Visual Instincts

I spent today just surfing Youtube, music and variety act vid clips, all because of Susan Boyle’s performance in Britain’s Got Talent. Now this feisty woman delivered a performance that was one of the biggest FU, ever served to a crowd of sceptics, who judged her on her appearance alone.

Her performance is not why I am writing this blog though. Earlier this afternoon, I was blown away by a spunk using sign language in his music video.

I was reading a few blogs, surfing as you do, when I came across this story, Womanizer sign language interpreter “speaks”. I was sceptical. I thought here we go, another hearing person, incorporating sign language into their music video. I thought gimmick! Throw in another pretty boy, and we can all wet our pants, and change them once the video is finished.

Anything with sign language in it, is going to peak my interest, even if it’s to look down my nose at their juvenile antics. But for once, my curiosity [inspite of reservations] was rewarded. Handsomely so. I WAS ABSOLUTELY ROCKED OFF MY FEET! I’m still jiving as I write this.

Everything that I thought was possible with sign singing, music, and dance was justified. I’ve always known that you could translate pop songs into use pure ASL, BSL, AUSLAN or other world sign language. I remember having debates about problems of translating pop and rock lyrics, and that Sign Supported English/ Signed English, is the way to sign sing. I disagree, and still do. This video is total vindication for me.

More to the point though, is that Michael DiMartino follows the rhythm and the beat of the song, so that you get more than just the interpretation. You get a sense of the playful sensuality in pop music. You get a sense of hip. You get a sense of personality. Michael has elevated sign language in music from mere translation, into a hip language. It’s not hard too think of rap and hip hop, when he performs.  Heck I even forgot he is hearing [he works as a sign language interpreter].

I’m not going to blather on. I would rather let you judge for yourselves. Well worth wasting precious bandwidth this is. Read all about him, Womanizer sign language interpreter “speaks”,YouTube Womanizer Star : Michael DiMartino, and Crush of the Moment: Michael DiMartino aka captainl0ver. But most of all, WATCH HIM, HERE –>Captain10ver!<-

Further Reading:

Signed Song: Devil Gate Drive
Music & Sign Singing
Music: An Aural Sensation, A Visual Pleasure, Part One
Being Deaf and the Essence of Music
The Crossroads
Evelyn Glennie
Beethoven’s Nightmare

This is not the first song that I learnt to sign sing. It was one of the first where I did my own translation. You will have to forgive the camera angle, though I suspect those who know BSL/ Auslan, will get what this song is about. In lieu of captions, I have provided the full lyrics at the end of this post.

This performance was part of a performing arts day, at a school near where I was living in the UK at the time. This is about just over 10 years ago now. The song is Devil Gate Drive, a jolly good rocker, that is the perfect antidote to the crappy lovey-dovey stuff, Deafies love to do. While you all are waiting For the World To Change, I’ve gone down to Devil Gate Drive.

I have three more videos that I would like to share with you, and they will come. The songs are Respect by Aretha Franklin, Independence Day by Bruce Springsteen, and Pretty Woman by Roy Orbison.

I will write more about my sign singing, but for now, let me introduce you to Tony the rock star, and I hope you enjoy the video for what it is. If you watch the oirginal video below, of Suzi performing the song, you will notice some of the moves are similar. At the time I performed this song, I hadn’t seen the video in years.

The Original video:

The Lyrics: Devil Gate Drive by Suzi Quatro

[Spoken:]
“Hey, you all want to go down to Devil Gate Drive?
Well, come on”!

“Welcome to ‘The Dive’!”

Well, at the age of five they can do their jive
Down in Devil Gate Drive
And at the age of six they’re gonna get their kicks
Down in Devil Gate Drive
Well your mama don’t know where your sister done go
She gone down to the Drive. She’s the start of the show
And let her move on up. Let her come let her go.
She can jive
Down in Devil Gate Drive

[Chorus:]
So come alive. Come alive
Down in Devil Gate Drive
So come alive. Come alive
Down in Devil Gate…down in Devil Gate
Down in Devil Gate Drive
Down in Devil Gate…down in Devil Gate
Down in Devil Gate Drive

When they reach their teens, that’s when they all get mean
Down in Devil Gate Drive
When I was sweet sisteen I was the jukebox queen
Down in Devil Gate Drive
I lead the angel pack on the road to sin
Knock down the gates!
Let me in. Let me in
Don’t mess me ’round, cause you know where I’ve been
To ‘The Dive’ down in Devil Gate Drive

[Chorus]

Well your mama don’t know where your sister done go
She goes down to the Drive. She’s the start of the show
Let her move on up. Let her come let her go.
She can jive
Down in Devil Gate Drive

[Chorus]

[Spoken:]
“Come on, boys. Let’s do it one more time for Suzi!
Are you ready, now?”

Come alive. Come alive Yeah!

I first saw the show Characterful & Joymonger, in its edited version on the ABC, over a week ago. I assumed it would be a one off broadcast of a live show by one of my favourite comedians, Adam Hills. Imagine my joy when a search on the ABC site for information about the program, revealed that it was out on DVD.

Adam Hills is an Australian comedian, best known for his work on the music trivia show, Spicks and Specks. Not only is Adam a big hearted, good natured comedian, unafraid of diversity, watch any of his DVD’s or TV’s shows to witness the fact [and how much he actually loves people], he is also “Deaf Aware”.

He often has a sign interpreter at some of his shows. Characterful & Joymonger [the DVD] not only features a sign language interpreter, whom we see often, but…… but Adam incorporates her into his show, drawing the audiences attention to her, giving the audience a bit of Deaf Awareness, publicly showing his appreciation of her work, and making her repeat signs for the rude words. Yes, I know it is the usual Hearing thing to be fascinated by linguistic differences in swearing, but Adam is a big hearted guy who does it in a genuine spirit of curiosity and good natured humour.

As with any DVD, there are extras, and they are worth viewing. Especially the backstage shenanigans that feature the said sign language interpreter, and asking an elderly member of the audience of she was OK with his swearing. Her blithe reply was, “She’s heard worse.” Summat like that. AND the exchange with someone he thought was Deaf but turned out to be another sign language interpreter.

But what sets Characterful & Joymonger apart from the plethora of captioned and subtitled DVD’s, is the use of invision [ I think I got that right. Correct me in the comments, if I got that wrong] to bring up the sign interpreter in a separate window. I was gobsmacked to see this feature. I would have been content with the captions, as I love watching this guy.. but the addition of invision raised my estimation of him.

I hope he continues to make all his work as accessible as possible.

This is a double thumbs up for the man! Now go buy the DVD. HERE!

I love music. I am song and dance man, not so much a fan of instrumentals. As is the lot of Deafies and deafies, some of us may well be able to speak, but when it comes to singing, we probably sound like Pierre and his choir of felines in heat.

Still, there is sign singing, which art form in itself. The point of this post is not to analyse the artistry, creativity and techniques of sign singing, but to ask the question, why do Deafies congregate around the crappiest pop songs?

I’m listening to music now, and reading the lyrics at the same time [I always do], and that question cropped up again. I really love good lyrics. I love songs that play on many levels. I love poetic and literate lyrics. Sure, every now and then I give in to my baser instincts and listen to crass, commercial pop.

What prompted this question? My experiences in sign singing always seem to involve vomit inducing song choices [not saying what, but GOD knows!], revolving around themes of love, overcoming adversity, and emotions; or when used for marketing/ PR purposes, “Money, ****ing, Money!” I’ve had the pleasure of an interpreter who sign sung, Foxy Lady by Jimi Hendrix and Piece of My Heart by Janis Joplin for me, so all is not lost.

I do wonder if here are any Deafies out there who are translating stuff like:

Ways To Be Wicked [Lone Justice]

Yeah I can take a little pain
I could hold it pretty well
I can watch
your little eyes light up
When you’re walkin’ me through hell
Well I’ve
been your fool before, babe
And I probably will again
You ain’t afraid
to let me have it
You ain’t afraid to stick it in

Yeah you know so
many ways to be wicked
But you don’t know one little thing about love

Yeah those cobra eyes
Light with a smile
You take pride
In
that devil down inside

And G.O.D’s own favourite song [in fact, her theme song]:

Devil Gate Drive [Suzi Quatro]

When they reach their teens, that’s when they all get mean
Down in Devil Gate Drive
When I was sweet sixteen I was the jukebox queen
Down in Devil Gate Drive
I lead the angel pack on the road to sin
Knock down the gates!
Let me in. Let me in
Don’t mess me ’round, cause you know where I’ve been
To ‘The Dive’ down in Devil Gate Drive

So come alive. Come alive
Down in Devil Gate Drive
So come alive. Come alive
Down in Devil Gate…down in Devil Gate
Down in Devil Gate Drive
Down in Devil Gate…down in Devil Gate
Down in Devil Gate Drive

I do wonder too, if any Deafie has sign sung The Rocky Horror Picture Show.This would be one hell of a show done in sign. As Rocky Horror is a homage to all the B Grade Sci-Fi movies of the mid 20 Century, with its satire on boy meets girls, and good vs evil. Though, the major challenge lays in its references to movies, singers, actors, and movie plots. I do prefer the Australian Cast recording with Reg Livermore.

Why don’t you stay for the night (night)
Or maybe a bite (bite)
I could show you my favourite obsession
I’ve been making a man
With blond hair and a tan
And he’s good for relieving my . . . tension

Well I was walking down the street just a having a think
When a snake of a
guy gave me an evil wink
He shook-a me up, he took me by surprise
He had a pick-up truck and the devil’s eyes
He
stared at me and I felt a change
Time meant nothing, never would again

Another show that would be great translated into sign, would be Return To The Forbidden Planet, a show I have seen when I was living in the UK nearly 10 years ago.

Yes! I am a rebel, and I do love my freedom and thumbing my nose at society songs! Meanwhile you can watch someone who has brought sexy into sign singing, Zombie Coterie!

Further Reading:

On Being Me: No Matter Where You Go, There You Are P3
The Crossroads