Nerdstock

You may have missed it last night, if you went to a late vigil mass, but beebeecee 4 broadcast Robin Ince’s 9 Lessons & Carols for Godless People, a Christmas celebration of science and Christlessness, which is now available on iPlayer. Although notable for short (or heavily-edited) turns from scientists, comedians, and neither (musicians mostly), the hero of the whole event was Mr. Martin, my erstwhile collaborator, and the conductor, arranger, originator, accordionist, uke-player, and singer with the Mystery Fax Machine Orchestra.

He hovers throughout, perched, counting, laughing sometimes, but waiting, always, for the chance to lead his ensemble in the beautifully-arranged ten-second riffs that lead on and off scientists, who would not otherwise ever be led on and off. The orchestra, operating as a living backdrop to all acts, look magnificent and Mr. White, at turns, authoritative and maniacal.

From our combined oeuvre, he plays the theme from The Trans-Carpathian Express, an on-going project on which we’re working, about which we can only say hush and secrecy. Also, the lead song from the lead epee, Thank-You For Not Discussing The Outside World. The song weaves and ducks around various talking heads and scientific gabblings, rendering it mostly unintelligible, but, I imagine, were it not for these strange, interspersed interviews, the song would not have made the edit at all. Thank you, talking heads, for being so voluble. And thank you, beebeecee, for feeling the show needed to be justified thus.

It will be there all week. And don’t forget to tip your waitress.