CL ROXS!

[Mr Pants]

She rocks 7 * 100!!!!

[Dylan]

Posted on Thu, Oct. 28, 2004


I M A G E S A N D R E L A T E D C O N T E N T

Courtney Love surveys the Fillmore crowd. (Bob Larson/Contra Costa Times)


TONY HICKS: TIMES COLUMNIST


Love's labor's lost

Odious conduct doesn't cut it


SO COURTNEY LOVE doesn't actually need drugs and alcohol to be Courtney Love.

A seemingly sober Love played the Fillmore in San Francisco on Tuesday night and managed not to take off her clothes, hit anyone over the head or cause a riot. Disappointing to be sure, but at least nobody got hurt or arrested.

In an hour's show she still cursed quite a bit, rambled to the crowd, tripped over a monitor, took off her shoes and socks, and threw water and cigarettes (lit and unlit) at the crowd. So there was enough of the old obnoxious rock star we know and love for it all to be at least semirecognizable.

But here's the weird part. Chemicals or not, Love just isn't that interesting anymore. She needs to start showing her talent again, which for the past few years has been obscured by arrests, drug problems, weird behavior and courtroom battles. It's just become noise.

Musically, there was plenty of rust. Love was backed by Chelsea, a four-piece unit which she boasted was "maybe the greatest band out of L.A." but which wasn't great at all -- unless bass-heavy '80s metal is your thing. They didn't seem overly rehearsed and the sound was like turning your stereo way up to find all that fuzz at the top end. Instead of seeing Love with the very capable and occasionally inspired Hole, it was like stumbling into a 1989 Lita Ford concert.

Love and Chelsea opted for volume, even on singles like "Malibu," taking the fine pop edge and little dynamics of the song and smashing them to bits. It didn't help that, like most of the set, one couldn't hear Love's vocals very clearly. That all happened after Love mangled the beginning to "Malibu," then stopped singing, yelled something, flipped off her guitarist, giggled and started singing some more.

But this was, after all, Courtney Love, whose best musical attributes don't necessarily require delicacy. She did pull off a decent "Miss World," from 1994's excellent Hole album "Live Through This" (which seems like a million years removed from where she is now). But coming out the gate with "Mono," "But Julian I'm a Little Bit Older Than You" and "Asking for It," it all seemed pretty shaky.

It could have been worse. Love could have just stood there. Fueled by a constant stream of cigarettes, Love constantly jumped up on the front monitors, sat at stage's edge, occasionally danced around and looked a bit uncomfortable without her guitar, which she repeatedly claimed she's not playing on this tour, though she really didn't give a reason.

With her short black skirt constantly giving the front rows more skin than they bargained for, she tried winning the hometown advantage all night, reminding everyone at least four times that she was born in San Francisco ("hatched," she said, on Turk and Taylor).

The band got better as the night went on, though an hourlong set didn't give them much of a chance. "Violet" was surprisingly tight and powerful, with a big crowd sing-along. Actually, despite some items flying onstage (which one rarely sees at the Fillmore), the audience was into Love all night, screaming, pushing and even crowd-surfing some. Love parlayed that during her encore into a well-done screaming cover of "House of the Rising Sun" followed by a decent "Celebrity Skin." The show definitely ended stronger than it began.

With Love's rambling personality and blunt, middle-finger-to-the-face attitude wearing thin, now would be a good time to try re-establishing herself as a musical presence. Love's best attribute has always been to surprise us with talent just when we start believing she's no longer capable. Sure, this tour is probably about shaking off the rust off after her numerous legal and personal troubles. But if there's to be another comeback, she's going to have to do much better than Tuesday night, when there were few signs of musical spark. Otherwise she's just another victim of excessive rock stupidity.

[itslikeatradeoff]

Guest-Mr said:

She rocks 7 * 100!!!!

Im sure you'll look back on admiring Courtney one day and cringe.

[Danielle Loves Kurt]

I'm sure you'll look back one day at your insensitivity to others and cringe

[acid fairy]

COURTNEY RULES YOU f**kS. GET ALIFE U SUX AND PIGWOMAN IS AN IDIOT. GODIE

[PigWomanCourtney]

Another fan of the old slag that is dire need of a spell check. Courtney's die-hard fans are nothing, if not consistently S-T-U-P-I-D!!!
'
PWC

[itslikeatradeoff]

Guest-acid said:

COURTNEY RULES YOU f**kS. GET ALIFE U SUX AND PIGWOMAN IS AN IDIOT. GODIE

Deary she's not god. She's a musician who can write some nice stuff when she's not in court or letting strangers- oh im sorry i mean "one of her best friends"- suck on one of her tits.

[HippieChild]

GODIE

Um......what?

Either learn to type or find a good AA program.

[HippieChild]

Not exactly doing the pro-CL side any favours there, Acid Fairy.

ROFLMAO! Ain't that the truth, Bree. ;D

But I'm sure the anti's are dancing in the street right about now. Keep posting, acid babe. Your cracking me up.

[itslikeatradeoff]

Bree said:

Not exactly doing the pro-CL side any favours there, Acid Fairy.

LOL. ;D

[ACID FAIRY]

SORRY FOR MY SPELLING. I DO TRY. BUT YOU GUYS ARE NUTS IF YOU THINK COURTNEY ISN'T SPECIAL YOU SHOULD LEAVE HER ALONE

[itslikeatradeoff]

Guest-ACID said:

SORRY FOR MY SPELLING. I DO TRY. BUT YOU GUYS ARE NUTS IF YOU THINK COURTNEY ISN'T SPECIAL YOU SHOULD LEAVE HER ALONE

Oh believe me she's special.

[KelInhics]

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