One of the many fantastic features of the WFMU record show was the Chaircuts of Nelson Loskamp- wherein a volunteer is sat in a chair, has his or her eyes and mouth taped, and is given a haircut with scissors wired through a selection of guitar pedals and a mini-amp strapped to the artist’s back, so that the haircut made music. The music sounded like the harmonic guitar scrapes from an early-80’s Cure record, and after a few minutes of it a cranky New York guy came and yelled about how loud it was. There is no activity that can be pursued in the greater New York area that will not involve an older guy yelling at you about the volume. After the Chaircut, the volunteer is brushed off, their haircut is deemed attractive, and his or her hair is collected for posterity. Or Voodoo. Not clear. The Chaircut has been exhibited in the London Bienniale, Amsterdam, the DUMBO neighborhood of Brooklyn, and, I presume, at the artist’s house.
Anyway, it was super-neat!
