From: kriz@seq.uncwil.edu (kriz)
Subject: Lollapalooza Review (long)
Summary: lengthy review of concert
Keywords: review, Raleigh NC
Organization: Univ. of North Carolina @ Wilmington
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1992 16:53:50 GMT



I saw Lollapalooza in Raliegh, NC, yesterday.  Boy, what a show!

It first started with Lush, who I didn't really enjoy, although
there seemed to be quite a few Lush fans in the audience.  They
just sort of came out and played, with one comment to the 
audience being something like "I wish you were all drunk, it
would make our job easier".  They played for about 40 minutes.

Less than 1/2 hour later, Pearl Jam came on.  The crowd was
really into it, and the band seemed to put everything into their
performance.  Eddie Vedder stage dove into the audience during
the second song and went into the audience during the third to bring
a man onstage who was wearing a Fishbone shirt that said "Racism
Sucks" (yeah!).  They let the guy go up by the drummer and play
tamborine for the rest of their set, and Eddie introduced him as
their newest member and percussionist.  Their guitarists were running
all over and their bass player, man, he was running around and jumping
on and off the drum riser, generally playing like he had gone mad.
He really put a lot of energy into it.  During another song, some
guy got up on stage and stage dove off.  Well, apparently security
went after the guy, because Eddie ran over to the side of the stage
yelling "Let him go, let him go, let him go!" and then dove head
first into the audience after him.  When he got back on stage, he
said "It's just a game.  This is just a little game we play, you
may not play it in big places like this, but where we normally
play, we play this game, and if he gets up over here, and jumps off
over there, he wins."  The audience loved that.  During the last
song Eddie climb this rope ladder that was for roadies to use to get
to the lights, and he started swinging on it, which caused the lights
to swing quite a bit.  I was really wondering if it would all come
crashing down.  He then swung over to a curtain and climbed down it.
I have to say they put on the most energetic show.  They were my
favorites (as if you couldn't tell :-)

Next was The Jesus and Mary Chain.  I like them, but they hardly
interacted with the audience at all.  They did use smoke machines,
and they had a projection screen behind them with a giant picture
of the crucifixion on it (I think, I couldn't tell for sure if
if was Jesus).  The audience seemed to enjoy their show, and they
played for about and hour.  They closed with "I Want to Die Like
Jesus Christ".

Soundgarden was next, and what a show.  This concert was at an
ampitheater, which had seats in front and a lawn (where I was)
in the back.  Well, we've had lots of rain recently, and when
Soundgarden started, a mosh pit got going on the lawn.  It soon
turned into a mud pit.  People were moshing and falling and sliding
down the hill and then getting right back into it.  Security first
tried to stop it, but I guess they didn't want to get their uniforms 
muddy because they backed way off and let them go.  It was fun.
Chris Cornell complained about Body Count's song "Cop Killer" being
dropped off the album and then they played the song, in the middle
getting the audience to chant "Fuck the police!".  They also played
a song for Raliegh locals Corrosion of Conformity, which the audience
really loved.  Their bass player had his bass hung down to his knees,
and ran around either bent way over playing it or pulling the neck
way up and playing.  During the last song, Chris ran up behind the
drummer and was playing there, and then got up on top of their speaker 
stack and was playing.  The bass player, not to be outdone, went
to the drum riser, and I thought he was going to climb up, but instead
used his bass as a bulldozer and pushed the entire drum kit out from
under their drummer while he was trying to play.  He then slammed his
bass on the stage and ran off.  Then Chris threw his guitar down and
smashed it, and he and the drummer left.  Kim Thayil just kept 
playing and then just laid his guitar down.  Guess he didn't want
to destroy his instrument, but it was pretty funny.  They were really
good.  I'd say I liked them 3rd, right after Ice Cube.

Ice Cube and his group Lenchmob came on next.  Don't miss them, even 
if you don't like rap, because they really got the audience going. 
Everyone was dancing and jumping and waving their hands and having
a blast.  They had the audience chanting all kinds of stuff, had
a men vs. ladies shouting contest, a left half vs. right half of the
audience shouting contest (our side won, our winning chant being
"Your mamma sucks donkey dicks :-)  They did one encore, which we
enticed Ice Cube into doing by chanting "Ice Cube sucks!"  It sounds
bad, I know, but you had to be there.  They were energetic, they were
funny, they were outstanding.  I rated them second best because there
was so much audience interaction, it was just a great time.  I repeat,
even if you don't like rap, see Ice Cube!

After about 40 minutes, Ministry came out.  They audience went wild,
and there was a raging plastic cup fight, cups flying around all over
the place.  They mosh pit on the lawn started again, with higher
intensity, and the band played hard.  They had two huge skeletons on
either side of the stage, video screens behind them displaying all
sorts of images, and their mike stands were covered with bones (I
think vertebrate) and skulls.  They put on a great show, but the
one thing I didn't like was that their songs seemed to drag on.
Each one was at least 6 or 7 minutes, if not more, and it was just
the same stuff over and over.  I mean, the first song was like 10
minutes long and it was the same riff over and over.  The audience
didn't seem to care, though, and had a great time.  If you're a
Ministry fan, they I'm sure you'd have a great time.

Finally, the Red Hot Chili Peppers.  Flea came out wearing just a 
pair of briefs (Hanes, maybe?) and Anthony Kaldis was wearing this
black and white checkerboard suit, a black hat like a derby, and
weird sunglasses.  He later changed into black shorts with a swirl
pattern.  Wardrobe aside, they did a good show.  Chad did a drum
solo, and their new guitarist was really good, even if he hardly
moved around at all.  Flea was all over the place, singing weird
tunes, even a Neil Young song.  Anthony was doing his usual jumping
all over the stage, and the audience was really having a good time.
They had a giant wheel with a spiral pattern behind stage that spun 
around, and they also had a good light show.  They seemed to be
having a good time, and they played for an hour and 15 minutes,
which was the longest set of the day.  They did an encore, but
I left because my legs and back were hurting from standing on
an incline all day, and I didn't want to fight traffic in the parking
lot.  I got out in a few minutes, so I assume about 99% of the
audience stayed till the end.

The Jim Rose (was that it, I can't remember) Side Show was as
disgusting and appalling as everyone says.  It was great!  I
saw Mr. Lifto lift a cinder block by using chains attached to
his pierced nipples.  Man, did he stretch them out!  Then the
leader (I guess Jim Rose) ate 3 razor blades and some thread, then
regurgitated the razor blades with the thread through them.  Amazing.
Then they brought out the Torture King, who already had 40 pins
stuck in his arms and chest.  He then put a pin through his voice
box.  Then, and people did faint during this, he put one through his
eye socket!  He then put a meat skewer through his face (in one
cheek, out the other) and then one through his arm.  The guy must
be a loony, I swear.  The audience loved it.  When he was taking
them out, the leader was saying "80% of the time, it's blood
free, trickles don't count!"  When he took the one out of his eye
socket, another person fainted.  He also walked up a ladder of
swords without getting cut.  The last act I saw was this guy who
ate live worms, maggots, and crickets.  After he chewed the crickets
up, he opened his mouth for the audience.  Glad I was near the back!
If you can stomach this stuff, see the Side Show, it was pretty
funny.

I didn't really see any of the info booths, but they seemed to have
a lot of people in there.  We weren't allowed to bring in drinks or
food, which really sucked because the prices were outrageously 
expensive.  Most T-shirts were $23.

If you have a chance to see this show, go.  It's a great was to
spend a day.  Good music, interesting Side Show, and just plain
fun fun fun.  I had a great time, even if I was exhausted by the
end.  Don't miss this tour.

kriz
-- 
"kriz" krizowsky                        kriz@seq.uncwil.edu

"It's like Sizzler opened a hospital!" 

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