Herald
‘A web of sound…ferocious and apoplectic - far beyond anything I had envisaged.’ John Clare
‘A flow of zany brilliance that to these ears has no equivalent in this country.’ Alan Brooking
‘Surreal collage that was at once funny, fascinating and disturbing.’ On The Street
