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| Next up at tonight's gig … the smell of coconut | Next up at tonight's gig … the smell of coconut |
| (about 21 hours later) | |
| Normally the last thing you should ever want to do at a gig is sniff around. The bad smell scenarios are endless: mosh-induced sweat, leaky loos, flying plastic cups of warm lager. But what if those stinks were alleviated by the sweet scent of roses as your favourite band thrashed about onstage? Or sandalwood? Or even, as in the case of Katy Perry's California Dreams tour, candyfloss? | Normally the last thing you should ever want to do at a gig is sniff around. The bad smell scenarios are endless: mosh-induced sweat, leaky loos, flying plastic cups of warm lager. But what if those stinks were alleviated by the sweet scent of roses as your favourite band thrashed about onstage? Or sandalwood? Or even, as in the case of Katy Perry's California Dreams tour, candyfloss? |
| Jo Barratt is the man attempting to make London's gig scene smell better. Tonight, he'll be "scenting" Deaf Club's gig at the Victoria in London's Dalston. Barratt has worked with the band to create a "unique aroma that has a specific emotional resonance", which for Deaf Club's singer, Polly Mackey, is an opportunity to explore her nostalgic attachment to fragrance. She's opted for "a rousing mix of violet, pheromones and coconut", she says, which recalls the aroma of "a lustful summer's night" and will be pumped out during her performance. | |
| Presumably, though, its efficiency differs from venue to venue. Masking the stench ingrained in certain Camden venues, for example, may be a little harder. But Barratt says that his aim isn't actually to disguise any other smells. "The room we're using is a dirty east London pub. It smells of beer, paint, cheap cleaning products and, if people are having a good time, sweat," he explains. "Part of the joy of perfume is the way it mixes with its surroundings, so the scents I'm using should work in sync with, not overpower them." | Presumably, though, its efficiency differs from venue to venue. Masking the stench ingrained in certain Camden venues, for example, may be a little harder. But Barratt says that his aim isn't actually to disguise any other smells. "The room we're using is a dirty east London pub. It smells of beer, paint, cheap cleaning products and, if people are having a good time, sweat," he explains. "Part of the joy of perfume is the way it mixes with its surroundings, so the scents I'm using should work in sync with, not overpower them." |
| Inevitably, scenting isn't easy to get right. Katy Perry cottoned on to it early, and the promotional material for her candy-scented 2011 tour boasted of giant fans that would waft the sickly smell around the stadiums. But as there's no mention of it in any of the tour's reviews, it doesn't seem to have worked so well. The first time Barratt experimented with "live scenting" at a gig it didn't go to plan, either. "The scent oils I had ordered for the show were impounded by customs," Barratt explains. "And technically, it's a bit of a nightmare. You have to take everything into consideration, from where the air conditioning systems are to how much movement there'll be. I've even had to hide sponges soaked in essential oils behind radiators before." | Inevitably, scenting isn't easy to get right. Katy Perry cottoned on to it early, and the promotional material for her candy-scented 2011 tour boasted of giant fans that would waft the sickly smell around the stadiums. But as there's no mention of it in any of the tour's reviews, it doesn't seem to have worked so well. The first time Barratt experimented with "live scenting" at a gig it didn't go to plan, either. "The scent oils I had ordered for the show were impounded by customs," Barratt explains. "And technically, it's a bit of a nightmare. You have to take everything into consideration, from where the air conditioning systems are to how much movement there'll be. I've even had to hide sponges soaked in essential oils behind radiators before." |
| After a few more tweaks, though, he's confident he'll pull off tonight's scent-sation (sorry), using three different methods to seduce your nostrils. "We're working with some of the technology that hotels use to create a sense of mobile serenity. Think of a larger Glade plug-in," he explains. "I'm also using some modified aromatherapy fans and adding scent to a smoke machine." | After a few more tweaks, though, he's confident he'll pull off tonight's scent-sation (sorry), using three different methods to seduce your nostrils. "We're working with some of the technology that hotels use to create a sense of mobile serenity. Think of a larger Glade plug-in," he explains. "I'm also using some modified aromatherapy fans and adding scent to a smoke machine." |
| Scent marketing, beyond supermarkets infusing the air with the buy-me aroma of baking bread, is slowly becoming a Thing, says Barratt. Still, reassuringly to those with a fear of Lush shops, he insists that the smell won't be the main focus of Deaf Club's show. Or at least it shouldn't be. "It's just another element of the performance to make it a more immersive experience," he says. "A gig where the smell is the main selling point isn't interesting or achievable; it needs to complement what the band are doing, not compete with it." If he does ever end up scenting a gig in Camden, however, we'll put in a special request for him to double the strength. | Scent marketing, beyond supermarkets infusing the air with the buy-me aroma of baking bread, is slowly becoming a Thing, says Barratt. Still, reassuringly to those with a fear of Lush shops, he insists that the smell won't be the main focus of Deaf Club's show. Or at least it shouldn't be. "It's just another element of the performance to make it a more immersive experience," he says. "A gig where the smell is the main selling point isn't interesting or achievable; it needs to complement what the band are doing, not compete with it." If he does ever end up scenting a gig in Camden, however, we'll put in a special request for him to double the strength. |
| • Deaf Club play the Victoria in London at 8pm this evening. Jo Barratt's company, Knows, can be reached at muteandinvisible.com. | • Deaf Club play the Victoria in London at 8pm this evening. Jo Barratt's company, Knows, can be reached at muteandinvisible.com. |