VOTIVE OFFERINGS - RYOSUKE KIYASU / GUDGEON

Ryosuke Kiyasu returns on July 25th, following his SEQ debut with us in Nambour in 2024

Known for his singular approach to the snare drum, Kiyasu has built an international reputation through performances that are equal parts precise, physical and unpredictable.

Ryosuke Kiyasu began his career as a snare drummer in Canada in 2003. A driving force in the avant-garde music scene for over two decades, he has been a prolific solo performer, contributed to the group SETE STAR SEPT, and served as the drummer for Keiji Haino’s legendary ensemble, Fushitsusha.

In 2018, a video of his live performance in Berlin went viral, garnering over 23 million views and sparking global conversation. This phenomenon led to features in major international media outlets, including BBC News and VICE. More recently, his unique performance style was highlighted in the British fashion magazine i-D, further cementing his influence across both music and contemporary culture.

His work has earned high acclaim within the world of classical percussion, leading to his invitation as a main guest for two consecutive editions of Germany’s Überschlag Festival, one of the world’s largest biennial percussion festivals. In 2025, a dedicated experimental music festival titled “Kiyasu Fest” was organised by local fans in Bristol, UK, in his honour.

From 2026, Kiyasu has been appointed for a global promotion with Pearl Drums, the world’s leading drum manufacturer, serving as a key figure in the brand’s major international campaigns.

Gudgeon is noise rock for the working class, unfiltered, unpolished, and refusing to get folded back into the cycle.

A tight duo from the East Coast making a fractured kind of Drum’n’Bass-infected noise rock; part Shellac discipline, part NoMeansNo chaos, but fully its own thing.

Expect difficult dancing and precision power: barrel-rolling bass lines, locked-in mathematical drumming, and riffs that feel like they’ve been measured twice and still cut wrong on purpose. There’s a healthy dose of tongue-in-cheek crowd pressure, too, just enough to keep everyone on their toes.

Meticulous riffing. Mechanical timing. Masked men.

Ryosuke Kiyasu will present two separate events on Saturday, 25 July:

• Percussion Improvisation Workshop (Afternoon at GLÓR, all ages )
A rare opportunity to work closely with one of the world’s most distinctive percussion artists in an intimate workshop setting.

• Live Performance alongside Gudgeon (Evening)
An evening performance by Ryosuke Kiyasu, alongside Gudgeon.

Please note: The workshop and the evening performance are separate ticketed events. If you wish to attend both, you will need to purchase a ticket for each event.

The Ryosuke Kiyasu Percussion Improvisation Workshop

This improvisation workshop focuses on avant-garde expression, integrating negative thought processes and unnatural rhythmic patterns into percussion performance.

Participants will explore unconventional approaches to rhythm and movement, moving beyond traditional structures to develop a distinct, physical dialogue with their instrument.

Participants are encouraged to bring anything they consider to be percussive. This could be a traditional percussion instrument, a found object, or any item capable of producing sound through striking, scraping, shaking or other forms of physical interaction. Curiosity and experimentation are encouraged; no prior experience is necessary.

Access for these events is on William Street, Nambour. Come to the Blackbox entrance gate, and from there we will welcome you to GLÓR.