Last night was the first Wet Sounds concert for the 2019 Perth Fringe.

Last night was the first Wet Sounds concert for the 2019 Perth Fringe.

We turned up at the HBF Stadium fairly early and just chilled as the support people arrived from Perth Dive. They sold and hired out masks and snorkels for those that didn't have them, and were also providing saftey support in the dive pool where the concert was being held, so during the concert it wasn't unusual to be showered in rising bubbles as a diver released them from their respirator.

This breathtaking concert is a fully immersive experience. You enter the water with the other audience members but they become shapes in the water in the dim and coloured gentle lightshow, moving on the surface and below it, diving deep to get the best sound. The sound track at the surface is harsh and vital, but as you dive it vanishes into a smoother, clearer crystal sound - changing as you rise and descend.

It reminded me of Jarre's Concerts in China, and throw in some Alan Lauris, Mike Oldfield and maybe some 4AD stuff. It is its own unique sound and while certainly novel and original is not a gimmick - there's a real craftsmanship in making your audience part of the medium, and the weaving of the tracks is masterful.

Float on the surface with your ears underwater, float with one ear under and one ear above for a really unique stereo experience, and dive, dive, dive! It's a unique invitation to become a composer yourself, you are effectively doing your own mixing - combining the tracks as you ascend and swim down.

Unfortunately for us, when I enquired I was told that the HBF Stadium doesn't permit mertails, which would have added to the surreal and magical experience for the diving part, but small fins would be fine. There are quite a few people in the water, of all skills, so be aware of other patrons entranced by the novelty and look before you dive.

Goggles and snorkel a necessity - you can hire them. Don't forget the trick with the baby shampoo for the defogging of your goggles before you go.

Highly recommended.

9 out of 10 breathtaking and The Abyss jamming with humpbacks at a laser light show on the Sid and Nancy Scale.

#fringeworld2019 #fringe #underwater #music #perth #fringeworld
https://fringeworld.com.au/whats_on/wet-sounds-fw2019