Well, as the old saying goes, "you haven't lived it unless you've wrote about living it on the internet," so here's my experience of the show at the Button Factory.
I got in pretty early, headed straight to the merchandise. They had the Big Biz Tour EP III, some old CDs, and a t-shirt each for the Melvins, Big Biz and Porn, XL only for Melvins and Big Biz, XL and L only for Porn. They didn't have any of the new Porn/Merzbow record, which was about the only other CD from BBTEPIII I would have needed. Bought a "See You In Hell" Melvins shirt, which is a bit big on me, but the awesome design compensates. Got the Tour EP and a poster too. The Big Biz shirt was one I haven't read about/seen on this forum, it was some blue skeletons/corpses close-up with yellow writing maybe, with a moon in the background? It was pretty well-drawn. Anyway, enough about the merch eh.
Leisurely ambled on over to a really sweet vantage point for the show. Good view the whole night, and I must say, the Button Factory is a really fucking plush venue. Unobstructed views from everywhere, leather seats, a great bar. PORN first, with Dale hitting the stage at the same time as Moss, different from some other shows I've read about. I'm a fan of powerful, crushing, feedbacky music, because I'm a fan of the Melvins, and PORN were thoroughly powerful, crushing and feedbacky. Moss seems like the kind of guy who comes from a long line of wizards and alchemists and conjurers of demons. Whatever his lineage, he straddles minimalism and excess like a fucking pro. A million layers of texture, three-chord riffs, Dale soloing like a fiend, some guy beating the fuck out of his bass, beautiful.
No bubble machine this tour though? For shame.
Big Business next after a little break. Jared came out, said Hi, and I believe wasn't too stimulated by the "The Button Factory" motiff they had on the screen onstage. He asked the guy doing lights, "Could we get a picture of.. like a pizza, or something, that'd be great?" Halfway through the first song (Hands Up), Big Business are playing to the backdrop of a big fucking pizza. This kind of set a precedent, and before every song Jared would give the lights guy a request for an image. For Cats, Mice, he wanted "Cats, and mice... It's called Cats, Mice though, with a comma, so a cat and mouse with a comma as well, that would be ideal." For the next song, "I'm getting a link with God here... I want Offspring... I scream... Ice cream... Can we get the band The Offspring holding some ice cream?" The lights guy delivered with some shoddy photoshopping. Someone in the audience asked for Al Jourgensen, and Dale added that he should have a crack pipe. Cue a photo of Al Jourgensen with a crack pipe photoshopped on. Dale also requested that they get some name I can't remember onscreen naked, so he could guarantee himself that he'd have a wet dream later.. Jared remarked, "Dale's been away from home for a long time." As for the music.. Big Business dominated. The audience dug it, and the sound was as good as or better than I've heard at any other concert.. Seriously fucking piquant, clear, well-balanced and loud. I heard about three different guys saying, "Cats, Mice!" to their friends in a "how fucking awesome was that song, Cats, Mice?" kind of way. If the tour EP and their ever more bad-ass live shows are any indication, the new Big Biz album is going to be fucking monsterous. The Drift makes me want to weep like a baby.
A short interlude, enter the Melvins. Buzz used his new aluminium guitar the whole show I believe, great sound out of that thing. Great balance of sound for the whole show. The setlist was as usual, the band were super tight, the songs were so chunky, so clear. They may as well have sprayed their potent, territorial urine all over the crowd, such was their dominance as a four-piece. The lights guy seemed to think the Melvins and catalogue underwear models from the 70s would make for an interesting viewing/listening experience, so that's what we got for the rest of the night. The big crowd-pleasers were Honey Bucket, Civilised Worm, and History of Bad Men. History just has the groove to it that people can't fight. I was surprised to see how excited people got for the Nude/Senile material - way more excited than for Eye Flys, Tipping the Lion or Boris. People were going way ape shit in the pit for the quiet part of Suicide in Progress, whereas Eye Flys only got cheers from one or two stonery sorts when they recognised the bassline. Whatever, every song was a gem in my book. Jared got into the crowd for Boris, the band took the song into kind of a Muppetsy direction with Jared screaming nonsense from the floor. They wrapped shit up with Okie from Muskogee, very funny.
I think that old cliche' applies here, and that I've gained a new appreciation for the new Nude material aftering hearing it made in front of me. Big tunes made bigger and better by a live show. Good times. "Family entertainment on another level." Disney Doom. Beautiful.
Nice review! Thanks.
nice review, well written
must say was a brilliant performance. seein eyes flys and boris live was amazing.
got myself the devil shirt as well, its so big its like a parachute, but ill stil be wearing it.
porns set was killer, and like you said different from the other reviews ive read here. man id love to see it again or have a recording of it. dales drumming....dales drumming
the outro track was okie from muskogee from crybaby
its to bad im working this evening otherwise id be headin to galway to watch the circus again
boris outro was cool, jared climbing out into the audience pretty much in front of me, grabbed my guiness took a skull then went into the lyrics slowed down x10. he continued to walk around in a small circle whilst almost being raped by a few obsessed fans.
really good atmosphere all night. well impressed.
This was my second time seeing the melvins and it was amazing. I got to shout into the microphone for Boris when Jared passed the microphone to me :D Afterwards me and a friend were walking around the venue and we saw Buzz so we got in a photo and got talking he asked us was there anywhere good to eat and we took him to a pizza place. I asked him a few questions he said that the whole another brick in the wall story in Zurich is complete bullshit and that a guy got on stage and got kicked out and that was the end of it. I asked about the box set on ipecac aswell and he said Mackie is still doing the artwork at the moment there'll be 500 made with all the ipecac recordings, electroretard and a bonus disc which he said he doesn't know what he's gonna put on it yet. I picked myself up the big business EP and a poster. The poster looks great but it says button factory October 5th instead of the 4th which is kinda annoying
Thanks guys,great reviews!
Quote from: Eye in Triangle on October 04, 2008, 08:25:53 PM
They may as well have sprayed their potent, territorial urine all over the crowd, such was their dominance as a four-piece.
8)
Quote from: welcomeinjam on October 05, 2008, 06:58:55 AM
I got to shout into the microphone for Boris when Jared passed the microphone to me :D
8) 8)
Quote from: dijk cheese on October 05, 2008, 04:44:55 AM
porns set was killer, and like you said different from the other reviews ive read here. man id love to see it again or have a recording of it. dales drumming....dales drumming
ah,i'd like to see a show with Porn as the only band of the night
Quote from: dijk cheese on October 05, 2008, 04:44:55 AM
porns set was killer, and like you said different from the other reviews ive read here. man id love to see it again or have a recording of it. dales drumming....dales drumming
ah,i'd like to see a show with Porn as the only band of the night
[/quote]
same, ive seen porn a good 5 times now i think, and am floored by them each and every time. id even say my favorite act to see.
Quote from: dijk cheese on October 05, 2008, 04:44:55 AM
the outro track was okie from muskogee from crybaby
Ha, damn. I thought going in with 13 albums in my head would be enough to cover all eventualities - not with the Melvins.
Quote from: dijk cheese on October 05, 2008, 07:39:46 AM
same, ive seen porn a good 5 times now i think, and am floored by them each and every time. id even say my favorite act to see.
I've only seem them twice, but the first time I didn't pick up half of the nuances that were packed into last night's performance. They really, really killed it.
and i forgot to mention they played "porch song". well, the main riff from porch song over and over whilst dale pounded away.
was the first time you saw porn in dublin last year, eye in?
that was a really short set (compared to the set they were doing elsewhere on the tour). i think the deal was kid koala was playin in the same venue startin at 11, so big business and porn's set were cut short. very dissapointing, from memory they only made some noise and played "last song".
Quote from: dijk cheese on October 05, 2008, 08:41:24 AM
and i forgot to mention they played "porch song". well, the main riff from porch song over and over whilst dale pounded away.
was the first time you saw porn in dublin last year, eye in?
that was a really short set (compared to the set they were doing elsewhere on the tour). i think the deal was kid koala was playin in the same venue startin at 11, so big business and porn's set were cut short. very dissapointing, from memory they only made some noise and played "last song".
Yeah, it was the last Dublin Melvins show. From what I remember, the crowd weren't nearly as receptive to PORN last year as they were last night, either. I too would love to see what those guys could do with two hours (or more) of stage time. Pure thunder.
Quote from: welcomeinjam on October 05, 2008, 06:58:55 AM
I asked about the box set on ipecac aswell and he said Mackie is still doing the artwork at the moment there'll be 500 made with all the ipecac recordings, electroretard and a bonus disc which he said he doesn't know what he's gonna put on it yet. I picked myself up the big business EP and a poster. The poster looks great but it says button factory October 5th instead of the 4th which is kinda annoying
Yeah yeah yeah, that's all well and good, but what we all really want to know is.... What kind of pizza did he order?
Quote from: welcomeinjam on October 05, 2008, 06:58:55 AM
I asked about the box set on ipecac aswell and he said Mackie is still doing the artwork at the moment there'll be 500 made with all the ipecac recordings, electroretard and a bonus disc which he said he doesn't know what he's gonna put on it yet.
whaa that's awesome.
also those were all fantastic reviews.
Thanks for the reviews! The Big Biz shirts you described are really cool. Too bad they didn't have them last month. And it looks like they played Okie from Muskogee as an outro for almost the whole Europe tour.. almost. I would have loved to hear it.
Quote from: bathroom creep on October 05, 2008, 12:53:40 PM
Thanks for the reviews! The Big Biz shirts you described are really cool. Too bad they didn't have them last month. And it looks like they played Okie from Muskogee as an outro for almost the whole Europe tour.. almost. I would have loved to hear it.
I hope they tag Okie from Muskogee on to their setlist for the dates they're making up in California. That song busts me up.
still havnt worked out how to put pictures on my screen
anyway
cats, mice
casn anyone help me out with this track? have had what i remember of it runnin through my head since i woke.
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just found pics and review here:
http://brainwashed.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7154
cheers for posting,
but a couple of corrections
to say crover spent half of porns set doin nothing but adding the occasional backgorund noise, is well... a lie. there was nothing but quality drumming im my eyes (ears) once he hit the stage.
and the bit about big business blasting through tracks from their two albums... they played 3 new tracks.
anyway
Quote from: dijk cheese on October 06, 2008, 04:27:27 AM
still havnt worked out how to put pictures on my screen
anyway
cats, mice
casn anyone help me out with this track? have had what i remember of it runnin through my head since i woke.
I've been lusting after a recording of it too. Kind of dissappointed it wasn't on the Tour EP.
Quote from: dijk cheese on October 06, 2008, 09:09:19 AM
cheers for posting,
but a couple of corrections
to say crover spent half of porns set doin nothing but adding the occasional backgorund noise, is well... a lie. there was nothing but quality drumming im my eyes (ears) once he hit the stage.
and the bit about big business blasting through tracks from their two albums... they played 3 new tracks.
anyway
ah ah,obviously i believe in your review dijk,don't worry...i often use to read official(not curated by fan as us) show reviews ,let me say, "a little bit" imprecise :).for example,you know The Melvins recently played two gigs in Italy and believe me,every reviews i read on internet said Porn were on stage with Tim Moss "on bass", Billy Anderson(the great producer..Kyuss blah blah blah) on various effects and Dale on drum.well,personally if i don't know a band i don't try to make the brilliant guy maybe reading their profile on myspace and saying bullshits...i would say only,Porn did a great show,stop.
Quote from: Eye in Triangle on October 06, 2008, 09:18:13 AM
Quote from: dijk cheese on October 06, 2008, 04:27:27 AM
cats, mice
casn anyone help me out with this track? have had what i remember of it runnin through my head since i woke.
I've been lusting after a recording of it too. Kind of dissappointed it wasn't on the Tour EP.
I gotta agree, really good song. There are a couple of live versions floating around.. Check your PMs.
Quote from: Eye in Triangle on October 05, 2008, 09:42:33 AM
Quote from: dijk cheese on October 05, 2008, 08:41:24 AM
Yeah yeah yeah, that's all well and good, but what we all really want to know is.... What kind of pizza did he order?
Ha I'm not sure I got the last pepperoni and ham slice so all that was left i think was hawaiian pizza and cheese pizza.
Quote from: bathroom creep on October 06, 2008, 04:20:56 PM
Quote from: Eye in Triangle on October 06, 2008, 09:18:13 AM
Quote from: dijk cheese on October 06, 2008, 04:27:27 AM
cats, mice
casn anyone help me out with this track? have had what i remember of it runnin through my head since i woke.
I've been lusting after a recording of it too. Kind of dissappointed it wasn't on the Tour EP.
I gotta agree, really good song. There are a couple of live versions floating around.. Check your PMs.
Wow any chance of a PM me and my friend can't stop shouting CATS, MICE and we can't remember the rest
Quote from: bathroom creep on October 06, 2008, 04:20:56 PM
Quote from: Eye in Triangle on October 06, 2008, 09:18:13 AM
Quote from: dijk cheese on October 06, 2008, 04:27:27 AM
cats, mice
casn anyone help me out with this track? have had what i remember of it runnin through my head since i woke.
I've been lusting after a recording of it too. Kind of dissappointed it wasn't on the Tour EP.
I gotta agree, really good song. There are a couple of live versions floating around.. Check your PMs.
thankyou
http://totallydublin.ie/music/music-features/the-melvins/
The very sound of the words "sludge metal" is enough to send shivers down any music fan's spine. It's all faux-mystical lyrics, self-indulgence, and cock-rocking, right? Right. But in any genre there are anomalies, and Washington's underground legends The Melvins are one such break from metal's norm. If you've heard the name, but never heard the music, chances are you've heard the whispered in the same hallowed breath as Nirvana, forming in the same town, and being a predominant influence over the entire grunge genre. However, the success their critical acclaim and influence ought to have afforded them has always fallen short. Peg it down to the abrasiveness of the band, their outlandish humour, their daunting back catalogue, or their rather strange hairdos, but now, on this 20th anniversary of Sub Pop and all things grunge, it's about time the Melvins receive a payout on their hard-earned kudos.
The Melvins story begins in a convenience shop in a Montesano, Washington. Lead singer and guitarist Buzz Osborne (King Buzzo to his friends and compatriots) decided to name his new band after his much-detested co-worker Melvin, a sign of the obscuro sense of playfulness the band would come to embody. With seemingly little care for the polarized reviews the band received from the fore, the power trio (being Buzz, other permanent member Dale Crover, and a cast of rotating bassists) ploughed themselves a distinctly unique trough with JCB riffs and a joy in getting dirty. While influences like Black Sabbath and Swans are tangible in the Melvin sound, their distinct artfulness and willingness to experiment, as well as their shunning of the accepted metal template and image set them apart as a Bovril band in the Washington pre-grunge landscape.
However, with 1991 's self-titled album, and 1993's seminal Houdini the band found their critical footing. With incomprehensible vocals, Sensor Excel-sharp guitar hooks (we didn't have Quattro's back in those days, kids) and a knack for meticulously constructed songs, King Buzzo soon earned the band a buzz big enough to make his afro jealous. The major labels came knocking with band's burgeoning success, but Atlantic's release of the band's powerful triptych in Houdini, Stoner Witch, and Stag couldn't match a level of commercial success to meet the critical, and the Melvins promptly found themselves shunted back into the Washington underground. Their subterranean existence has continued today. They're a band burnt by the hot stove of commerciality, but happy to continue spreading their music throughout the world. This year's Nude With Boots has enjoyed success that has been so fleeting to them in recent times, enjoying across the board positive review, and renewed attention thanks to it. No longer one of those pigeonholed bands with the sole validation that they "influenced Kurt Cobain", their vigour seems to have renewed for fresh ways to make fucked up records.
"But I just don't like metal!" To shun the Melvins upcoming Button Factory gig, and indeed, their hefty back catalogue on the grounds of genrefication ought to be a punishable crime. Aside from their crafty musicianship, the band never fail to raise a quirk-appreciating smile. For instance, Buzz's lyrics range from the wittily deranged to derangedly witty ("After giving her the twenty dollars to, uh, have oral sex with me, uh, she looked around the car and she said, uh, for twenty dollars more I can clean this place for you. That's what she mainly did there.") You may well have had your eyes magnetically pulled towards their bizarre album covers, which include cartoons of two-headed dogs and blind children being surprised by spiders, or caught interviews on YouTube of Dale Crover pretending to shave with microphones and Buzz exuding hate vibes on Madonna ("people like buying crap. We've beavered away at being horrible but it hasn't really worked.") The Melvins bring an array of colours and expression to a black, brown, and tangled genre often maligned for its derivative soullessness, and we're looking forward to having the Button Factory walls painted with multi-coloured sludge.
That`s more like a sum up of their career than a interview. Interesting still, though.