Drone Not Drones – 28 timers droner for fred (interview med Luke Heiken)
Af Andreas Melchior. Logo af Sonny Kay.
Til en koncert i 2013 spillede det legendariske Duluth-band Low en 27 minutter lang udgave af “Do You Know How to Waltz?”, hvorefter sanger Alan Sparhawk erklærede: “Drone, not drones”. Sloganet havde han fra sin ven Luke Heiken, som havde fået trykt frasen på et klistermærke. Fra at have været et enkeltstående statement udviklede det sig til et musikalsk støtteprojekt til fordel for de uskyldige ofre for de droneangreb, der er blevet et rutinemæssigt indslag i den globale såkaldte “krig mod terror”.
I februar 2014 udmøntede projektet sig til en 28-timers lang, uafbrudt dronekoncert i Minneapolis, Minnesota, hvor bands gav stafetten videre og afløste hinandens drones. Indtægterne gik til Læger Uden Grænser. På fredag den 30. januar gentages succesen, ét langt 28 timers drone, som også vil blive live-streamet via dronenotdrones.com. Det fulde line-up for koncerten findes her.
Passive/Aggressive har talt med idémand Luke Heiken om projektet.
P/A: Could you explain the background for “Drone Not Drones” – what exactly is it?
Luke Heiken (LH): I came up with the slogan first playing around with an industrial sticker maker. I mentioned it to my friend Alan Sparhawk from Low. When they played their now infamous set at a local music festival, they only played one 25 minute droney song (“Do You Know How to Waltz?”) and then told the audience “Drone, not drones.”
Low fans at the show loved it, but those who don’t appreciate “weird” music thought they were taken for a ride and complained on Twitter. With everyone talking about the slogan I thought if I was ever going to do anything with it, I need to then. So I made t-shirts and starting planning the first 28-hour drone to raise money for Doctors Without Borders.
P/A: The “War on Terror” and the way drone attacks are being carried out has become a normalized part of everyday life, not only for its victims but also in the collective psyche of the Western population. How has the reception of “Drone Not Drones” been?
LH: People have been very receptive to the message. Even those who might never listen to drone music. A local chapter of Veterans For Peace does a march to the venue with signs and paper mache drones and all that. Local press has been supportive. And I always get plenty of looks and compliments when I wear my shirt.
P/A: Besides being a clever pun, do you see a way that the musical drone can change people’s perception of things?
LH: Not only do I find good drone music very transcendental/meditative. Also, the concert itself is a shared experience. Something you go through with others and probably leave more inspired than when you arrived.
P/A: Please explain the event on Friday Jan. 30th, the line-up and if/how the Internet audience can participate or contribute.
DRONE NOT DRONES: another 28-hour drone is the second annual event with ~50 bands rotating on and off the stage to create a seamless 28-hour drone. For those of you who can’t make it in person, we will be steaming the concert at dronenotdrones.com.
P/A: What are the future plans for “Drone Not Drones”?
LH: I’d love to try putting this event on in other cities!
Info: Du kan støtte projektet her og lytte til sidste års “Drone Not Drones” nedenfor. Hvis du vil købe koncerten, hvor overskuddet går til Læger Uden Grænser, kan du gøre det på Bandcamp.
