| well i thought id start this page right now, since i just got back from the STP gig @ Brixton (21/08/01), & it was wicked. On my tod, i went. I have only ever met three other people who liked STP & none of them are still around, so it was really nice to hook up with a few thousand people that blatantly felt the same way i do, especially about certain old songs! Scott was like on fire or something, full of energy & whipping up a frenzy with the crowd. Eric reALLY impressed me, I keep getting taken aback by drummers lately (inc Danny baby). It's great to see people do something they're really good at, & when it's music I think they just shine. DEan Deleo couldn't help reminding me of a mixture between Adam (Jones) & Justin from TOOL. Just cos his hair was in his face most of the time. These guys could really be perceived as a bunch of posers, but without being overly theatrical, they put on an amazing show, & it was lovely singing along with everyone else (tho no one actually spoke to me-don't be shy u fuckers!) STONE TEMPLE PILOTS came together in 1987, as 'MIGHTY JOE YOUNG'. They signed to Atlantic & released CORE in 1992. Excellent reviews sent the album soaring, & they ended up on MTV unplugged with it. As often as Scott was likened to Eddie Vedders voice, the STP sound was definitively near enough what we'd call grunge. (tho the band were from LA, it was the same era). After the release of sex-type thing, plush in the UK, the album appeared in our top 30, & once PURPLE was released the album rocketed to No 1 in the American chart. Narrowly escaping a prison sentence, Scott Weiland had run into trouble for snorting substances. In 1996 after the release of their third album, touring was totally disrupted when Scott was ordered to attend a rehab centre, tho he discharged himself for a few days, & gave himself up to police who had a warrant for his arrest. No. 4 again saw no tour (in the UK), & I made do with listening in my bedroom, they became bedroom cds. Shangrila-Dee-da? Well, they're all grown up now (well kinda, as grown up as they get). Scott has been through hell & back, & back, & the rest of the band have been picking up shit after him for ages no doubt. They all seemed pleased to be there tonight tho, & none shy whatsoever about soaking the spotlight. Scott kept us all quite amused, but big respect & credit & admiration was flowing watching Kretz & the Deleo bros. But it has to be said they do look like they're all getting on a bit now...! The acoustic set was a treat, I didn't know any of the new songs, & everyone was real mellow. A lot of ganga smokers in the house tonight! Generally the STP fans are a relatively mellow bunch, there's lots of 'ash' & 'bush' t-shirts about, ppl bordering on surfy-types, ppl bordering on 'trendy' types a mixed bunch, it made me happy! Mixed crowds that are into the same thing is brilliant. THe thing is STPs music unlike a lot of heavy rock, is pretty positive. Not always lyrically but the sound is positive, happy-vibing, it makes you smile & you feel good. I have been to sooo many good gigs in my life, it gets harder & harder to remember how good certain ones were, but this is up there somewhere in my top 10 along with TOOL, RATM, SONIC YOUTH, BABES IN TOYLAND, A PERFECT CIRCLE, METALLICA, HOLE, CYPRESS HILL, THE CURE, BIOHAZARD, THERAPY? SMASHING PUMPKINS, MY RUIN, they were all brilliant in their own right, I can't say for example, that TOOL were better than BABES, because they're so completely different & I like them for different reasons. I guess I'd have to tip the scale in the end tho & say TOOL were better cos i waited so much longer to see them... I think the fact is that there are some really great bands out there today, & some really wicked old ones that are still around (thankfully-but not for much longer) & I just think that our press give everyone way too much of a hard time, & they can stick it up their ass. PEACE |
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| STONE TEMPLE PILOTS are: Scott Weiland - vocals Robert Deleo - bass Dean Deleo - guitar Eric Kretz - drums |