From: payne@ecf.toronto.edu (PAYNE DENISE JOYCE)
Subject: Crash Worship Reviews Requested
Organization: University of Toronto, Engineering Computing Facility
Date: Sun, 6 Sep 1992 08:50:14 GMT


Dean A. Herman under another identity asked meabout Crash Worship. Just
to make my ob-helpfulness postings, I'll post some reviews about CW.
 
(Just kidding. I'm posting them cause I collected them for this reason. I
can only read them personally so many times.)
 
----------------------------------------
(Oh, there's aunfavourable review, the second one... not about the music,
but how the band runs their shows.. read em all...)
 
 
Message number 1397 in "Netmail/NM List"
Date: 07-18-91  11:32
From: Uucp
To:   All
Subj: 
 
From  eastern!reef.cis.ufl.edu!nm-list-sender
From: hsu@csrd.uiuc.edu (William Tsun-Yuk Hsu)
To:   nm-list@beach.cis.ufl.edu
Date: Wed, 17 Jul 1991 14:00:12 -0400
 
Doug asked me if I expect to run into any people at the Crash Worship
show. I said no, I don't run into nm-list people at Chicago shows after
Tom Braden moved out of town because I don't drive up for Consolidated
and Meat Beat Manifesto. We walked into Edge of the Looking Glass and
this guy who was also wearing an Organum shirt asked me: how do you
get that not to fade? (You don't put it in the dryer.) I finally met
Jim O'Rourke, whose tapes I've been hunting for for the past 4 months.
He'd deleted them all, he said. I'll have to wait for the CD of him
and Henry Kaiser from Victo, and some new Organum thing.
 
The first band was Solid State, a one-shot deal with Jim O'Rourke
looking bored on guitar, a certain Illusion of Safety member on bass
who would turn out to be a total asshole later, a skinny guy with
shaved head and chinbeard on various noisemakers and percussion,
and a drummer with regular drumset. Their set was your usual industrial
improv with 5 or 6 well-defined sections, alternating rhythmic bits
with ambient textures. Fun stuff, just not terribly distinctive.
People were generally laidback, sitting down or spacing out by the
dream-machine.
 
Crash Worship played most of their set in the dark, with a little
red light and lots of fire (of course). Very tight, good sharp 
transitions and some nice rhythms. While I'd say most of the crowd
knew what to expect and was there to have a good time, it's no
mean feat to have a Chicago crowd going the way they did. This was
in a regular club but they still set off firecrackers (which turned
on the sprinkler system) and sprayed water on the crowd. It got so
humid and wet that if you brushed up against someone you just 
slid off the water on the skin. And it was hot, a lot of people had
their shirts off (a few nice tattoos and piercings) and were passing 
out ice and rubbing it on each other. A certain Illusion of Safety
member unfortunately took the opportunity to force himself on
some of the nude female dancers and had to be forced off several
times.
 
After awhile, one of the club people came over and said "no more
fire, no more fire" so that was the end of that, but by then the
energy level was high enough that it didn't matter. Overall the
show was a lot of fun (tho I'd seen comparable rabble rousing
at old Stillwarm Stillborn shows here, and without the pagan trappings).
Edge of the Looking Glass has a faithful souldance crowd, and the club
management was paranoid enough that they called the cops to make sure
the Crash Worship crowd dispersed peacefully. (Of course, calling
Chicago cops to disperse a crowd peacefully is by definition a
dubious practice.) The dance crowd looked like your typical yuppie
Afro-American Greek set and was very obviously freaked out. Lots of
complaints about "devil worshippers" and "those punk rock bands".
 
Management was going "no one goes outside naked". Doug and I were
getting our shit together in the legally parked car, and this cop
came up and said "get a move on". 
 
I didn't get a record. It just seems kind of redundant after the
show.
Bill
 
 
 
By: Uucp
To: Nm-Psycho
Re: Crash Bullshit
St: Pvt
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 92 14:02:22 PDT
From: shaun@octel.com (Attacking Deep Structure)
Subject: Crash Bullshit
Importance: Tremendous
Cheese-Type: Cheddar (mild)
Biff-Type: Irish Setter (rowf!)
X_Charset: BONGOS2
X-Your-Mama: HELOISE
Large-Prime: 3990000163
X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.3 PL5]
 
>  >They talked to Gerry at DOVe about doing Toronto, but they can't get
>  >into Canada because apparently one of the members has a record so they
>  >won't let him in.
>
> FUCK.  fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck.
>
>  >Oh, well, sorry Toronto-ites, you'll have to go to Albany
>  >or something (where they're playing with CSC, so it'll be worth
>  >it!).
>
> KEEEEEENNNN!!!  WE MUST GO!!!!!!!
> Pretty close to the wedding...
 
I wouldn't plan anything firm around the time of a crash worship show
if I were you.  (Bummer story time, now that Mason's out of the country. :)
 
My buddy spike and I and his SO Andrea drove four hours from Chico to SF
to catch CW.  They tend to play pretty late, so we weren't worried about
missing much, even though we arrived around 9:30 and there was no opening
band.  We found out when they arrived that they were scheduled to start
at 10 pm and to play until 3.  Great, we have half an hour to kill.  We
walk into the club, and quickly discover why it's called "Club Uranus"
at the "End Up."  We sit down and wait.  And wait.  It's got to be past
10, but none of us are wearing a watch.  We've listened to about 6
zillion techno songs (none of which I recognize,) interspersed with the
ancient classics like "Dancing Queen" by Abba, while watching guys who,
I can't help thinking, just can't dance.  Eventually we tire of of
staring at the set, staring at the guys in really ugly girl's outfits,
even the one in the dress that doesn't cover his hairy ass, and sink
into a kind of catatonic stupor.  We watched the band set up and tune
their instruments so long ago that they're probably out of tune again.
They're just sitting around, talking to people ever once in a while, or
just off somewhere.  I finally say, "If they don't start in the next
half hour, do you want to bail?"  Grim glances were exchanged.  This is
on a Sunday night.  We wait, and wait, and wait some more.  After
falling asleep in my seat a few times, I excuse myself, write off my
six bucks, and crash in the car.  The clock says 12:30.  I fall asleep
immediately.
 
I'm awakened later by my Spike jumping on the car and pounding on the
window.  It's 2 am; CW finally started a little before 1.  We've
got to leave before no one can drive any more, since it's an hour
back to the crash space.
 
Crash Worship has done this bullshit waiting for no good reason
thing all three times I've seen them, but this one was the most
egregious.  Fuck 'em.  I'm not going to any more Crash Worship
shows.
 
@Man
 
--
shaun@octel.com  ||  "Now is the time on Sprockets when we Lambada!"
Days of Our Lives: It softens heads while you do dishes!
 
 
From reef.cis.ufl.edu!nm-list-sender Wed Jun 17 21:39:27 1992
Errors-To: nm-list-sender@reef.cis.ufl.edu
Date:	Wed, 17 Jun 1992 14:53:07 -0300
Message-Id: <9206171853.AA27301@dante>
From:	Mason Jones <dante!mason@uunet.UU.NET>
Reply-To: dante!mason@toad.com
To:	nmlist@reef.cis.ufl.edu
Subject: Habitual neon gazers shut out of town
Status: RO
 
Crash Worship's first bay area show of the week went down last night
at the Kennel Club, and turned the place into the usual vision of hell.
I have yet to see another band which can, within five minutes of
starting, create a dark, rhythmic, place of thrashing, dancing people
quite like they do.  It was a pretty great show, despite the occasional
technical problem.  They weren't allowed to use any fire in the club
(that's for tonight!), so they were trying to use the club's lights,
but it just wasn't working out as well as they wanted.  So, there were
occasional bits of total darkness and so on.  But the pounding drums
didn't stop much.  This is also a slightly new lineup, so I think
they're still working a bit on getting the communication going fully
with the new guy who's adding some tape sounds.  It seemed to work
really well, though, for keeping a continuity of sound between songs.
Anyway, it was another very cool show, and I'm looking forward to
seeing what utter mayhem tonight's outdoor show will be.
 
 
 
Message number 1299 in "Netmail/NM List"
Date: 07-16-91  01:39
From: Uucp
To:   All
Subj: HOLY Crash Worship
 
From  eastern!reef.cis.ufl.edu!nm-list-sender
From: grubin@tramp.colorado.edu (J.'Doc' Exby)
To:   New Music List <nm-list@reef.cis.ufl.edu>
Date: Mon, 15 Jul 1991 00:43:06 -0400
 
Ok, this may get long but I experienced the best of all worlds at
Saturday's Crash Worship concert here in Denver.  shit there's no
way to tell all but here I go:
 
I didnt know what to expect having only heard a few CW tracks, and
their new ep.  But the whole junkyard location had me piqued.  The
show started at dusk in a sheet metal recycling plant in and old
part of denver.  Enter through chainlink gates to see a bunch of people
hanging around talking near a stage lit by two old junker-cars' headlights!
drumsets behind with incense burning metal cans around.  People also
on top of the semi-truck trailers which "framed" the "arena" with camcorders
and cameras...etc...
 
Then a band member got on stage to start misc wailing tones off a long
board with 5-6 strings, fretting the instrument with a 1/2" piece of pipe.
Other 4-5? band members with bare chests and in body paint and overalls
come marching in beating on drums with one MAGNIFICANT guy playing 
wonderful bag pipes!  Oh that was heaven... and it got better.
Blowing man-made horns and tribal beating on drums and metal objects
alike, the band proceeded to pound and entrace us all.  Growling vocals
only once and awhile since the two front guys were also spraying some
liquid from a cannister on the crowd as well as makins sure things were
burning, and EVEN whirling burning torches on long rope while making their
way through the crowd!  Awesome!!!  A bonfire was then started by the guys
in the middle of us, all the while beating drums going on and LOUD!  People
(me included for awhile) began dancing around this magic fire in a circle
in a definate pagan ritual of fun!  Chants from the crowd, people in total
body paint, women and men stripping off their shirts and tossing them on
the flames while dancing semi-nude was the most primitive and erotic of
displays.  Everyone swaying to the beat and hopping around, the smoke
to smell, the fire's heat to feel, the naked people to watch, the feeling
to dance and the music to hear.  ALL senses were being assulted and I
felt totally enveloped and grooved like on some wile mind fuk!  The
display went on seemingly forever and constant drumming actually lasted
(the last song I mean) for about 50min....after a short break the drums
were setup around the burning flames where a seemingly impromptu beat jam
went on, and the dancing began again in ernest.  Finishing off with some
bagpipe tunes near the end, they stopped.
 
People drained, bewildered and excited milled around for a bit.  clearly
everyone was amazed at the release of such seemingly "primitive"
and caveman type of actions!  It was wonderful!  I cannot explain the
emotions that ran through the whole show but I am not surprised by it
more like excited from it (and no - the girl with the double-pierced
nipples has nothing to do with it  ;-)
 
EASILY the best concert experience I have ever been a part of, and not
something I will ever forget!!  The industrial music, drums, guitar noiz
easily matched the festive atmosphere of body painting and bonfire
bodies dancing into the night!  
 
Damn, I wish this type of "outlet" was more frequent.  Then again,
maybe that is another reason it was so enticing.  So DO NOT MISS
CRASH WORSHIP if they get anywhere near you!  I for one have been
stunned.....
::j
 
 
 
Message number 1681 in "Netmail/NM List"
Date: 07-27-91  05:16
From: Uucp
To:   All
Subj: Jolly old fellows arranged by toast
 
From  eastern!reef.cis.ufl.edu!nm-list-sender
From: dante!mason@uunet.uu.net (Mason Jones)
To:   nmlist@reef.cis.ufl.edu
Date: Fri, 26 Jul 1991 12:51:05 -0400
 
So, I'm sure there will be more reviews of the Kennel Club
Crash Worship show, but I'll type in this one from my
point of view.  The band was a bit more relaxed for this one than
the Komotion show, I think, with a shorter sound check; it was
just being taped to DAT from room mics, rather than having to
arrange a complicated multi-track recording.  BCO's sound check
was pretty fun, though.  CW had burritos down the street beforehand
and we watched the beginning of "Mad Max."  That was fun.  I also
have to say that I was amazed at being able to use the K-Club's
bathrooms during the sound check -- I don't think I've ever seen
their bathrooms clean before.  Weird.
 
Das played some Balinese Gamelan music before BCO went on, nice
and quiet so people could talk; that was a nice change from the
usual Kennel Club loud disco/rock you have to yell above.  BCO
opened with a cool crunchy ambient industrial bit with Alan
whaling away on a big metal frame, and Das occasionally bouncing
this wonderful huge spring with a contact mic which shook the
whole place with rumbling bass.  Then Robo did his St Sleaze and
the Sleazettes lounge act, complete with a pseudo-cover of "Day
Tripper" assisted by a tape of Mae West sans instruments doing
backup.  Way silly.  Then some more of BCO played a long, rumbling
ambient thing which resonated very nicely through the Kennel Club.
In between bands they put on the Iao Core Abject & Unusual Video,
which was a big hit mainly for the Pierson-Post Industries pieces
of George Bush rapping: they're the best video editing job I've
ever laid eyes on.  I grabbed a copy from John during the evening.
 
"The country is prepared...we've got to get down."  Awesome.
Anyway, then Crash Worship went on -- the place was fairly full,
about 3/4 packed I guess.  Fire extinguishers full of water, muddy
people, dancing craziness, the usual.  They were pretty much right
on during the first set; the fire was much more under control that
night than at Komotion, too, primarily because there was a lot more
room to move around.  Fewer tripping people losing their grip on
reality, too, I think.  For the last song in the "real" set, they
carried their drums down onto the floor where they played, and the
crowd formed a dancing circle around them.  Way cool.
 
After a short break, they came back for their 'jam' set, and they
ruled.  They really got going towards the end of the first 'piece'
with the vocalists screaming full on, and Simon and Markus whaling
away at full speed.  It was excellent.  The third of the pieces
maybe got a little muddy, I thought, but it was quite intense.
Great show.
 
I also picked up a copy of the "Inflamatorio" video from them
before they took off, which I watched last night.  Short but sweet,
there's some good stuff on it.  They'll hopefully create a longer
video from some of the footage from this tour.
 
-----------------------------------------------------------------
>From: hoptoad!Eng.Sun.COM!Aaron.Cooley (Aaron Cooley)
>Subject: Crash Worship
>
>Was cool until the band sent a bottle rocket into the crowd that bounced
>off my eyebrow and into my girlfriend's hair burnning about 3 inches off.
>Special thanks to the guy who was quick enough to pull it out, or she would
>have been really badly burned, and to the band...
>
>F__K YOU VERY MUCH!!!
 
Oh, that was *you* who wrote that on the mailing list?  I was quite
amused by the note.  I was going to send it on to the band... ;-)
I didn't notice any bottle rockets from the band -- I thought they
used up all of their fireworks at the Komotion show, anyway.  Well,
shit happen, I guess.
 
--------------------------------------
 
I'd say definitely go, but dont count on being at work on time the next
day! :^)
 
** AGAIN ** if anyone from Toronto wants to go to the Oct 18 show in Albany
(or hell, even the Detroit, Oberlin or Cleveland shows) then tell me,
mebbe we can set something up!
 
Ken Chase
sizone!crasher@ee.ryerson.ca
via payne@ecf.toronto.edu
-- 
Newsgroups: rec.music.industrial,alt.rap,alt.music.alternative