THE Monty Pythonesque idea of the Vienna Vegetable Orchestra attracted national publicity, with one daily newspaper devoting its leader column to a long sequence of vegetable puns.
So is the orchestra just an absurd joke and nothing more? Well yes, it is completely barmy and doesn’t take itself too seriously.
But large amounts of fresh fruit and veg had been turned into sound-making instruments with remarkable ingenuity, and the results were immensely ear-tickling.
Playing such instruments as carrot pipes and aubergine percussion, most of the sounds were as fascinating and thrilling as anything you might have heard during the completely serious part of the festival. And the resultant smells were as evident as the sounds.
Two VJs (Vegetable Jockeys) were introduced at one point, somehow playing real vegetables on revolving record decks.
Then three cabbages and a large leek were grated to within an inch of their lives, producing cutting edge (OK, I’m punning now) headbanging sounds that would have been relished by any hardcore metal fan.
An equally memorable delight was when a torrent of dried fruit and beans tumbled noisily down a wooden slide. Wonderful fun.
Organised by Sonic Arts Network, the evening began with an impressive declamation by the internationally renowned American sound poet Charles Amirkhanian. And it ended with a sequence of food-related experimental music, sound art, and unbridled performance art, involving frying eggs, eating celery, brewing tea, and making sounds with plastic cups and food blenders.
Another event to confirm that this year’s festival has been as lively and contentious as any in its history.
