Live fan show review by "Miss Eva" - found in the digital archive. [-AArtVark]
April 19, 1997 - Coconut Teazer, Hollywood, CA
"fuck the
teazer".
The April 26th
Babyland show at the Coconut Teazer, perhaps (ironically) because of its
problems and obstacles, stands as one of the most quintessential Babyland shows
i have ever seen.
The evening
started for me at 10:00pm, entering the labyrinthian glamrock haven to the
sounds of (unknownbandnamehere), the type of band you would expect to be
playing at the Teazer, a venue known in los angeles circles for being one of
the cornerstones of the metal/glam scene. one listener described them as
"Rage Against the Tool", a basic aggressive "complex" hard
rock, yet accessible because of its seeming lack of intelligence. none of the
people i spoke to were very impressed, yet the band kept a small audience on
their feet. Next was Evolution and the
Exit, a Los Angeles band headed up by
the former singer of My Suicide. it seemed a good number of the people
inhabiting the area around the stage had come to hear them, insinuating a small
but loyal following. their sound was something between the Mission and the
Doors, keyboards and guitars cradled by the singer's wavering yet intense
vocals. it's not quite my cup of tea, but a lot of the ideas represented by
their style had definite merit, and their wandering lyrics painted emotional
pictures that enraptured many who witnessed.
Babyland began to
take the stage in their usual way, keyboards already on stage, waiting to be
unveiled and the whole assembly taking about 20 minutes. the audience was
filled with quite a few regulars, as well as people who (by my eavesdropping
(shame on me)) were coming to see the boys after a long haitus since the last
show they attended. by the time everything was ready to go, Babyland had the
audience literally on their toes. the set was mostly comprised of new songs; in
a recent interview in PKD, the band said they're using the new shows to
practice newer material and see where they can go with it. the song list
included "Five Fingers", "It Never Ends", and
"Omaha", all songs unreleased as of yet.
by the time
"Dismissal" began, everyone was in a frothing frenzy; its calling
card (Smith mounting his drum set with circle saw in hand) was everyone's cue
to don their sunglasses, coats, or protective gear. unfortunately, the
protective gear the audience had chosen for themselves was not enough for the
management and staff of the Coconut Teazer. about two minutes into the song,
the signs were flashing, hands were waving, and the burly men in STAFF t-shirts
were being called to the stage. apparently, the sparks were a problem for the
venue, and they went so far as to go on stage and try to unplug the saw while
Smith was playing.
as they
approached the stage, Dan lit a flare and began to dance defiantly, Smith
ignoring the manager and security as long as he could. but, as more of the
Teazer's employees loomed threateningly over AArtVark, there was no choice but
to call off the fireworks. whether the manager had been trying to damper the
spirit of the crowd and the show itself or was just trying to save his own ass,
we won't know for sure, but in a case where Babyland could have just walked out
in frustration with what should have been professional courtesy turning out to
be a threat, they stayed on with the show. not a lot was said, but through the
rest of the night, the audience and Dan and Smith gave the Coconut teazer their
silent "fuck you"s.
the rest of the
night came together, somehow stronger because of the ignorance and fear that
affected it. these are the kind of shows the restore people's faith, after
being jaded by passing phases and trends in "scenes". this was music,
brilliant and honest, but still fun, accessible, and just amazing to watch.
this is the reason why i fell in love with Babyland in the first place!
