Nice Style at the Hanover Grand

December 1973

from Audio Arts Issue: Vol. 1 No. 2, 1973

Transcript

In 1973 Audio Arts started collaborating with Bruce McLean on a number of performances. Audio Arts offered a ‘space’ where performative works could be realised. This often included spoken language and music. It was also a period where artists were exploring genres and idioms of popular music and their associated structures. This is part of a performance by Nice Style, ‘The World’s First Pose Band’. ‘Nice Style’ at the Hanover Grand: December 1973 (with songs Hoover Moover and Mixer Trixter)

Hoover Moover

A line that flexes for either sex
You’ll need a ramp for the vacuum stand
You’re such a groover
Groover moover

Arms straight
Don’t be Late
To make the play for another lay
You’re such a groover
You Hoover moover

Change your luck for a cool lick suck
Hand on hip and you’ll be no flip
You’re such a groover
You Hoover moover

Legs astride
Just keep it wide
Glance to shoulder
You’ll just get bolder
You’re such a groover
You Hoover moover

You’re such a groover
You Hoover moover

You’re such a groover
You hoover mover

Change you luck for a cool lick such
Hand on hip and you’ll be no flip
You’re such a groover
You’re a hoover mover

Legs astride just keep it wide
Glance to shoulder
You’ll just get bolder
You’re such a groover
You hoover mover

You’re such a groover
You Hoover mover

You’re such a groover
You Hoover mover

Date Monday 17th December 1973, Hanover Grand, Hanover Street London W1. Time 8 p.m; weather, overcast, temperature, outside 50 degrees inside 68 degrees. London atmosphere tense; imminent power reductions, more bombings. Five McKenzie freezers; two horizontal, three vertical, 127 cubic capacity; 2 short oak chrome pose poles with chrome highlighters, 6 watts; four 3 metre long chrome pose poles plus attachments; 8 personal posture provokers with individual settings; 25 chrome and steel (Reiburg?) trouser clips; two three 12” 110 variflex mirrors, no published measurements; 5 Morphy Richards steam irons, set for cotton; one industrial pack Swiss hair stabilizer; one industrial can Permacrease pole fixative, import; 2 litres Carbo-tetrachloride; personal pose assistants, Rob Courthorpe, height 5’8”, weight 120 lbs. medium post specialist; Ian Davies, height 6’3”, weight 180 lbs, known arm expert; Richard Butler, height 5’ 8½”, weight 124 lbs.’ excellent read impersonator; Ranulph Radovich; height 5’7”, weight 170 lbs, speciality, strength moves; Timothy Mapston, height 5’8”, weight 120 lbs, stance mole; Styleticians; Vicky, three quarter length black off the shoulder crepe de chine cocktail dress; Mandy, three quarter length black sequined two-piece; Terry, black satin halter neck full length evening dress; Isla, black high necked three quarter length cocktail dress; Caroline, black low cut full skirted crepe evening dress. Nice Style, the world’s first pose man seated left to right by velvet covered 12’ long table, 1ft. 2 ins. from the floor; five glasses, five stiff Manhattans, three low-lipped ash trays, cigarettes unmarked; Bruce McLean, ill-fitting well designed white tuxedo suit modelled on Serge Gainsborough with too much cuff, too much collar, tie too loose and too long, crutch too baggy, trousers too black, too long and too short, New York black brogues, tied to the left, lace-ins never more than 1¼ ins. from knot, heels especially worn down by tailors of Bond Street within an eight of base, scuffing on right left side of shoe my Miller’s of Paris, scuffing on left side of right show by Ryan O’Neil, superstar; hair worn straight back from crown; Paul Richards, a white tuxedo with a change of eight jackets, first jacket, loose cut, dirt proof with a low level crease rating, second jacket, left sleeve lower elbow crease clamp, high crease rating, third jacket, lounge Italian thin, tight with a smooth vinyl lining for a fast change, time worn three seconds, medium to good crease rating, fourth jacket, cigar stained ivory trimmed, steel stiffened lapels held by wires connected to crease clamps concealed in left pocket, fifth jacket absolutely no visible creases, sixth jacket, worn wet no buttons, fixed fold on left side, seventh jacket, completely rigid, eight jacket unpressed, apart from corner fold at bottom of right side hair worn to the left; Gary Chitty, white tuxedo jacket, sleeve short, short sleeve cuffs, heavily starched, arrogant three ins. shown, cufflinks, Bond Street, solid gold, one inch square designed by Piers Cook, hair mean short on top, sides and back flawless, gesturing extravagant, a tendency to limber arms during a tense moment, one car, outrageous bow-tie styled to a depth of 3¼ inches by Paul Lee, tuxedo trousers, long crease, sharp enough to slice a loaf of bread, tuxedo jacket hung loose, posture casual, resentful of too much attention, pose poles and mirrors swept aside by graceful yet aggressive arm gestures; Robin Fletcher, lean 6ft. 1 ins., dazzling white tuxedo, no hip percussion cuff pose, favouring 28 mm’s of shirt the long distance, 23 mm’s for close-up postures, right cuff more plated to enhance stance, works with a five foot vertical McKenzie freezer, seen seated tonight on the far right, smokes Gold Flake, drinks Dimple and Malvern, no ice; Recorded on a Steinbeck at 30 inches per second, half track stereo, double duplicated in mono, microphones in use were two Philips, K7795301/A/772063.

May I welcome you all here this evening, my name is Sean O’Connor and I am to introduce ‘Nice Style’ and hopefully to relay your questions and ‘Nice Style’s’ answers back to you. But first an example of their work, in fact poses that took them to the top; Ladies and Gentlemen with sideboard free ‘Nice Style’ (applause).

(Noise of feet, marching) Ladies and gentlemen ‘Nice Style’ (more applause)

‘Mixer Trixter’