Simon on Keenan’s noise primer – bang on, and similar to my thoughts when reading it. I think there is scope for noise and subversion, though not in the black and white way in which Simon characterises DK’s position.

For example, as he says, noise can be meditative and lulling as well as total derangement. See for example Nocturnal Emissions and the Hafler Trio. I also think noise can just be a quick route to produce something full on and mental which will get people’s attention. Nowt wrong with that. Indeed I’ve done it myself. I was involved with a performance which used noise loops etc and it was quite effective but afterwards I think I was more interested in provoking more complex responses from an audience.

Like, it’s easy to bash people round the head and make them go “aaaaaagh! You nutter!” but quite difficult to do something less intense (or less OBVIOUSLY intense) which still holds their attention. Or for that matter, gets them whooping and getting on down.

Plus Simon is absolutely bang on with the mythologising which goes along with all this “only released on 6 woolworths cassettes, 3 of which were unplayable because they were encased in uranium” business.