Don’t make the mistake of missing ‘Auto-Tune’
Image: Source: Sydney Opera House
By FRED RAHI
Have you ever wished you could rewrite a mistake? Maybe stop that coffee from falling on your laptop, or reword what you said in that important job interview? Well, don’t make the mistake of missing Auto-Tune, an inventive and electrifying piece of theatre presented by re:group and the Sydney Opera House as part of UnWrapped.
Auto Tune follows young Silverchair fan Michael, who discovers mid-assembly performance that he has the power to automatically correct his real life mistakes, just as auto-tune corrects pitch.
The show, set in Wagga, has an early 2000’s setting that reflects elements of lead writer, performer, and musician Mark Rogers life. Mark spoke to City Hub about being a Silverchair fan growing up and being in bands his whole life, and how Auto-Tune reflects that teenagehood period of life where mistakes feel larger and more defining than they might truly be.
“Looking a little deeper at those mistakes and the root causes of them, there’s actually an opportunity for learning right?” he says. “Imperfections are part of what brings character and charm, and that’s true of both human beings and music.”
The ’value of a mistake’ is one of the key themes in the performance’s narrative. Everyone has at some point wished they could rewrite a moment or do something differently, and Auto-Tune explores the importance of these mistakes.
Mark expressed that there’s something authentic about mistakes and imperfections. Touching on the presence of algorithms and modern pitch-perfect technology that seeks to erase errors, He said: “I think the thing that human beings respond to is the authenticity of a real body in real space.
“It genuinely matters to us to feel authentic. These websites are desperate for authenticity, desperate for the feeling of this is actually happening now and this is unfolding before my eyes somewhere on Earth. And I think even though we’re getting it through this kind of filtered algorithm, I think we still desperately need the authenticity of that liveness.”
The music performed on stage is an example of authenticity in a live space, as all the music is produced, written and performed by Mark, Liam ‘Snowy’ Halliwell, and Ashley Bundang. The show, focused around the band, uses songs that were written and made with a story in mind, the intent being to make the viewers feel like they’re watching a gig and being told a tale all at the same time.
Transforming the stage of the Sydney Opera House with a set “reminiscent of a corner bar” and a “small CD venue”, merch store and all, Auto-Tune is an authentic and nostalgic piece of geek theatre with sweet indie-music and sweaty performances. Mark highlights the sweatiness himself, saying: “I’m going to be absolutely dripping”.
Tickets for Auto-Tune at the Sydney Opera House from the 4th – 7th of September are on sale now. Be sure to get your tickets and don’t miss out on what’s sure to be a fantastic, albeit sweaty, romp!
Auto-Tune
The Studio, Sydney Opera House
4-7 September
https://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/theatre/unwrapped-auto-tune
