Monday, November 17, 2008

Nerdcore's European Vacation

What is the meaning of this?!

Okay, admittedly that came off a bit too demanding, but check out the link and see if you don't have a similar reaction. Go ahead. I'll wait.

Done? Good.

Let's discuss:

When this site was brought to my attention this weekend, I was a little skeptical. I mean, why would some as-yet-unknown (at least to me) Dutch organization purport to be bringing nerdcore to The Netherlands? That seems, y'know, a little unbelievable. But the more I looked into this, the more legit it appeared.

First and foremost, the idea of a European screening of Nerdcore For Life certainly isn't out of the question. And both the site's info concerning the doc and its presentation seem to jive with the overall feel of the film, as well as its established modus operandi. (To this end, I've hit up Dan for details and will share them when/if they become available.)

Secondly, the site's footer links the Glitched event with Glitch.nl, the R&D arm of Dutch Internet application firm 4worx. So this, too, makes sense, as I have no problem believing that such a company would benefit from sponsoring what amounts to a Euro-centric geek celebration.

Then we have the clincher. Check Beefy's sig file over at Rhyme Torrents, and you'll see a link to the same event page. So it doesn't exactly take Adam fucking Savage to state that this is, at least on the surface, wholly plausible. But there are many unanswered questions.

If Lars, YT, Beefy and Router have been confirmed to perform – which, again, makes sense when attached to a film screening – will this be an isolated event or can we expect a full-on European tour? Moreover, does this mark Router's official return to the nerdcore fold? And there's always the question on money; I mean, is 4worx really footing the bill to fly these folks all the way to Amsterdam?

In the end, what I'm looking for is details. Failing that, I'll also accept theory and/or conjecture.

My fellow nerds, you now have the floor.

11 comments:

funky49 said...

I would gladly go back to Amsterdam!

Z. said...

I'm sure you would, you cheeky boy! ;)

Anonymous said...

wtf? no way router is nerdcore again. no way.

Anonymous said...

My European vacation just ended... but I sure wouldn't mind going back for a tour!

Z. said...

Pfffft, you get extra credit for an unintentional Bill the Cat reference.

Those are some great pics, Doc! I look forward to you regaling us with further stories of your travels.

Anonymous said...

Hasn't Optimus Rhyme disbanded? Router? Hmmmm...weird? I'd totally go if both Optimus Rhyme and Router were to perform, except that it's in two months in another country I'd love to go to but would like to prepare for it. And nobody on the "confirmed" list of artists have anything mentioned on their websites/myspaces. This seems sinister. What would be the intent of trying to draw a bunch of nerdcore rappers to Amsterdam? I've got a bad feeling about this...

Anonymous said...

The line-up is stellar if, and I mean no offense here, very american.

...

hm.

Anonymous said...

Well, if there is a tour, I think I know a couple of awesomely European support acts!

Anonymous said...

i actually had a big convo with misterb about this yesterday. my big question is: "why?" is it just to support the film, and then... delimiter. end. or, is this a way to try to bring nerdcore into the european spotlight? without at least a nod to our european cousins out their rapping quite nerdily, i feel this would be a little taxing on their resources to gather america's finest, scattered ACROSS the US. here's hoping they branch out to working with misterb, category, and whoever else is out there rocking the mic.

Z. said...

OR did indeed break up. But I notice, pillsandangels, that Optimus is listed in the “More Nerdcore” section, though, and that sort of leads me to believe they were simply included as a point of interest for folks new to the scene, and don’t seem to be performing. And I do wonder if this isn’t simply some way to conscript Beefy into the European sex trade. ;)

Very American, indeed, MisterB, but, then again, the film itself was very much centered on our side of the pond.

Let me point out, Cat, that talk of a legit European tour is simply me wondering out loud (though I assume you all realize that.) That being said, though, I’m beginning to wonder if there are any European nerdcore MCs *outside* of the UK. Seems like a good time to find out.

I reckon that’s the big question, Hex. (Well, right after "is this for reals?") The film screenings seem to be regularly linked to performances, which makes its own kind of sense, so I guess we can assume that this is the case. However, I sort of think it may depend on who is footing the bill. If sponsors are paying for YT, Lars, et al to fly over, then they have nothing to lose but time. If they’re paying their own way, though, a tour may be in order just to make it worth their while. If that's the case, then who knows what may be in store for regional acts?

Anonymous said...

you should probably check the RT thread re: this!