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Yep, we saw Chris and Meg at the DNA Lounge. Chris went on first; I had been forewarned that he was going to be doing a solo acoustic set (not actually acoustic; I don't know what you call an electric guitar that is proportioned like a solid-body yet has a hole — should have asked Forrest — and he used some light effects on most of the songs). I waved at Chris as the goofball MC introduced him; he smiled back. Not a lot of people were on the floor through his set, and there was kind of an odd vibe. I had been half afraid people would be rude because they expected Ministry/Pigface/Damage Manual, but they were polite if not enthusiastic. It sort of felt like people being Respectful to Grandpa because he Fought in the War, even though he drools a little now. meriko gives him props for having the guts to play pseudo-folk-poetry-rock at a techno/industrial/cyber dance club.
Everything he played seemed to be off his solo albums (after the last Pigface show at DNA, I half-expected him to do Damage Manual's "Peepshow Ghosts", but no), and mainly from the later ones; when he introduced "Ghost of a Saint" and said "this is off my first solo album," he seemed to be taken aback by the volume of applause, kind of a backhanded way for the audience to say "we don't like your new stuff so much." I liked the set okay, personally, even though I would have liked to hear "July" and a couple of other harder songs. (I think he peaked with Shipwreck, though Ultimate Seaside Companion grew on me after a year or so.) I refrained from yelling "show us your willie" throughout the set. Praise me.
Meg had a different bassist and drummer than she did two months ago at the Pound show, but with the same DJ, and Hate Dept's Seibold back on guitar. The bassist was doing the genderfuck thing; a guy in a sequined minidress, eyeliner, fishnetted on all four primary limbs. Meglet was in a tiny plaid dress ("look! she's playing the cleavage card!" "look! she's wearing panties!") and said something to the effect that she recognized familiar audience faces (that means us, baby). Set order was different from the earlier show, starting with "Sweat" (with one verse repeated thrice in place of presumably-forgotten lyrics) and "Nutopia", then something off the "long overdue new album" (this number possibly titled "Keep Her Satisfied"). Sound seemed kind of muddy at the start of the set but got better later; it didn't seem to interfere with Forrest's enjoyment at any rate. Meg also lost her mic cable a couple of times, but seemed to be having a good time as always, laughing and smiling as if entertained by some private joke. Next, "London", "Deeper", and "Swallowing You" (less dissonant than the Pound rendition). "Bittersweet and Sour", "Thing" (bounce! bounce!) and "Heavy Scene" (bounce! bounce! bounce!) closed out the set. Somewhere in here Meg half-jumped, half-stumbled off the stage, and had a hard time getting us feebs to realize she needed help getting back up. meriko and some other folks eventually did return her to the stage. Encore was, again, a dry, hip-hopish "Civilization" that left me all swoony.
<fanboy_mode>
Forrest liked the show and expressed surprise that so few people showed up: "time was a show like this would be packed!" I claim the trouble is that no one knows who Meg is. So here's your task for the day: if you've read this far and you've never heard Meg Lee Chin's stuff, go right now and listen to a couple of her songs like "And God She Created Civilization", "Thing", "Heavy Scene", or "Sweat". If you know and like her stuff, go tell three friends why they should go see her on tour in the next month.
Meg kicks ass.
</fanboy_mode>
Posted by russell at September 07, 2002 04:12 PM