Live reviews

Gigs from Hell

University of Guelph I (Ontario, Canada)

Went to see John Cale and his band. Just before the Sabotage/Live album came out. So the band is out there cookin'. Sounding great to us. But Cale looks disturbed. He keeps pointing to his ear. Constantly distracted, looking at the sound people, trying to communicate with them while playing. It was definitely taking away from what sounded like a killer set to us. But Cale just looked like he was fit to be tied. Approximately 20-30 minutes into the set, Cale just walks off stage looking like he was muttering to himself, all pissed off. So the rest of the band follows, and apparently the show is over. House lights come on and the whole bit.

With in the next 20 minutes, 90% of the audience left. My friends and I stayed cause there were a couple of loud mouths yelling, and making a scene about getting ripped off, wanting money back and so on. So we sat in our seats just waiting to see what unfolded. About half hour after they walked off, Cale and the band came back out. By this time there was maybe 30-40 people left in the theatre. Without saying a word, they started into this jam. And it seemed like they played as loud and distorted as possible. At points the bass player was using a stool to rub and hit his bass strings with... Cale spent the whole time with his back to the audience, facing the amp, playing with the nobs and the feedback. It was one half hour of the most intense jamming you'd ever heard. At the end, the drummers kit was in complete shambles all over the stage, chairs were knocked over... it looked like a hurricane had hit. They all walked off the stage without acknowledging the few people left who were standing in unison giving them a standing ovation.