PIGEONS

Three clay pigeon shooters take centre stage. Fluorescent targets hurtle through the air, whistling and leaving debris in their wake.

ABOUT

Clay shooting—with percussionists in the firing lines.

And… pull!

Pigeons is a clay shooting event, but the birds are the musicians and pigeons are the ammo. Three robotic trap machines take centre stage. In unrelenting, symphonic, patterns, they hurl hundreds of fluorescent clay targets at a wall of suspended, resonant percussive objects. The musicians duck, flap, glide and slide among the projectiles, in a frantic search for safety. Glorious music rings out—fragile, violent, poetic and heroic. It’s percussionist vs pigeon. Human vs machine.

The idea was hatched by Speak Percussion’s Co-Artistic Director Eugene Ughetti, with a bunch of risk-taking collaborators who’ve been working to redefine the potential of percussion since the turn of the millennium.  Will their plan present a logical endpoint to our algorithmically massaged future? Or lead us on a path to broken bones? Either way, it’ll be epic.

 

Sensory Warnings

Flashing lights, Moving lights, Loud sounds. This performance contains heightened audio-visual content. There is unpredictable sound and visual projection throughout which may quickly change in volume, tone, brightness, and colour. Sound sensitive audience members are encouraged to bring headphones. Earplugs available at the venue. There are no dominant light flashes or colour changes which occur more frequently than 3 per second.

World Premiere

13 - 14 June 2025

Pigeons - Rising Festival x Melbourne Recital Centre

Melbourne Recital Centre - 31 Sturt St Southbank 3006
7:30 pm

Artists

concept/composer/director/percussionist
Eugene Ughetti
percussionist/collaborating artist
Kaylie Melville
instrument systems design & sound engineer
Nick Roux
set & costume design/set construction
Jason Lehane
lighting designer
Bosco Shaw (Additive)
production and technical manager/collaborating artist
Keith Tucker
outside eye
Kate Davis
dramaturg
Bruce Gladwin
costume design & maker
Janice Chalmers
industrial design
Malte Wagenfeld
understudy percussionist
Alexander Meagher
show operator/collaborating sound artist
Theo Carbo
technical assistant
Rohan Goldsmith
producer
Ashley Dyer

Supporters

Pigeons would not have been possible without the support of the following people and organisations.

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Creative Australia
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City of Darebin
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City of Melbourne
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The Robert Salzer Foundation
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Rising
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Melbourne Recital Centre

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