CLASSIFICATION
Swallow ID:
4569
Partner Institution:
Concordia University
Source Collection Label:
Lee Gotham collection
Series:
Lee Gotham collection
Sub Series:
Lee Gotham collection
ITEM DESCRIPTION
Title:
Enough Said 1995-03-20, Fluffy Pagan Echoes
Title Source:
Asset
Title Note:
Ephemera accompanying asset, corroborated by Lee Gotham, who introduces the event headliners.
Language:
English
Production Context:
Documentary recording
Genre:
Performance: Spoken Word Poetry
Identifiers:
[]
Rights
Notes:
Rights status in process. We may wish to seek permission from individual artists and Drew Duncan, the videographer.
CREATORS
Name:
Fluffy Pagan Echoes (Groupe)
Role:
"Performer"
Notes:
The group consists of five members: Ran Elfassy, Victoria Stanton, Scott Duncan, Vince Tinguely, and Justin McGrail.
Name:
Gotham, Lee
Dates:
1962-
Role:
"Series organizer",
"Producer"
Notes:
Lee Gotham was also one of the MCs of this event.
CONTRIBUTORS
Name:
Duncan, Drew
Role:
"Recordist"
Notes:
Videographer.
Name:
McGrail, Justin
Dates:
1968-
Role:
"Performer"
Notes:
One of the five members of Fluffy Pagan Echoes.
Name:
Elfassy, Ran
Dates:
1972-
Role:
"Performer"
Notes:
One of the five members of Fluffy Pagan Echoes.
Name:
Stanton, Victoria
Dates:
1970-
Role:
"Performer"
Notes:
One of the five members of Fluffy Pagan Echoes.
Name:
Tinguely, Vincent (Vince)
Dates:
1959-
Role:
"Performer"
Notes:
One of the five members of Fluffy Pagan Echoes.
Name:
Duncan, Scott
Dates:
1970-
Role:
"Performer"
Notes:
One of the five members of Fluffy Pagan Echoes.
Name:
Salah, Patrick
Dates:
1968-
Role:
"Performer"
Notes:
Performer and one of the MCs of the event. See also: Salah, Trish (https://viaf.org/viaf/56303860).
Name:
Edith’s Mission
Role:
"Performer"
Notes:
Opening act. Musical duo: Ibolya (Ibi) Kaslik and Amy Millan.
Name:
Tom (Chamberland?)
Role:
"Performer"
Notes:
Opening act.
Name:
Kate (Asterlind?)
Role:
"Performer"
Notes:
Opening act.
MATERIAL DESCRIPTION
Image:
Recording Type:
Analogue
AV Type:
Video
Material Designation:
VHS
Physical Composition:
Magnetic Tape
Storage Capacity:
120 minutes
Playback Mode:
Mono
Tape Brand:
TDK EHG
Sound Quality:
Good
Other Physical Description:
VHS #4 asset. Contains recordings of multiple events.
DIGITAL FILE DESCRIPTION
Duration:
01:00:26
Size:
1.71 GB on disk
Bitrate:
2304Kbps (original); 256Kbps (master)
Encoding:
MPEG-4 movie
Content:
This is file 1 of 1 containing an AV recording of the event featuring the Fluffy Pagan Echoes group as part of the Enough Said series, organized by Lee Gotham, with extra performances by Edith’s Mission, Patrick Salah, and others.
Notes:
Dimensions: 640 × 480.
Content Type:
Video Recording
Dates
Date:
1995-03-20
Type:
Performance Date
Source:
Asset
LOCATION
Address:
4040 St. Laurent, Montréal, QC, H2W 1Y8, Canada
Venue:
Bistro 4
Latitude:
45.5169628
Longitude:
-73.5796147
Notes:
Bistro 4 (pronounced Bistro Quatre), no longer in existence.
CONTENT
Contents:
[Bistro 4 stage]
00:00:00
Video Description: Colour video, medium long shot, then zoom into medium closeup of the stage at Bistro 4 (Quatre) (4040 St. Laurent, Montréal, QC, H2W 1Y8, Canada). A single mic stand. The stage, slightly below street level, is set against a full-wall window looking out onto the St. Laurent Blvd. traffic—with both pedestrians and vehicles regularly passing by. On the windows, the words “enough said.”
Patrick Salah
00:00:01
…Really cool. Welcome to another segment of Enough Said. I’m not Lee Gotham, as you can (?) tell. Tonight, we are going to be bringing you a presentation by Fluffy Pagan Echoes and friends. (?) mixed bag of Echoes and friends and, in fact, we’re starting off with Edith’s Mission and there’re going to be a number of performance pieces following that ([switching to French] Ça va?, oui), by myself—Patrick Salah—, by Kate (Asterlind?), and by Tom (Chamberland?). So, sit back, enjoy, and, could we have Edith’s Mission—Ibi Kaslik and Amy Millan. | Video Description: Zoom into medium closeup of Patrick Salah, sitting on a chair on the stage, talking into the microphone. Salah wears a white t-shirt, choker necklace, ball-stud earrings on both ears; neck-length wavy black hair. The camera adjusts into a closeup while Salah introduces the event and calls the first performer to the stage.
Edith’s Mission
00:00:55
[Ibolya (“Ibi”) Kaslik announces the duo will perform unplugged. Amy Millan corrects the pronunciation of her last name and Salah, off screen, says “Sorry.” Kaslik introduces their first piece is titled “Show me” and is an original composition. The duo performs “Show me,” with Kaslik leading the vocals. Applause.] | Video Description: Medium shot as the duo Edith’s Mission enters the stage, sits, picks up their guitars, and plays a first song. Ibi Kaslik holds a black acoustic guitar and wears black long-sleeved shirt, long light-brown hair parted in the middle, two hair clips; Amy Millan holds a light brown acoustic guitar and wears gray long-sleeved shirt and long dark hair.
Edith’s Mission
00:03:50
[Duo performs UnknownSong1, beginning with the line “Well, today,” with Amy Milan now leading the vocals. Applause.] | Video Description: Medium shot as the duo Edith’s Mission performing UnknownSong1.
Edith’s Mission
00:06:33
[Duo performs UnknownSong2, with the chorus line, “I know he’s somewhere out there,” with Ibi Kaslik leading the vocals this time. Applause.] | Video Description: Medium shot as the duo Edith’s Mission performing UnknownSong2.
Edith’s Mission
00:08:41
[Duo performs a last song, called “Every Day,” Ibi Kaslik leading the vocals. Applause.] | Video Description: Medium shot as the duo Edith’s Mission performing “Every Day.” The duo then stands up and leaves the stage while carrying their guitars.
Patrick Salah
00:11:05
[Thanks Ibi and Amy, from Edith’s Mission. Announces there will be performances by Kate (Asterlind?), Tom (Chamberland?), followed by a short break, and, finally, Fluffy Pagan Echoes in their entirety. Reads a piece called “When there are three.” Applause. Reverb noises as Lee Gotham adjusts the mic.] | Video Description: Medium shot as Patrick Salah walks to the stage. Zoom into a medium closeup as Salah thanks the previous performers, announces the next acts, and reads a piece, holding the left hand to the side of their neck during part of the performance. During the applause, Lee Gotham appears on stage to adjust the mic; we see Gotham’s long loose hair and beard, a bit of his pattern wine-coloured long-sleeved shirt.
Patrick Salah
00:16:09
[Reads a piece called “(Talkie?),” opening with the lines, “When at dawn you leave, you know, we all must allow for decay.” Applause. Invites Kate (Asterlind?) to the stage.] | Video Description: Medium closeup as Patrick Salah reads a piece. The camera sometimes trembles.
Kate (Asterlind?)
00:18:24
[Vocalizes and grunts into the mic, performing a piece beginning with the lines, “I’ve got this thing on my. Don’t let me. I’ve just got this grinder sitting on my shoulder.” Applause.] | Video Description: Medium closeup then closeup as Kate (Asterlind?) enters the stage and performs a piece. The camera stays in closeup, so we only see the performer from the shoulders up. Neck-length light brown hair, round dangle earrings. Long-sleeved white V-neck blouse with an attached scarf of same collar (looking like a turtleneck with a cutout between neck and bust).
Tom (Chamberland?)
00:24:45
[Noise of a bench being dragged. Introduces himself and announces he will read some poems, the first one about someone reading a poem at a café, titled “No poems about sex, please.” It has end rhymes. Applause.] | Video Description: Closeup as Tom (Chamberland?) drags a bench to the mic, sits on it, then performs a poem. We only see the performer from the neck up. Short blond hair. Red-and-blue plaid shirt over t-shirt.
Tom (Chamberland?)
00:26:15
This is a deconstructionist poem, so feel free to take it apart [laughter]. It’s called, “This poem contains content” [laughter]. It’s like those sex ads at night, where the woman comes on TV and says, “Are you lonely? We are” [laughter]. [Performs “This poem contains content.” Laughter throughout. Applause. Thanks the audience.] | Video Description: Closeup as Tom (Chamberland?) performs a piece.
Tom (Chamberland?)
00:27:21
This is a poem about how Montreal winters can affect you, (?) drive inside your apartment, inside yourself. You implode and then it’s spring, so. It is spring. Tonight it turns spring while we’re sitting here. (?) This is called “The winter of my discount tent” (sic.). [Performs “The winter of my discount tent.” Thanks audience. Applause.] | Video Description: Closeup as Tom (Chamberland?) performs a piece.
Patrick Salah
00:28:33
Thanks very much. A short break, say five minutes, stretching to ten, and then the Fluffy Pagan Echoes. | Video Description: Closeup as Patrick Salah announces a short break, to be followed by the event headliners.
[Audience]
00:28:46
[Ambient sounds, audience noises.] | Video Description: Cut to a 2-second clip of the audience standing in front of the camera.
Lee Gotham
00:28:48
…[video resumes mid-sentence] Manifestation of their worldly business. So, I’m gonna bring the lights down. I want everybody to sit down and enjoy the Fluffy Pagan Echoes. [Applause.] | Video Description: Cut to medium long shot of the stage, with Lee Gotham standing by the members of the Fluffy Pagan Echoes (Justin McGrail, Vince Tinguely, Scott Duncan, Victoria Stanton, and Ran Elfassy), plus an audience member helping set up equipment.
Fluffy Pagan Echoes
0:29:18
[Ran Elfassy shouts “OK! I’ve got something to say” and initiates a collective poem, with each member of Fluffy Pagan Echoes repeating the line “The solstice came at nine-fourteen this evening.”] | Video Description: Medium long shot as the five members of Fluffy Pagan Echoes stand side by side and perform a collective piece without mic.
Ran Elfassy
0:30:12
[Salutes the audience, asking several people “How are you.” Breathes into the mic. Sets up his piece as if in a play, saying “Now, a young man enters, stands, takes his space.” Performs the first part of a piece inspired by television, beginning with the line, “The television surveys the audience.”] | Video Description: Medium long shot of Ran Elfassy as he picks up some papers and walks to the mic to salute the audience. Buzz cut hair, long-sleeved striped shirt atop a darker t-short. Walks away and then back to the mic, as an actor entering the stage in a play. Performs a piece while the four other members of Fluffy Pagan Echoes, side by side, stand behind him. Elfassy gesticulates as if pressing a remote control towards the audience.
Ran Elfassy
00:34:18
[Performs the second part of his piece, beginning with the dedication, “This is for all of those who read.” Scattered laughter after some lines.] | Video Description: Medium long shot of Ran Elfassy performing the second part of his piece. Elfassy often gesticulates, acting out lines of the piece.
Ran Elfassy
00:35:33
[Performs the third part of his piece, beginning with the line, “If you don’t believe in abortions, you shouldn’t have one.”] | Video Description: Medium long shot of Ran Elfassy performing the third part of his piece.
Ran Elfassy
00:36:17
[Performs the fourth and last part of his piece, beginning with the dedication, “Slogans passing out.” Scattered laughter after some lines. Applause.] | Video Description: Medium long shot of Ran Elfassy performing the fourth and last part of his piece. Walks back into the row of Fluffy Pagan Echoes members standing upstage.
Fluffy Pagan Echoes
0:37:40
[Ambient sounds, scattered audience laughter.] | Video Description: Medium long shot as Justin McGrail takes off his beret and puts on a jacket borrowed from Scott Duncan, while the other four members of Fluffy Pagan Echoes leave the Bistro 4 through the full-wall window and start making funny faces at the audience.
Justin McGrail
00:38:05
[Performs a piece beginning with the line “In viewing the castles of (Paris?).” Audience laughter throughout. Applause.] | Video Description: Medium long shot of Justin McGrail performing a piece, while the other four members of Fluffy Pagan Echoes make funny faces and gestures at the audience, right outside the full-wall window of Bistro 4. The camera zooms into and pans from right to left, showing the performers behind the window. At some point we see Ran Elfassy making faces at a pedestrian passing by. At the end of the piece, McGrail turns to the window and bows to the performers, who bow back from behind the window.
Fluffy Pagan Echoes
0:39:30
[Ambient sounds, scattered audience laughter.] | Video Description: Medium long shot as Justin McGrail returns the jacket to Scott Duncan, while the other four members of Fluffy Pagan Echoes file back into the Bistro 4 and form a row behind Duncan. Duncan searches for something in the pockets of the jacket; finds a folder piece of paper.
Scott Duncan
0:39:48
[Performs a piece beginning with the line “I love art, I hate art galleries.” Audience laughter throughout. Applause.] | Video Description: Medium long shot as Scott Duncan performs a piece, while the four other members of Fluffy Pagan Echoes, side by side, stand behind him; at some point, Ran Elfassy sits down on the stage. Duncan wears a black jacket atop a plaid button-down shirt and short dark curly hair.
Scott Duncan
00:40:08
[Performs a piece beginning with the line “Dear Scott” and a quote from Barbara Woodhouse: “Never pat a dog on its forehead; such activity will result in the dog developing a superiority complex.” Audience laughter. Following Woodhouse’s quote, Duncan reads what appears to be the piece’s subtitle, “Gaudí’s cathedral postscriptum.” Applause.] | Video Description: Zoom into medium shot as Scott Duncan performs a piece, while some members of Fluffy Pagan Echoes remain visible, standing side by side, behind him. At the end of the piece, the camera zooms out as Duncan folds and returns the piece of paper to his jacket pocket, then rejoins the row of Fluffy Pagan Echoes members upstage.
Fluffy Pagan Echoes
00:43:36
[The collective performs a sound-poetry chorus by repeating the tongue-twister “Toy Boat,” each member initially reciting it in different speeds and tones, then gradually converging. Applause.] | Video Description: Medium long shot as the five members of Fluffy Pagan Echoes stand side by side and perform a sound-poetry collective piece without mic.
Vince Tinguely
00:44:18
[Introduces piece by quoting Ann Diamond, from a May 1992 issue of the Books in Canada magazine: “If ignorance is bliss, then Hell, with a capital H, is consciousness.” Following the quote, the piece begins with the lines, “This made me ask some questions: how conscious is conscience?” Applause.] | Video Description: Medium long shot as Vince Tinguely performs a piece, while the four other members of Fluffy Pagan Echoes, side by side, stand behind him. Upstage, we see Justin McGrail pass a glass of water to Scott Duncan, who in turns passes it to Victoria Stanton. The camera zooms into a medium short, alternating it with different degrees of closeup as Tinguely performs. Tinguely wears a white plain t-shirt, round glasses, and white short dishevelled hair. Tinguely uses several paper bags as props, wearing them as hats and gloves, and drawing different symbols on them (e.g., a hammer and sickle, a swastika, a gender female sign) to represent different types of consciousness. At the end of the piece, Tinguely rejoins the row of Fluffy Pagan Echoes members upstage as the camera zooms out to a medium long shot.
Fluffy Pagan Echoes and Ran Elfassy
00:47:45
[The group performs a sound-poetry chorus by repeating the word “seesaw” in different speeds and tones. As a solo against that background chorus, Ran Elfassy then performs a piece, beginning with the line “I swear I saw it with my own eyes.” After Elfassy finishes his piece, the background chorus continues for a few more beats. Applause.] | Video Description: Alternating medium long shot and medium shot as four members of Fluffy Pagan Echoes stand side by side and perform a sound-poetry collective piece without mic. In front of the group, Ran Elfassy performs a solo piece against the background chorus. Both Elfassy and Justin McGrail use hand gestures as if conducting the audience. At the end of the piece, Elfassy tilts his head down, in silence, while the background chorus continues for a few more beats.
Victoria Stanton and Fluffy Pagan Echoes
00:49:50
[Victoria Stanton performs a RAP piece beginning with the lines “Smash the windows, take the clothes / don’t deny me the right to my fashion freedom.” The other members of Fluffy Pagan Echoes join Stanton in reciting the repetitions of the opening line, as a refrain. At some point, Justin McGrail starts beatboxing in the background. Applause.] | Video Description: Alternating medium long shot and different degrees of closeup as Victoria Stanton performs a piece, while the four other members of Fluffy Pagan Echoes, side by side, stand behind her; some of them nod with the beat of the poem. Stanton wears a dark sweater and neck-length dark hair with bangs and a hair clip. At some point, Justin McGrail starts beatboxing in the background.
Fluffy Pagan Echoes
00:52:50
[The five members of Fluffy Pagan Echoes say each other’s first names, amid applause: Justin, Vincent, Scott, Victoria, and Ran.] | Video Description: Medium long shot as the five members of Fluffy Pagan Echoes stand side by side and introduce each other by rotating who speaks at the mic: after the first person on the left is introduced by the second, the first walks behind the group to the fifth position, until all are introduced.
Justin McGrail
00:53:30
[Performs a piece opening with the line, “It was a crucifix, (but?) it was made of star.” Applause.] | Video Description: Alternating medium long shot then different degrees of closeup as Justin McGrail performs a piece, while the four other members of Fluffy Pagan Echoes, side by side, stand behind him. McGrail wears a long button-down white shirt, two rings on the left hand, earring on the left lobe, and short dishevelled dark hair.
Fluffy Pagan Echoes
00:55:05
[The group performs a collective piece. Each member says the line “It’s all about” and completes the sentence with a different final word; when Ran Elfassy adds, “And letters,” the collective interjects “Eh?” Elfassy then leaves the stage, walks among the audience, and returns to the group asking, “See? Did you get it?” A dialogue ensues, about the possible meanings of the sound “C/See.” The group then plays several games with different parts of the audience, before returning upstage and saying, in unison, “What we have here is a Café. Resistance is reasonable. Thank you for your cooperation.” Applause.] | Video Description: Zoom out to a medium shot as the five members of Fluffy Pagan Echoes perform a collective piece. At first, each member says one line, then Ran Elfassy leaves the stage, walks among the audience, and returns to the group, at which point the piece becomes a dialogue between Elfassy and the other four members of the group. The group then moves about the stage, playing several games with different parts of the audience, then returns to a row upstage to thank the audience. The camera zooms out to a medium long shot as the some members of the group drink water amid applause; then the group leaves the stage.
Justin McGrail
00:59:05
[Asks where is Lee (Gotham). Someone in the audience says, “What are you waiting for?,” which McGrail repeats into the mic.] | Video Description: Cut to Medium long shot as Justin McGrail speaks into the mic while several Fluffy Pagan Echoes members block the camera’s view while leaving the stage.
Lee Gotham
00:59:16
[Thanks Fluffy Pagan Echoes, citing their book, “A word circus” (Montreal: Egg Sandwich/Sandwich aux oeufs, c. 1994). Thanks the audience and makes announcements.] | Video Description: Cut to a zoom into Lee Gotham on stage. Long-sleeved kimono-style wine patterned shirt, long brown loose hair, beard. Gotham makes final remarks, first looking at Vince Tinguely, who is gathering objects on stage. Zoom out to a medium closeup, with Gotham holding a glass while continuing his remarks, with Tinguely visible behind him.
END
01:00:19
[Cut out.]
Notes:
Event recording starts at 02:26:25:95 of VHS #4 asset, which contains multiple events.
NOTES
Type:
Cataloguer
Note:
Carlos A. Pittella
Type:
General
Note:
VHS #4 asset. Contains recordings of multiple events: (1) Enough Said 1995-03-06, Phineas Flower Trio and Godin Part 2; (2) Enough Said 1995-03-13, Karasick; (3) Enough Said 1995-03-20, Fluffy Pagan Echoes; and (4) Enough Said 1995-03-27, Farkas and Nuttall; and (5) Enough Said 1995-04-03, Smith. The asset was digitized, generating both uncompressed and compressed video files; the compressed files were then split into events to facilitate the transcription work. Metadata entries based on events.
RELATED WORKS
Citation:
Stanton, Victoria, & Vincent Tinguely. Impure. Reinventing the Word: the Theory, Practice, and Oral History of Spoken Word in Montreal. Montreal: Conundrum Press, 2001.
Citation:
Fluffy Pagan Echoes. A word circus. Montreal: Egg Sandwich Press = Editions sandwich aux oeufs, c. 1994.