Glutter Presents: Bands, Rock, Metal, Grunge, Hip Hop

The Concert Series

Glutter Plugs and Doodles

The most asked question last week was, “Who Else Have You Seen?” and each time I came out blank. So I decided to make a list of all the concerts and shows I had been to, mostly for my personal interest because I was curious. It turned out to be nine pages long. So I have split them up into seven categories, and shall post one a day for the next week.

–Neil Young:

Honestly the best rock concert I ever been to. The music floored me. I had never seen a full acoustic set, where it’s just one man, his voice, his guitar and harmonica. I thought the time had passed and I would never see that kind of concert live. I feel really fortunate I was there.

I find myself arguing against the “Rave is inhuman, electronic crap,” and “I prefer real humans making music,” conversation often, since it’s something that I was so involved in. But after this concert, it made me rethink, I understand what those people are saying so much more.

–Rolling Stones:

There was something special about seeing them live. It’s obvious when you have been to the reason why they have been so big for so long and why so reverenced. Simple fact: they love being on stage, they adore the crowd and lap up the attention. It shines through.

–Tom Petty:

I just turned 21, I wasn’t driving, and I was so blasted I can only register the encore where he sang “Free Falling” because in the lyrics were “Move West on Ventura Boulevard…. I want to glide down Mulholand.” The exact route I took to college from my ValleyHeart Apartment. One day I heard the song on the radio while I was turning into Mulholand, what a moment! Synchronicity of real life and recorded repetition.

–Public Enemy:

I saw them in London, and it was really strange to see white guys who looked like Skin Heads Go Crazy and Shout, “Fight the Power!” It was not what I was expecting at all. But why not? We all should. I had never gone through such a complex call and response ever in my life. I was impressed how well the crowd did. True Fans. Respect.

–Killer Kela: First and only Beat Boxer, I ever heard.

–Suicidal Tendencies:

Man, the first time in a mosh pit. How hooked was I. At one point the band went on and on about how “Suicidal Tendencies means LIFE” and we were like, “Please just keep playing.. argh. I am not going to kill myself and my parents won’t sue…” That was the first “rock” concert I ever went to… insane… ..

(Dax Shepard once said in the snippy arrogant way of his, “You’re such a poser, wearing that T-shirt. Pretending you like Metal and shit.” And I turned myself around and pointed to the date and said, “I was there, front row, left on this day, here!” and he never accused of posing ever again. Ah. Dax. You were always so memorable.)

–James:

In the US, so it was a really small venue, and no one actually Sat down at “Sit Down.”

–Nine Inch Nails:

Trent: “I want to fuck you. And you, and you! I am going to FUCK all of you.” And the full backward video of a fox rotting projected over a white curtain with only him standing in front on “Hurt” was mind blowing. It was such a full scale assault of everything at once. Unforgettable for sure.

–Alice in Chains:

The lead singer Layne Staley, who is gone now, came out with Pink Hair and Silver Wrap Around Sunglasses -exactly my get up, which made me into a instant “Hyper Fan” although I wasn’t. I was just keeping my friend Manni Z company. That was a moment which screamed “Grunge is dead. Stop wearing your flannels! Even we are too embarrassed to look like that.”

–Stone Temple Pilots:

In a little club, might have been the Roxy. I thought they sounded so terrible I swore they would never make it. How wrong was I. Although Scott was probably one of the most charismatic men I ever saw. I stared at him while waiting in line, trying to think of something smart and clever to say to that guy with a beard and wearing a dress hanging out with the bouncer. Too bad he was gone by the time I got there.

–No Doubt/ Cranberries:

I was glad I saw Gwen, they were on pretty much on the top of the list of bands I wanted to see. But the crowd was confused by them, as it was a double billing with the Cranberries who was absolutely why everybody else was there for.

The audience didn’t even know, “I am just a girl.” and if you didn’t know that song. You really have no idea who No Doubt was. Hopefully, I will see them elsewhere again.

As for the Cranberries, the singer’s voice was great, the songs were nice, but girlfriend shouldn’t dance, if you could call it that. What was up with the purple top and the feather boa?? Argh.

It was the worse billing ever conceived. One front person was a great performer with a tinny voice, the other an awful performer with a booming, stretching, morphing queen of a voice. In comparison they both looked bad. Also one band was a slightly difficult ska/punk/rock band. The other was cute pop. Separated by about 8 years. Different audience all together. (Hello, Convention Center, did you SOUND CHECK? It was the worse sounding concert I had ever been to.)

–Fugazi:

Actually I never heard them play (but this is a funny story) I had Christmas Dinner with Fugazi in DC because I met their manager Cynthia at a Bootleg Store in HK. Being ignorant, I asked them, “So you play punk? Do you sound like, Dead Kennedys or Butt Hole Surfers?” In retrospect Ian Mackay thought I was taking the piss. I wasn’t. Been schooled and schooled since then: “Why do you have all these Fugazi CDs?” “I dunno, I had dinner with them. You know who they are?” And boy did they! I was very sorry I didn’t take a photo with them or get them to sign the CDs, coz it would have made a few of my friends so happy.

–Red Meat Orchestra:

A ska/punk 10 piece. Had horns played by dead head looking people guys in pink tie dye with a lead singer with a short Mohawk that was jumping around insanely. The band was incredible. The taxi driver who took us there once drove the Beatles, and I wondered how many people he must have told that story to. (Disclosure: That’s not their name as it had escaped me. So I made that one up as I found it fitting. )

-Plus the myriad of no name bands, I went to in high school, college and even now. People none of you ever heard of and never will hear off -ranging from bloody awful, to pretty good. Whenever I saw a band and the lead singer could not sing. I knew he had no true friends, because if he did, someone close would have long ago said, “You know what? You can’t do it, get someone else.”

At the end of the Stones show, Roberta started talking, and although I could see her lips move but could hear zilch. She tried again, still nothing. I told her she needed to wait because my ears had stopped working. She couldn’t understand how it could be and I tried explaining. After this series, it shall become very clear the reasons for my deafness.

Glutter Presents: The Concert Series,
Week November 12 to 19th 2003.
Time: 3am (GMT Plus 8)

Thursday: Bands, Rock, Metal, Grunge, Hip Hop
Friday: Alternative -Lollapalooza 94
Saturday: Big Name Pop Artists and No Name Jazz
Sunday: Deeejaaays and Electronic
Monday: Massive Electronic Acts -Organic 96
Tuesday: Drum ‘n’ Bass
Wednesday: The Kiddie Cheese Days.