From: laugh@helios.ucsc.edu (laughlin)
Newsgroups: rec.music.industrial
Subject: FLA concert review
Date: 13 Aug 1992 21:09:28 GMT
Organization: UCO/Lick Observatory
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: helios.ucsc.edu

Concert Review: Contagion / Front Line Assembly
Date: August 12, 1992
Venue: The Edge, Palo Alto CA.

     This show was actually a triple threat, but we got to the Edge
late. We missed the first band. Second on the evening's lineup was
"Contagion", a Los Angeles-based outfit who are apparently accompanying
FLA through this leg of the tour. One has to wonder about the originality
of a band that was formerly known as "Biohazard", It was a good bet
that the electronic drums pads would be sporting "Biohazard" stickers...
That international "Biohazard" warning logo is even more cyber-looking
than the frightening "Radioactive" trefoil.
     The members of "Biohazard were most likely rather chagrined to discover
that some other band had unkindly absconded with their name. So now they're
performing under the "Contagion" banner. "Contagion" T-Shirts featuring
scanning electron micrographs of housefly mouthparts and compound
eyes were available for $15 at the T-shirt booth.
"Contagion" is a four piece combo, a drummer, a keyboard man, and
two vocalists, one of whom had the use of FLA's wireless mike. Their
first song, set to an assualt of flashing strobes and dry-ice smoke,
bore a remarkable resemblance to "Every Day is Halloween", right down
to the chorus: "Its the same. Its the same ohh again and again..."
     The Edge features $250,000 worth of audio equipment. Coupled with
the 96 dB dynamic range available to the owners of DAT's, this makes
for a driving, crystal clear sound. Clearly, the members of Contagion
would not want to muddy their mix with any real-time musical expressions.
A somewhat paunchy percussionist pounded away at a costly array of
MIDI pads in the style of Bay area industrialists such as 'Xorcist' or 
'Factor One'. The keyboard player was pretty buff. He looked like he
had just stepped out of an L.A. Health Club.
    After their tribute to the Twitch-era, Contagion switched gears
and began mouthing astonishingly true-to-life covers of Nitzer Ebb's
greatest hits. A rousing rendition of "Join in the Chant" was followed
by "Murderous", and "Fitness to Purpose". The fifth song was not
recognized by this reviewer, but it may have come off the "Lightning
Man" single. The last song of the set was an orignal, although still
true to a Nitzer Ebb theme. Both the song and lyrics were entitled
"Fuck You!!!" The band managed to initiate a call-and-response sequence
with some members of the audience. The mostly underage crowd showed an
impressive facility in learning the words to the entire song by heart. 
After the set was over, one of the vocalists announced that an album
of Contagion originals would be out in September on World Domination
Records. Mark it down in your calender.  
    Prior to the start of the FLA show, it was announced that there was
to be no stage diving, due to the fact that: "There is a lot of expensive
equipment up on stage." As if to emphasize that point, a roadie pulled away
a white sheet, unveiling a 4x4 wall of 19 inch video monitors, and eliciting
a roar from the crowd. The video wall was a definite escalation in FLA's
"War of Technology". Last time around, they were projecting home movies
on a sheet behind the stage. 
   The house lights dimmed out, and the Delerium medely which had been
piping through the sound system was replaced by an industrial strength
noise wash. Rhys Fulber and the hired drummer manned their positions. Rhys
produced trademark swirling sounds from the Waldorf Microwave, and the
drummer kicked in with a pounding beat. Both of them were clearly up in 
the mix. Bill Leeb lurched on stage, and the band kicked into a rendition
of "The Final Impact."
     I'm telling you, if you only see one dance industrial show this
year, this is the one to see.  The set list was drawn mainly from the
newest record, all the songs were significantly remixed and embellished.
And so what if those chord structures were simplistic? FLA have mastered
the genre like nobody else. The tanned and fit Bill Leeb was in fine form,
barking out the meaningless slogans and refrains that comprise the
lyrical vernacular of FLA. He looked simply terrific up there, thrashing
around, clasping the outstretched hands of his front line fans,
silhoetted against the non-stop-cut-up barrage of 16 video monitors,
with nary an oxygen tank in site.
    At previous shows I've seen at the Edge, stage divers have been roughly
dismissed from the club by rented Neanderthal Men who stand in front
of the speaker stacks on either side of the stage. At last evening's show,
however, a sucession of attractive teenage girls surfed to the stage
on the hands of an adoring throng. Rather than ejecting these fine 
specimens, the bouncers joined in the frenzy of groping and pawing... Knock
Knock Knockin on Heaven's Door. 
    Leeb and Co. came back for three encores, the encore set contained
a raging version of Digital Tension Dementia, along with what I think
was an unreleased song. The only minor disappointment in the whole show was
their interpretation of "The Blade". The house/hip hop flavor in that
particular number was entirely absent, as was the memorable "Stick 'em up
Motherfucka... This is a hold up!" sample.
    Definitely worth the ten dollar price of admission.

gL

  


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