Tin Men and the Telephone is an Amsterdam based band that employs live electronics, projected visuals, and audience participation in combination with jazz and improvised music to create a one of a kind multimedia experience. Searching beyond their primary sources of inspiration such as the rich harmonies of classical music and modern jazz, or the visceral rhythms of hip hop and Balkan traditions, Tin Men look for the music in the sounds of everyday life, finding melodies in the cries of animals, rhythms in the patterns of human speech or structures in the bustle of traffic.
More recently, pianist Tony Roe (NL), bassist Pat Cleaver (UK/FR) and drummer Bobby Petrov (BGR) have developed a highly interactive show using their very own revolutionary smartphone app “Tinmendo” that allows audience members to actively take part in the performances in real time. Voting on what direction the music should take next, sending short audio or video messages that serve as the basis for instant compositions, creating beats for the band to play around with, controlling the stage lighting, even frantically shaking one’s device to take part in a musical camel race: these are just of few of the things an audience member will find themselves doing at a Tin Men show. All of these elements come together in a performance that is always surprising and flexible, unique to both the venue and moment in which it takes place, and tailored on the spot to the sensibilities of each type of audience, from the seasoned connoisseurs to thecurious new comers.
Tin Men and the Telephone have performed at major festivals and venues across Europe and the world at large, including the North Sea Jazz Festival, London Jazz Festival, Jazzahead, BMW Welt Jazz Awards Finals, Gateshead International Jazz Festival, Ottowa Jazz Festival, Toronto Jazz Festival, Moods, Nasjonal Jazzscene Victoria, Dokkhuset, Amman Jazz Festival, Istanbul Jazz Festival, Tremplin Jazz d'Avignon, Unterfahrt, Jazztage Dortmund Domicil, Alte Feuerwache Mannheim, Konstanzer Jazzherbst, Jazzmeile Thüringen, Jarasum International Jazz Festival, Bimhuis, Muziekgebouw aan t IJ, Vortexand many many more.