Girl Talk wants to be clear up one thing: He is not a DJ.
Gregg Gillis, a.k.a. Girl Talk, one of the headliners at this weekend’s Live at Squamish festival, is a musician from Pennsylvania who specializes in mash-ups and digital sampling.
“I used to be young and bratty and want to clear rooms,” said Gillis during an interview with Metro earlier this week. “But then I had a flip in attitude and wanted to make something more accessible.”
More than 10,000 people a day are expected to attend the two-day open-air festival Saturday and Sunday in Squamish. The second annual event features more than 25 performances by acts such as Weezer, Metric and Black Mountain.
Gillis, who headlines the Stawamus Stage Saturday night, says he often uses a dozen or more unauthorized samples. He is probably the only person who can mix together Rick Springfield with Three Six Mafia and get away with it.
Girl Talk has never played with DJs and Gillis says he was more inspired by “out-of-left-field” bands that experimented with things on stage like children’s toys.
Although his past albums, such as Feed the Animals and Night Ripper, and most recently, All Day, feature tracks thick with content, layers and reference points, Gillis says he is focused on his live performances.
“I want people to move or react. When they’re listening to my records, they can party to it, but this is not my No. 1 goal. I want to trigger things in my live presentation and hopefully people won’t find it boring.”
His shows are customized for the audience and he hopes his upcoming performance at Live at Squamish will be appropriate for the size of the crowd.
“I want to scale it up so it’s more in your face musically and visually.”
Gillis is open-minded about where he plays, but likes festivals with bands, not festivals with solely electronic talent.
“I want to be associated with live performances and bands. I’m not a DJ.”
Fans who are unfamiliar with a Girl Talk show should expect some of the audience dancing on stage.
“No matter how big the show, it’s always been a component. It was never calculated, it just started happening. I never want to do a show without it.”
No clothes, no problem for Gillis
True Girl Talk fans know that Gregg Gillis has a tendency to lose his clothes while in the throes of a performance.
Like the people who rush the stage, he says it has always been an element of a Girl Talk show.
“I seem to have a difficult time keeping my shirt on,” said Gillis, when asked about shedding his outfits.
Local news from metronews.ca/vancouver
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