Publication: Rolling Stone Magazine (Aus)
Date: October, 2001
Transcribed by
Simone (maynard_god@hotmail.com)
Simone (maynard_god@hotmail.com)
page: 97 title: Performance: Tool's Big Art author: Robyn Doreian Rod Laver Arena July 23rd, 2001 Melbourne From the moment the Los Angeles quartet stepped out onto the stage - completed by a six foot vidoeo screen behind vocalist Maynard James Keenan and a much larger one above drummer Danny Carey - it became apparent that this was not a gig, but a performance. As the screens illuminated Louis Bunel-styled surrealist images of an eye pressed against a keyhole, the band launched into the twisted riffs of "The Grudge". Keenan cut a commanding military-style, figure in a padded boiler suit, with his face adorned by a thick black painted stripe. Crouched over, he spent a great deal of the evening lurching and jerking in time to the muscular riffs of guitarist/artistic director Adam Jones, whose on-screen videos consisted of nudity, mutated humans, writhing larvae and water scenes - guaranteed to give Sigmund Freud (bless his sole) a field day. Working their way through a selection of older material from 1996's Aenima ("Stinkfist", "Fourty-six&2", "Pushit") plus "Prison Sex" from their 1993 debut, Undertow, the cerebral battering took a breather via an intermission during which the cinematic triumph for "Schism" was shown. Returning to the raised platform behind Jones, Keenan reappered in black, Axl Rose-styled, figure-hugging shorts. Proceeding with the remainder of the set - "Sober", "Parabola", "Aenima" and "Opiate" - the fearsome foursome closed tonight's soiree with the chugging "Lateralus". Rather than a case of "fuck art let's dance", tonight was very much a case of "fuck everything, let's do art". At the conclusion of "Opiate", Keenan stated: "Art saves lives". Some two hours later, the combination of Tool's superior musicianship and highly creative visuals had just saved mine.
Posted to t.d.n: 09/10/01 08:00:38