OFF: SF Joke

[Patrick Lenneau]

Killing Joke made it to SF last night and despite my worst fears,
fueled by previous gig reports, they were great. I think Jaz was
looking forward to speaking to us on California politics so he made
sure he was in good form. Almost thought he mistook Slims for Speaker’s
Corner a time or two. Of course it all started earlier as things always
do when I was preparing for the show and I heard my mad neighbor
wailing away in some foreign tongue, or was it just in tongues? He was
no doubt writhing on the floor in need of a playing of Exorcism, my
favorite from Pandemonium and not on the set list or played I might
add, but my being a mean spirited sort, I denied him his cure. Instead,
I jumped into my car and played it on my iPod while driving away. I
wasn’t sure what to make of this omen. Was Jaz’ presence driving them
crazier or was Jaz himself going over the edge.

The show started with an opening act called Amen that I quite liked. I
would think most boc-l list members who like Mötörhead could find some
common ground. They are a fast metalish band with an remarkably high
energy singer. I almost got hit by the mike stand a time or two as it
went flying about. It must be said that they would have sounded better
if the singer wouldn’t throw his fellow band members to the ground and
toss the drum kit around during songs.

It took a while for Killing Joke to appear on stage and I admit I
started to worry. Would Jaz go insane in San Francisco? Did he fail his
sanity roll? Would he be sent to Napa? That’s our Bellevue for you New
Yorkers. I don’t know if there’s a real asylum in either place now.
Even the intro song, whatever it was, played all the way through. Did
Jaz fall back down the stairs on his way up to the stage? But no. The
band finally appears on stage and breaks into Communion, not Exorcism
like I wanted them to. I actually knew what the set list would be since
they taped it down right in front of me. Jaz finally marches out with
his camouflage war paint peering out from behind a hooded frock while
carrying a tall staff. He is in good form tonight dancing around,
posing, shaking like a leaf… almost looked sane. Sorry Jaz but the
truth’s the truth. Couldn’t tell if his eyes still look right through
you as I was too close and too low to notice. That’s the reason I went
to the show alone tonight because the person I usually go to shows with
refuses to be in the same room with Jaz after the last show. Guess he
was spooked.

I guess Jaz felt sorry for us on account of our government because they
played an extra tune, Follow the Leader which was requested by many in
the audience, as their first encore number. Of course, I would have
preferred Exorcism which you probably know by now. They played another
number which I didn’t know but was listed as Loose Cannon on the set
list although I don’t believe it was and they finished with Pandemonium
as planned.

I pinched Jaz’ set list on the way out so I’ll post it in a followup
email. My TiBook’s battery is about to die so I had better post this
now.

Tyranny,
PTL

--

"…there will come a day when you won't have to use
gasoline. You'd simply take a cassette and put it in
your car, let it run. You'd have to have the proper
type of music. Like you take two sticks, put 'em
together, make fire. You take some notes and rub 'em
together - dum, dum, dum, dum - fire, cosmic fire."
                                             -Sun Ra

Wonder if it’ll work for laptop batteries?