Speak Percussion: Pigeons

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.

Saturday 14 June 2025 – 7:30pm  –  Duration: 1 hour 15 mins. Please note, running times are approximate and subject to change.

Please note, the performance of Pigeons on Friday 13 June will no longer go ahead.

Melbourne Recital Centre

TICKETS: Standard $69, Concession $59