Concert Reviews: August 1995

Pennywise, The Joykiller, and DFL

I guess the punk rock thing is trendy as hell right now. X-96 bought 24 tickets for this show and Primus was at the lake on the same night? What exactly does that mean? Will the next issue of The Grid spotlight The Joykiller or Pennywise? It doesn’t matter does it. As long as the promoters and the bands are making some money I refuse to criticize. The best moment of the night came for me when Jack Grisham, singer for The Joykiller, dedicated a song to Royce, SLUG photographer/journalist extraordinaire. Royce was in some exclusive company because Grisham also dedicated the song to the Massacre Guys, a band he said was around Salt Lake City before many in the audience were born. (Royce claims that he joined Grisham for the TSOL cover. I missed his appearance due to obedience to the Utah clean air act.)

Good decision, Grisham, because in the audience was someone close to me who was born, who did see the Massacre Guys and who also saw TSOL. (Yes, the winners of SLUG’s bowling tournament were enjoying The Joykiller.) In spite of some comments I heard from certain audience members who were offended that anyone with my appearance would be at a “punk rock” show I enjoyed the gig. I believe Grisham would be the first to tell you: “Punk rock isn’t a fashion, it’s an attitude.” If you don’t understand then why the fuck were you there?

DFL pretty much sucked, only my opinion. It had nothing to do with the band. I won’t blame the promoter for his venue selection. The sound was horrible. Blame the soundman! But give him credit, he managed to correct the problems by the time The Joykiller took the stage. The Joykiller had the crowd “moshing” all over the place. Grisham took the time to speak to the audience. He told the bouncers to take care of the speakers and leave the center of the stage to him and the stage divers. He said he could beat up any girl in the audience and then pointed to the boys down front. Excellent! How big are some of your egos? I got sick of seeing your faces on the stage. Just because you managed to get your ugly mug on MTV for the Offspring video does that mean that you are a member of every band coming through town? I know it’s the “hard-core” way, but simply standing on stage grinning looks pretty stupid when others are moshing and diving around you.

Secondly, to the numbnut who told me that Joykiller sounded exactly like TSOL and that he was glad to see me out tonight. What the fuck? Who in the hell are you, why do you feel the need to greet me and why was that the first time I’ve ever seen your face at anything? The Joykiller played their CD live (with a few additions) for the audience and had the crowd all lathered up for Pennywise.

Pennywise. They’ve been here several times in the past, but this was my first opportunity to see them. What I most enjoyed about their set was the punk rock version of “Stand By Me,” and the cover of Black Flag’s “Rise Above.” Their original material is what makes them the band that they are, but it is nice to see a band that actually knows the roots and acknowledges those who came before.

What would SLUG be without negativity. The audience took over the stage for the closer destroying the electrical connections to the microphones and ruining any chance of an encore. That is the “hard-core” way. But I also heard on word of mouth that some audience members were destroying whatever equipment they could lay their grubby little hands on. I’m hoping the promoter didn’t lose money (even after an extremely well attended show, 1,300 in attendance) due to the damage the audience caused. What in the fuck is wrong with you people? Go to the Delta Center and trash it—at least until you gain a trace of intelligence. –Darby Musher 

DFL, The Joykiller, Pennywise
Horticultural Building
07.17.95 

All Right!!! On Monday, July 17 Epitaph showed their teeth in the forms of DFL, The Joykiller and Pennywise. At the last minute the event was moved from the Fowl Friends building to the Horticulture Building to accommodate all you maniacs. What a great night. The bands were impressive and definitely up for this show. DFL opened this show and kicked out a powerful set. They are making quite a name for themselves by their songwriting style. That style is being tagged as “old school” punk. Fast, furious and to the point. These boys hit the stage and go to work like it’s no man’s business! Next up was my personal favorite, The Joykiller. These guys get up on stage, take one deep breath and then do a 35 minute set as they exhale. Lead singer, Jack Grisham, looks comfortable in his evening wear, a Joykiller working shirt with a long, black skirt. Abrasive music that will take your head off with a kinder, gentler image. The only punk band I’ve ever seen with a kick ass keyboard player. Ronnie King is out of control and all over the place and still he holds the band together with the instrument that adds a touch of class. These guys are going to be in town again this month with SNFU. DON’T MISS THEM!!! –Royce

Next up was Pennywise. Everyone there was visibly excited, the energy was flowing. Pennywise has always been really loyal to their fans, with high audience participation between songs, and this show was no exception. They played songs from all of their albums, highlights being “no reason why” “homesick” and some great covers like Ben E King’s ‘Stand By Me’ ‘Minor Threat’ and Nirvana’s “Territorial Pissings”. Pennywise closed the show with a killer version of “Bro Hymn”. Everyone then bombarded the stage. Despite the terrible sound at the Horticultural building, Pennywise put on an amazing show. Easily one of the most entertaining live punk bands around. –Nick

The Sextasy Ball

Before we get into this let me make a few observations. Stephen Brophy compared the crowd at The Allman Brothers to cattle in his Salt Lake Tribune review. He blamed the promoter for the venue. Sure Scott Arnold moved the show indoors and it didn’t rain. So what! At least the show went on; unlike the Pearl Jam mess. If you want to criticize promoters, why don’t you pick on someone who can afford it. As for the venue, blame the city and the state of Utah. They are busy building fancy Olympic facilities and baseball stadiums while the private sector either builds out of town or sponsors basketball arenas. The Fairgrounds Coliseum has seen many as and in its day—probably more bands than cattle auctions—truth be known. For instance—who remembers seeing MC5 play there? How about Stevie Ray Vaughan, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Violent Femmes or REM? It doesn’t have to be decrepit and it can sound good! How about putting some money into the Fairgrounds you elected official bastards. Feel free to use my tax dollars. You dumb fucks let a millionaire tear down the Terrace Ballroom, which was probably responsible for your birth in the first place (your mother and father met there and fucked in the booths to Glenn Miller or Benny Goodman, thus creating your pathetic life). Now the sight is an empty field and “the press” wines about the lack of concert venues. 

As proof of how good a show in the Coliseum can actually sound let’s get on with the story. Far be it from me to criticize promoters, but once again my name never made it on the list. I believe Ms. Wolf had the same problem with the same promoter last month. I missed about half of God Lives Under Water due to the usual ticket fiasco. (Why don’t you buy them for a change? –Gianni)

I quite enjoyed God except I wondered if it was live or Memorex. Their EP was recorded using computers and some of those noises didn’t come for the visible guitar, bass, and drums. Where was the computer manipulator hiding? Good band. They have a full-length coming out soon and if it is anything like what they did live it should be all over the radio. My life with the Thrill Kill Kult had ‘em dancing all over the ol’ cattle pen. It sounded a lot like hard-edged disco to me. The sexual theme of the show was well displayed by the exotic dancers fronting the Kult and numerous female ecstatic moans—I could have used more flesh and less smoke. Speaking of the sexual theme, blow-up dolls decorated the venue in strategic locations. The most prominent were hung all over the lighting set-up. (Of course their useful orifices were covered. This is Utah.) There was a table with a bunch of stickers, buttons and rubbers by the hundreds free for the taking. Now with all the free rubbers and the sexual theme of this show how many people were fucking in the audience? Not a single one.

The Thrill Kill Kult have a new album coming out on August 22. I might listen to a free copy. Otherwise I’m hooked on The Electric Hellfire Club.

After the usual boring wait some foul mouthed deviate took the stage for a spoken word piece. “ Who is Sylvia Plath” seemed to be the theme of his speech. That and asking for a few panties to sniff. Several boys in drag threw them up to him. The usual stadium show inspiring, classical music played and the lasers shot around before the Lords of Acid finally took the stage one at a time. Lady Galore‘s entrance was spectacularly orchestrated. All NIN fans should take note. She didn’t wear a speck of black. Her costumes were brightly colored, and from the horns prominently displayed on her head, I’d venture to guess that she is a Mormon. The intensity of the Lords stage show is difficult to describe. All the bells and whistles were in place. They had cardboard cut-outs of the naked she-devils presented on their last album. (Of course, nipples etc. were covered. This is Utah) The disco ball, the smoke, the strobe lights and the lasers were blinding. The sound was pristine, if more than a little ear damaging. In this day and age it’s the sound- man Brophy, not the venue, the Delta Center excepted of course.

The Lords tore through pretty much every song from their latest album and selected favorites off the old one. I found the set to lag near the center. That pounding beat never let up and it, combined with the lights, were beginning to give me a headache. However, they did manage to pull things together. They closed the show after what seemed like only 15 or 20 minutes. The encore was well worth sticking around for. Lady Galore brought a male blow-up doll on stage with an erect dildo. (Covered in black briefs of course, this is Utah.) She dressed as a she-devil. She kicked the doll around the stage and swung it around by its erection before finally disposing of it once and for all and exiting for good.

It was another “freak” show. The two worst outfits I saw were both on females. An obese girl was dressed in full-bondage gear and the white fat hanging out all over was sickening to behold. The other one was an exceptionally plain girl with ugly, yet large white breasts hanging out of her black, (of course, this is Utah) camisole. The bottom of the camisole was clearly visible at the bottoms of the faded and torn cut-off’s she wore. Gross. A number of boys wore skirts, hopefully without panties. They didn’t flash me.

I’d like to take this opportunity to say hello to the two strippers I got backstage at White Zombie. Sorry I couldn’t do the same this time, if I had maybe you’d have blown me before blowing the Lords Of Acid. It was after all the Sextasy Ball. –Gavin Thursday

Read more from the SLUG Archives:
The Stiff Sheet… July 1995
Little Records: July 1995