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Events and Reports - Love/Hate - Live with Zodiac Mindwarp & Rattlesnake Remedy, UK - April 2006
Love/Hate was back in the UK, where they toured extensively during their short lived career. On the bill were also Zodiac Mindwarp and the Love Reaction plus up-coming British band Rattlesnake Remedy - so this was a good excuse for RevelationZ Magazine to once again conquer the island west of Denmark just like our forefathers, the Vikings!
This Love/Hate with Zodiac Mindwarp and Rattlesnake Remedy report is based on two shows in the UK. Both shows were similar in performance and setlist - reviews are based on the following two shows;
Nottingham Rock City, Saturday 29th April 2006. The bands played downstairs, which has a capacity of 300 people, while Killing Joke was playing upstairs in the main room
Rock Café 200, Stourbridge Sunday April 30th 2006. Last time I was in Stourbridge for a gig was in 2003 and I actually forgot what a cool venue this was even though it was in the middle of nowhere.
Rattlesnake Remedy
Because of trouble with my press pass, which ironically was taken care of by Rattlesnake Remedy's management, I missed their performance in Nottingham but did damage control by arriving early in Stourbridge before soundcheck.
Rattlesnake Remedy was a very pleasant surprise. They are on a massive Tour and it was very obvious that had lots of stage experience and they sounded really tight. Rattlesnake Remedy succeeded in capturing the listener's attention with their 70's inspired hard rock music.
The lead singer introduced them as "Rattlesnake Remedy from Birmingham", but there was not much "home ground" or local support from the crowd even though Stourbridge is just outside Birmingham. However, Rattlesnake Remedy was well received despite most were unfamiliar with their guitar driven rock.
I expected a band that drew heavy inspiration from the 80's Hard Rock, but was wrong. The members of Rattlesnake Remedy were in their early 20's and a band based on 70's rock tradition with a touch of Blues. Lead singer Lee Stone's vocals brought back memories of Robert Plant since his vocals were powerful and most were high notes. Stone also proved to have wide vocal range. However, it was often hard to hear the lyrics because of the high - but yet clear vocals. Lee Stone also had some great rock star attitudes on stage and definitely a great frontman.
The band had a great look that supported their music. One of the guitarists looked a bit misplaced with his Pantera t-shirt and flannel shirt around his waist.
Most memorable was Hangover Blues, which was played with a trustworthy passion after last nights party at Nottingham Rock City. The musicians were competent with the two guitarists as the bands trump card - especially Ben Bartlett did some tasty solos. Rattlesnake Remedy closed the set with Drag You Down, which is just released as a single.
Rattlesnake Remedy got around half an hour on stage and they were a very positive acquaintance. The band has the remedies to create a lucrative career in this business.
Zodiac Mindwarp and the Love Reaction
It's been a while since Zodiac Mindwarp was a "name" in the business with the "Tattooed Beat Messiah" album, whose release dates back to February 1988. Zodiac Mindwarp has been on hiatus for almost 10 years, but now the band is back and has released "I am Rock" in 2002 and "Rock Savage" in 2005.
The band chose to overlook the latest "Rock Savage" plus "Hoodlum Thunder" and "I am Knife" album, so the setlist was compiled of "classic" songs from "Tattooed Beat Messiah" and "I Am Rock".
From the original band of course lead singer Zodiac Mindwarp (Mark Manning) and guitarist Cobalt Stargazer is still with the band. I am sorry; but they looked old! Nonetheless, there was a positive energy that ruled on stage and these guys were having the time of their life and personally I got totally carried away by their positive magnetism.
Zodiac opened with High Priest of Love, where Cobalt's up-front guitar sound was raw, gritty and dirty. Backseat Education brought back memories to lots of people in the crowd and Zodiac still played with swagger. The sexual lyrics were still delivered with passion and Zodiac seemed trustworthy when he sang about a different kind of education.
Zodiac Mindwarp's lyrics revolve around sex. The most primitive of them all was a song called Fucked by Rock, where Zodiac totally have embarrassed Cobalt Stargazer since Zodiac changed the lyrics towards Cobalt picking up schoolboys and.. Well, you can probably guess what the lyrics are about. Cobalt was shaking his head as Zodiac went further into the lyrics and after the song Cobalt had to make it clear that he was heterosexual.
Zodiac played on the sexual thing for his stage show and in Stourbridge he unbuttoned his pants and rubbed a bandana against his groin where after he threw it out to some young good looking girls up-front. Hmmm - who said that age slows you down? Again the boys on stage were all smiling and it was hard not to like them and get carried away by all the positive vibrations from Zodiac Mindwarp and the Love Reaction. Zodiac Mindwarp also had several songs, like Lucille, that really got the crowd going
Zodiac Mindwarp ended with their biggest hit Prime Mover and a long version of Thin Lizzy's The Rocker. Zodiac said "Man, I love this song" referring to The Rocker and thereafter approached Cobalt Stargazer and said to Cobalt "no guitar solo on this one". Cobalt's smile once again lit up the room while he started the riff to The Rocker and after the second chorus we got a long, but yet entertaining solo from Cobalt Stargazer where he used his wireless system and played on the bar desk, spurted around the venue playing neat licks and played behind the back etc.
Drummer Robbie Vom has been with the band several years and he got to do a short drum solo, while bassist that goes under the genius name, Jack Shitt also got a bass solo during the instrumental jam on The Rocker.
There was no Planet Girl, but it was a great Rock 'n' Roll life confirming show. Zodiac's dark vocals still sounded good and Cobalt Stargazer looked like the happiest man on earth. Also Zodiac Mindwarp is the only band I have seen who had a stage technician with the only purpose of acting like a beer holder.
Love/Hate
Love/Hate is Jizzy Pearl! Love/Hate played a warm up show prior to this European Tour, where original guitarist Jon E. Love also joined in on the fun. This touring version of Love/Hate consisted of Jizzy's old friends and band mates - drummer Dave Moreno, who plays on both Jizzy's solo albums, Hookers and Blow band mate Alex Grossi on guitars and Robbie Crane had the task of playing Skid's groovy bass lines. Jizzy plays with Robbie in Ratt and they were also together in Adler's Appetite.
Moreno, Crane and Grossi entered the stage and Alex Grossi started to fiddle around the guitar ending up with the atmospheric intro to Tranquilizer. The band kicks in and a manic Jizzy rushed on stage - Jizzy looks all psyched and ready to rock the approx 250 people, which were the crowd size for both gigs.
Next up was Boozer, where Crane did the "Boozer" vocal line. This was the first time I experienced Robbie Crane on stage and even though I have all records he plays on - I was blown away by his bass playing. He was really into the music and his performance was top-notch. Robbie Crane wasn't interacting much with the crowd but more of a secluded solid player that constantly was moving. Crane had a kick ass attitude and an extra pick on his tongue, which he gladly aired as a part of his show.
Rock Queen was the first song from Love/Hate's debut and most successful album "Black out in the Red Room". Unfortunately Alex Grossi had some problems in Nottingham with the feedback from his amplifier, so the cool reverb effect on record couldn't be re-created. Alex Grossi definitely got better as the set progressed and second night he was even better. He really progressed even though I think that he is a better suited player for mid-tempo hard rock compared to Love/Hate explosive shape of Hard Rock. Grossi seems more like a feel player based on his brilliant work on Bang Tango's "Ready to Go", but he did great and Grossi is still a kid compared to the other experienced rockers, who he shared the stage with.
Except for a UK tour every two years Love/Hate doesn't tour, but they sounded like a well-oiled machine though. A song like Fuel to Run really got the crowd going and it was played in a slight heavier version. Speaking of HEAVY - the best Love/Hate song in the set was Spinning Wheel, which was performed in such a powerful version that you almost forgot this was a stripper song.
Half way through the set Jizzy swung a Gibson Les Paul around his neck and introduced Feed Your Head from his first, but amazing solo CD, "Just a Boy". At the Stourbridge show Jizzy broke the low e-string after the first couple of chords, but he played on and after the song he said "Well, I only use a couple of strings, so I can continue" and he kept the guitar for another two solo songs; Lies from his latest solo album "Vegas must Die" and then the ultimate highlight of both evenings Do You Wanna Get High. The song has such a kick ass vibe that was perfected live. On the studio version guitar virtuoso Steve Stevens plays the unique solo and Grossi didn't try to reproduce this masterpiece of a solo, but created his own melodic solo instead.
The biggest surprise was Don't Fuck With Me. It's a great song, but I thought it was the only song that didn't work live. Jizzy's vocals weren't in the same key as on record and it's just one of those songs were you lose something of the original distinctiveness in a live situation - opposite the aforementioned Do You Wanna Get High.
Jizzy Pearl is a fantastic frontman and I cannot praise him enough for his performance both nights. He was so into the music and almost in trance on stage. Jizzy seems like a withdrawn person and if it wasn't for his smiles between songs you would have thought he was a manic machine on stage. His vocals sounded great and since most Love/Hate songs are up-tempo songs you have to recognize that his voice is still in shape to keep it for approx 70 minutes.
The show ended on a high note with Love/Hate's biggest songs. Wasted in America and She's an Angel were great. Jizzy screamed to Alex Grossi "C'mon Alex" where after Alex blew a great note for note solo on She's an Angel. The encores were Black Out in the Red Room and of course Why Do You Think They Call it Dope?.
It's very clear and understandable why Crane and Pearl grew tired of Steven Adler's un-professionalism in Adler's Appetite- because this Love/Hate gig was everything that the recent Adler's Appetite gig wasn't. Read review of Adler's Appetite in London.
The band played well together. Dave Moreno was very tight on the drums and Crane did a great job playing Skid's tricky bass lines - I quote what Crane told me after the gig, "When I was a young kid Skid was the man, I used to see him all the time when Love/Hate was constantly gigging in Hollywood" Grossi is slowly becoming one of my favorite "new" guitarists and I think that he fits in perfect with Quiet Riot, whom he recently joined.
After Jizzy released "Just a Boy" in 2004 I have gained a whole new respect for him; since the record is one of the best releases in later years. Jizzy was amazing and on stage a true professional with both his stage presence and his vocals, which still sounded in top form. There was no other merchandise than Jizzy's new book "Unhappy Endings", which is very recommendable and displays the diversity of the ARTIST Jizzy Pearl.
It is very very likely that yours truly will show up next time Love/Hate plays Europe :)
Approx setlist:
Tranquilizer
Boozer
Rock Queen effect)
Tumbleweed
Yuccaman
Fuel to Run
Spinning Wheel
Feed Your Head
Lies
Do You Wanna Get High
Mary Jane
Don't Fuck With Me
Wasted in America
She's an Angel
---------------------------------------
Black Out in the Red Room
Why Do You Think They Call it Dope
Thanks to;
Matt "Just a Gigolo" Clarke for the hospitality and great company
Chris Tudor-Jones - Chris is gonna be missed as a great tour manager. He has done loads of Tours for almost all my favorite bands and he once again proved to be hero of the day, when he attended the Nottingham gig. Chris helped me out since there was trouble with my press pass. Good luck with your new career choice
Borg for being photographer on tour
All 3 bands for putting on stellar shows.
| Click pictures for a bigger version
Rattlesnake Remedy
Zodiac Mindwarp
Zodiac Mindwarp
Zodiac Mindwarp
Zodiac Mindwarp
Zodiac Mindwarp
Love/Hate
Love/Hate
Love/Hate
Love/Hate
Love/Hate
Love/Hate
All pictures by Martin Borg | Written by Michael
Sunday, May 28, 2006 |
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RevelationZ Comments
| Comment by marc (Anonymous) - Thursday, January 25, 2007 | Hey, indeed Zodiac and Cobalt look quite old. I even not recognize them! But they're the real thing. I love to see them live but I don't think they would ever visit Belgium... A shame.
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