Please be advised, if you find erotic literature offensive then please skip this one…if you find punishment of a sexual nature too much for your delicate sensibilities then definitely do not read the following…

After considering the possibility that I was judging the musicians working in second life too severely, I have doubled my efforts and made it to as many in-world gigs as possible, in an effort to prove myself wrong.

Now I personally do not enjoy country, folk music, nor blues (unless it has been heavily diluted with more interesting genres), nor am I a fan of pop music – if you are thinking “What else is there?” then my thoughts and opinions on music will matter little to you, nor will you understand why I am left so unsatisfied with the SL music scene, as it seems to cater almost exclusively to these 4 genres. If you enjoy listening to someone sing cover versions, play 12 bar blues, or sing folky ditties then there are plenty of venues catering to your tastes, but, for the rest of us, there is next to nothing.

So in the past two or three days I have been to an open mic session – which hosted one folky singer/acoustic guitar player after another, hopped between different venues featuring singers and their karaoke backing tapes, witnessed a travesty of a band called [Engrama] stumble through beginner chord progressions and basic rock beats, all in the name of ‘experimental music’, and the only act I actually enjoyed was a sax player called seba sideways playing a mix of jazz standards and other cover versions in a blues bar.

So fair readers, I stand by my previously stated opinion that there is indeed something lacking in the music scene in our metaverse, (with the added note of – unless you are a fan of roots music) and if it is not ‘talent’ then it certainly is originality.

I look forward to the day when a virtual live band will actually impress me for their skill, talent and originality rather than their ability to synch up live streams from around the world.

Your disapointed Editor – Mr Underby

To anyone that actualy leaves the house and goes to see live bands in RL you will most likely share my thoughts on the standard of live music within SL, which is to say, I am often baffled when I go to see someone ‘perform’ and hear the praise the audience drops at their feet, and 99% of the time wonder what it is that they are hearing, because surely, there is a problem with my audio and we are not listening to the same thing.

Perhaps they have never gone to a karaoke night and only heard music through the speakers of a forgivingly beaten up old radio that has seen better days, perhaps the act of going to a virtual gig is a roleplay experience for them and they have seen how people react at these ‘concerts’ on television and clap and praise as they believe people do in the real world, or perhaps the concept of someone doing acoustic cover versions of another artists songs is both new and ground breaking.

Of course I know this cannot be true of all of them, which is why I am left feeling baffled. I love music, and often frequent live music venues when not sat behind my desk, and I can tell you, there is a vast differance in scale between what is considered good in RL and in SL. What would be judged as a mediocre act in RL is hailed as ‘beautiful and soulful’ in SL. I am of course aware that taste is purely subjective and the standard of live music in my city may theoreticaly be that much higher than elsewhere (though I sincerely doubt it).

Now if you are reading this and thinking “oh but he hasn’t heard ****** then please do by all means leave a comment, as it would please me no end to discover someone worthy of praise producing music in our metaverse.
But I can not help being left with the thought that those who can’t – perform in second life.

Grim Couture met with a pair of retired virtual private detectives who operated in Second Life, and who kindly shared anecdotes with us, and reminisced together about past cases.

The indentities of this detective duo have been changed in order to protect them from repercussions from the cheating charmers, and philandering partners they helped to bust.

In part 1 they shared how they would track down and uncover a ‘Mark’s’ Secret Alts, disguise their own multiple avatars – used to track down targets, and how they came to find themselves running a detective service in-world. We ended with ‘Marksman’ recounting a case where he followed the suspected cheat to a sim by following a clue in his mistress’ profile…

Ah the dark and treacherous world we live in…I will print more of this interesting and frightening interview very soon readers.

From the brain of Boc Cryotank (aka Stephen Euin Cobb) comes this insightful introduction to Trans-Humanism in Second Life. I found this one of the most interesting and thought provoking articles in the first 2 volumes of Grim Couture, and hope to procure more for your stimulating pleasure soon reader.

Contact Assistant Editor ‘Mr Underby’ in World for more information.

I once heard ColeMarie Soleil say that second life is full of too many Artholes, she went on to say many other interesting nuggets of wisdom, but sadly recollection is weak and I have yet to ask her to repeat it. .

I personaly suffer most when my life is devoid of inspiration. Art comes in many forms, not just the visual, but the auditory, as well as the written word. But one thing is certain, one man’s art is another man’s poison.

Anyway before I bore you all to death with my musings I will get to the point! Oxymorons, those strange opposing juxtapositions of words, the incongruous meetings of two contrary concepts, and the theme of an exhibit I discovered (perhaps a little late) this afternoon.
The pieces on display were more interesting than most ‘art’ I have so far found in galleries across the grid, in that, atleast, there was some concept behind the work, some thought, and no doubt some hard work. There was one piece that stood out to me and appealed to my ‘tastes’, that of Layers by Aikono Kyomoon. I first viewed it from the side, and it appeared to be several vertical semi-transparent lines or plates held in a rack. It piqued my curiousity and I walked around it, wondering if it was more pretentious bollocks or actualy had something to say, when suddenly an almost naked figured came into view, and as I continued to circle it latex clothing appeared. It wasn’t until viewed from the correct angle that the complete picture becomes clear, that of a latex doll, a woman completely covered and enclosed from head to toe in black, shiny, latex. The piece is a statement on our interactions in SL, the pristine pixels and image we choose to project via our avatar selves. But why should I interpret her art when she can do so in her own words.

– Taken from the notecard given when one clicks on the exhibit.

Here is a collage of screenshots taken at the gallery, for your pleasure reader, our art department took the liberty of removing the other, and perhaps (subjectively) inferior exhibits from the background, so as to allow you to concentrate on the piece under discussion.

Of course, you understand, this still does not do the piece justice, so visit the Oxymoron Gallery if you are so inclined, and take a look for yourself.