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Well, I'm back home, showered, some vodka in me, and I'd like to write my review on Lollapalooza as it happened in Phoenix today. This is not really a drunken-type post, except that I started drinking about an hour ago. If you're not interested in reading this, just head on to the next post.
Logistics: Chandler, AZ (about 15 miles South of Phoenix, 7/27/96, beginning approx. 1:00pm, ending approx. 12:30am, 7/28/96. Temp: 108 degrees F (42.2 degrees C). Outside venue called Compton Terrace.
Bands I saw and my commentary:
First band I saw was called Rancid. I was quite impressed with this Punk band. They had a lot of energy and played a lot of hard and fast music. A couple of songs were very ska-ish, with a few horns and a Hammond Organ. It was friggin hot at that point, so I was drinking water like it was going of fashion quickly.
The second band was The Ramones. I have wanted to see them for years, and this was a dream come true. With 20,000 people behind me, I almost made it to the front of the stage. After Rancid ended, I stayed up front and got a spot right up front. The security people were spraying us from hoses in order to keep up cool, so I was drenched before the band came on. The set for the Ramones was very simple: A drum kit, and 2 stacks of Marshall stacks. They got onstage and the crowd went wild. They started playing, and all of a sudden, these genetic mutants started a mini-mosh pit. They were running into me, it was not totally fucking hot, and after about 7 songs, I had to get some fresh air. I moved away from front stage to a spot about 75 yards from the stage. About that time, I looked up into the sky and saw a brown cloud closing in. In Arizona, that means one thing: Dust Storm. By the time C.J., the guitar player could say "One Two Three Four" again, the dust storm stormed the venue, and by the time they finished that 3 minute song (which was Rock and Roll High School, for those of you keeping score at home), their set was canceled and the light "fixtures" were lowered. The winds had to have been around 40MPH. Within 3 minutes, it went from 108 Degrees F to about 90 F, and extremely windy. The set with the Ramones was canceled, and there was a delay of and hour and a half before Devo came on.
Third band was Devo, the special guest. Two words describes Devo's performance: Fucking Awesome! 27 words to describe the tattooed, pierced, and young crowd: Fucking ignorant, unappreciated fucks who knew nothing about Devo and their past and what they stood for and what they did to further the world of music. In short, Devo was great. They did such songs as Whip it (of course), Girl I want, Satisfaction, Mongoloid, Are we not men, and a few others. The stupid fucks in front of me kept giving me leering glances as I was singing the words to the song, like *I* was the fucking mutant. As the set moved on, the crowd got really unruly and didn't appreciate the musical talent of Devo. Water bottle started flying, and instead of the ignorant fucks leaving the area, they swore, shouted, threw shit, and booed Devo. I had a great time, though. Best line of the day came when the min Devo guy (I'm ashamed that I don't know his name anymore) said "The human species is still De-evolutionizing," and looked around at the crowd before him. I laughed out loud, understanding that he was referring to the mongoloids in front of him, but the fucks around me looked at me leeringly and obviously didn't catch the reference to their depleted gene pool. Devo ended with "Thank you, Spuds!" I laughed again, and the fuck next to me asked me what he said. I said "Spuds", and he snorted. I really feel sorry for those fucks who didn't understand the intelligence of Devo.
Next band was Soundgarden. Now, I'll say this now: I am not a Soundgarden fan, so I didn't really care for their set. But, there was something to talk about it. The whole time they were playing, there was a lightening storm happening all around them. It was quite incredible. If I was a Saladgarden, Umm, I mean Soundgarden fan, this would have been a peak experience for me. It was awe-inspiring, with them playing and the lightening happening behind them. The lead singer also said something that went right over the heads of the Fucks. He said that they should remember seeing the Ramones and Devo in the same night, as they might not ever see them perform again. The Fucks just didn't understand what these two did to the music world. The Fucks just wanted to smoke pot and create a wannabe Mosh-pit. My opinion of Soundgarden went way up after he said this.
Last band of the night was Metallica. Now that I saw the Ramones, Devo, and Metallica in the same night, I am ready to die a peaceful death. Metallica was awesome, also. Not much to say about them other than they put on a great show. Only problem was that because of the delay for the storm, they didn't take stage until after 11:30pm. They played a great set, though.
Well, that's it for now. I have a few more comments, but I need another drink.
Gonzo
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