A Review of the Fall 1996 Tour

Date: November 29


From: "J. Ryan Halpenny" (jrhalpen@chat.carleton.ca) Subject: Tool in Montreal What can be said about Tool's live show that hasn't already been written? The band was almost flawless in Montreal this past Friday (Nov. 29). Once again, Maynard was half blue, half white. Justin was painted white, and Adam was blue, with dabs of pink over his lips and forehead. I don't think I've ever seen such an anxious crowd before. Eveyone was even polite to Psychotica, who didn't deserve the "golf clapping" that they got after their set. Can we say "Marilyn Manson", kids? When that earthquake/bass rumble noise started, eveyone really started getting antsy. I don't think they've been to Montreal in years (I don't live there so I wouldn't know). Here's an approximate set list, with Maynards "comments": 1. Third Eye 2. Stinkfist ("Did you miss us?") 3. 46&2 4. Prison Sex ("This song is about identifying patterns of abuse...it's the first part...") 5. Eulogy 6. Cold and Ugly 7. Sober (with the loooong intro - Maynard just sat/layed around - meditating?) 8. Pushit 9. Opiate ("This is our last song.") 10. Aenema ("OK - One more. This song is an update of the ideas of Jung...with a high colonic!") That's about it. The crowd went nuts when they played the older stuff, and "Aenema". The visuals were just incredible. My hat is off to Adam, whom (I'm assuming) was responsible for stuff shown on the screens. Like I said, the band was almost flawless. My only complaints concern the length of the show (10 songs? An hour and a half? Come on!), the opening band (yech. I would have like to have seen Failure), and the merchandise (the shirt my girlfriend bought me shrunk about 10 sizes after I washed it. And they didn't have anything "new"). All thing considered, though, it was an incredible show. This is just a "warm up" tour, after all (if my sources are correct). I can't wait to see them next year, after they've "tightened up" a bit - like that's possible!