The Big Loud Thing 010 | Monster – John de Simone

We round off our series of free pop-up concerts in Amare that celebrate 20 years of Ensemble Klang, with a recent favourite Monster by John de Simone. With elements of Zappa, minimal and tv-jazz, Monster is a multi-movement instrumental work inspired by self-redemption and the terror of the modern world. Composer John De Simone experienced a life-changing epiphany while watching an episode of Mad Men, and while turning his own life around he observed the political, economic and ecological world spiralling ever downwards. Written for Ensemble Klang in 2018 these four movements have the following titles and descriptions:

– Thank you, Mad Men!
I lost 8 stone in the first year! (put some back again, then lost some again – it is a journey)

– I can dance now!
Here I am at Sleazy’s making some moves in my smaller body – what happens if I ask a girl to dance?

– When Autumn Leaves Start to Fall
As I surprisingly manage to reach my 40s, the generation above me take the ladder with them

– They’re Still Winning.
Trump’s still in power and Brexit is still happening, and I am still fat – but I am thinner, and the opposition is growing.

*This concert is part of the Grauzone Festival. Grauzone 2024 takes place from 9 till 11 February at several venues in The Hague, bringing together a wide range of disciplines such as music, art, performance, screenings, talks and many more.