Front 242 7.25.1998
Bauhaus 9.25.1998
[Frontline Assembly 5.22.1999]
Frontline Assembly, Switchblade Symphony, Spahn Ranch
May 22nd, 1999
Key Club
I arrived at the Key Club right when the show started at 7:00. Fucking valet
parking was $10 cause it was a Saturday night on Sunset Blvd. The only good
thing was that I didn't have to worry about my car getting stolen in fucking
Hollywood. I walked down the block to the Key Club, which turned out the be
the old Billboard Live. The outside of the building led me to expect a huge
inside, but the dancefloor was actually pretty small. I tried to go upstairs
to the balcony, but it turns out the restaurant is on the balcony and the
lady said I needed reservations. I didn't want to seem like an idiot so I
pretended I was looking for the restrooms. The bands were selling
merchandise in the basement. Frontline Assembly had some cool shirts and
CDs, while Switchblade Symphony had shirts, stickers, and a neat lunchbox
with a drawing of Tina & Susan on it. I went back upstairs and found a good
loitering spot along the back wall for Spahn Ranch. The Key Club DJ was
playing typical mainstream rock while a weird snuff-claymation film was
projected on the big screen above the stage.
The rock music faded and a cool electronic noise took its place. The
2 keyboardists from Spagn Ranch took the stage and launched into a very cool
song which, unfortunately, I don't know the name of. Athan appeared wearing
a suit. He always reminds me of a Vegas lounge act crooner, with his untied
bow tie and the way he moved on stage. I'm not a big Spahn Ranch fan, but I
did recognize Vortex which really got the crowd moving. When Spahn Ranch
finished their set the alterna-rock shite came back on the house speakers.
Damnit, it won't go away!
Thankfully the music faded as Susan appeared on stage and took her
place behind the keyboards. She was wearing a short dress with stockings and
boots, blond hair in pigtails. It looked like she'd gotten some more
equipment since the last time I saw them perform in 97. Tina was wearing
a skirt and pants, which seemed a little odd. Then again I'm not an expert
on women's fashions. Switchblade Symphony's first song was from the new
album and was very good. They played Dirty Dog, Dissolve, Clown, and
several new songs, one of which I later found out was called Wicked. They
were so cool. After their set some girl climbed up on stage and gave Tina
a hug.
After a while the rock music faded and smoke began to fill the stage. The TV monitors flickered to life and lights lit up the keyboards on either
side of the stage. Camouflage netting was strung up everywhere. Frontline
Assembly began with some cool keyboard type stuff, building up the atmosphere,
and launched into a very cool song. Most of the songs were from Implode but
they also played Millennium and Plasticity. The crowd went wild for these
songs. A pit formed right in front of me and I got pushed back a few times.
This guy slammed right into my chest once. I guess that's what I get for
being a sissy, geeky weakling girly-man. Luckily I hid behind this big guy.
FLA really kicked ass. The whole crowd was moving and the lightshow rocked.
The videos playing on the monitors were trippy, shifting shadows and colors
and quick cuts. The guitarist had long hair and looked like a metalhead.
Everyone loved him. Bill Leeb was wearing an Implode shirt and shorts. The
keyboardists were dressed quietly. Bill complained a few times cause there
wasn't enough smoke. FLA did an encore, but halfway through the first song
the plug was literally pulled. Everything just stopped. Fucking Key Club.
Everyone just stood around, stunned at the fucked up shit the Key Club pulled. Fucking Key Club assholes. After the show one of the keyboardists was signing
autographs, and a while later Bill Leeb came out. Man, that guy's huge.
Athan from Spahn Ranch was sitting next to the merchandise tables
downstairs. When I got outside there was a long line of fucking
mainstreamers waiting to get in.
