Becoming Real! - Pulse Eternal Live at Grainery Lane Theatre 1999 (2025 Release)
In 1999, I had the privilege and pleasure of collaborating with an incredibly talented group of musicians and performers on a unique live performance called, "Becoming Real!"
The version you see and hear here is a brand new (as of April 1st, 2025) mix, master, and video edit.
I wrote the initial notes outlining the direction of this performance from an incredibly vivid and impacting dream. I then shared those notes with the rest of the group, and we started developing the concept into the performance you are watching here.
The soundtrack to this performance can be purchased from the Strange Attractor Records Bandcamp page.
This show is an autobiography of sorts, based on a monumental personal struggle I endured finding my true identity.
I was born as an intersex female (I have 47 chromosomes rather than the usual 46) with one functioning ovary and ambiguous external genitalia. The doctors intervened surgically when I was an infant, removed my ovary, and assigned me as male. They did what they thought was a good thing, but they got it wrong!
As a result, I spent the first thirty years of my life trying to live as a male! It was one of the most difficult things I've endured in this incarnation!
In 2001, I had had enough. It was time to make things right and start living as the REAL me! I knew from as early as I could remember that I was female, but I just didn't have any idea what to do to break out of the bizarre male identity I was incorrectly assigned as an infant.
After thirty years, I finally had the resources and the courage to break free and Become Real! I fixed all my identity documents, went through a mental, emotional and physical metamorphosis, had surgery to correct my skewed physical anatomy, and finally found my true identity!
This performance was conceived a couple of years before I finally started living as the REAL me! I was still "Becoming Real!"
This was a very successful one off performance at Grainery Lane Theatre in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, and I'm massively grateful to all the beautiful souls who worked with me on this unique performance.
The performance is in four movements:
The first movement builds from a dreamy, ambient soundscape introduction into a fast paced EDM piece.
The second movement is a classically inspired piece featuring acoustic guitar and cello with an orchestral crescendo highlighted by pulsing sequenced drums and bass.
The third movement is a surreal improvisational segue and journey into the heart of this dream which builds to an intense finale. This is where the battle lines for my struggle to be free were drawn.
The fourth movement is a tribute to one of my biggest inspirations and one of my favourite groups, Tangerine Dream. It begins with solo cello and builds to a Berlin School style multi sequence, followed by an uplifting shift from a minor to major key.
Written, Produced, and Directed by
DANNIIELLE O'CONNOR
LYNDON KRISS
Guitar and Guitar Synth
MIRIAM KRISS
Cello and Percussion
ELIZABETH STEWART
Vocals and Percussion
CHRIS POLLARD
Electronic Drums, Samples and Sequences
BADGER
Didgeridoo and Percussion
DANNIIELLE O'CONNOR
Synthesizers, Analog and Digital Sequencers
Editor
Live Audio Engineering
Studio Mixing and Mastering
Musical Director
Dance, Movement, and Choreography
KAT PENGELLY
BADGER
LOUISE ANDERSON
LAUREN LALOR
BELLA CHAMBERS
EMMA GRANT
P.A. System and Lighting Supplied by
SOUND AND LIGHT CONCEPTS
CRAIG BUTTERWORTH
GEOFFREY JOHNSTON
Video Production and Cameras Supplied by
INFINERGY DIGITAL
OPTIC IMAGE
Special Thanks
GRAINERY LANE THEATRE
KIRI SMART
GARY CUE
REX HARDWARE
Here's some photos of the flowchart I drew to document the dream I based this show on amidst posters we made to promote the show.
Some of the core musicians in the live band eventually became Pulse Eternal but the show pre-dated the Pulse Eternal name. The original band (and my production company at the time) was called Infinergy.