Review written by: Belinda Lamrock (binlamrock@hotmail.com) Review posted on: 04/18/97 03:04:19 The gig at Macquarie University was extremely packed perhaps evenmore than their second performance. It was a mellow sunny afternoon, moving through to dark, the huge grassy hill scattered with fans, soon to be packing to the stage after moving across from Skunk Anansie or gathering from around. It was a little disappointing at first. It seemed that for the first half set they were not really wanting to be there, and infact I heard from one of the record people that apparently they were saying just before they walked on stage that they wanted to go home then and there. This feeling seemed to vanish about half way through when it seemed that the heart thing entered into it. This definately continued through to their second gig in Sydney. After getting totally involved in the mosh at their performance at Equinox, Macquarie University and surfing out of there, it was definately time to sit on the edge of the mosh pit, and close your eyes in order to completely captivate the moment. This time the sound was even better, being an indoor event. After the initial energy rush, we settled to listen to an awesome trance by the drums leading into Sober. From here every note and every beat was just an extension of perfection, leaving you with an internal energy that could run you a marathon, or enable you to find your car in huge Moore Park! Maynard words were an inspiration for people to accept that it is OK to feel angry but that destruction is not the way to displace this negative energy. He also made it clear that it is just as OK to feel good about something, and that compassion is definately something to strive for. It was great to see them again, a band that doesn't need to keep asking its audience if we are having a fucking good time, it goes without asking, no bullshit, just a few naturally flowing ideas thrown in to re-establish that connection, and a continuous stream of live TOOL and all the colours involved with a great live performance.
Review written by: Peter Mccourt (mccourt@synflux.com.au) Review posted on: 04/15/97 01:44:51 My 4th and final time seeing Tool on this tour was a few nights ago. Another great performance but the crowd didn't seem into it as much as the other show i went to but they were still a good crowd. the setlist was as follows:- 1. third eye 2. stinkfist 3. 46 & 2 4. Prison Sex 5. Eulogy 6. H 7. Pushit 8. Sober (with Jam bit) 9. Opiate 10. Aenema Shihad opened but I missed them, the Yung played (pronounced Young I think - i lied in a previous review). It was good to hear Pushit and especially H. The video screen was working which was the first time i've seen it and also heard the Jam before Sober with Adam using his Epilady to get wacky effects. The video fits in great with the songs and I found myself watching that instead of the band some of the time. Maynard gave us a different story about Aenema where some guy who was present on the night (one of their crew???) had these fillings on his front 2 teeth and a plate thing to support it and then the plate got loose and picked up radio signals about an apocalypse. Overall Tool are superb live and Maynards voice is amazing, my only complaints are that the setlist was basically the same every night with a few changes and not much off Undertow and Opiate is played. I've only heard Opiate, Sober, prison sex and Crawl away. I would really have loved to hear Intolerance and Swamp Song live but it wasn't to be.
Review written by: John Higham (highamj@cim.alcatel.com.au) Review posted on: 04/13/97 19:05:32 Hordern Pavillion, Sydney Australia 11/4/97 A NZ band were up first, Shihad, they played to a smallish crowd that couldn't really get into it. They went off and the lights went down again for an 'unknown' band to come on. From reading other reviews I guess this was Yung. Never heard anything of them before. They weren't too bad. the singer was all over the stage dominating the rest of the band. But the night truly belonged to TOOL. The intro was great and kept us in suspense of what song was to follow and not until a few minutes in did I realise it was THIRD EYE. That seemed to go on for ages but it was the calm before the storm. When STINKFIST kicked in the pit covered almost the whole floor of the Hordern. From up the back seats where I was it looked liked the ocean. MJK was totally blue, but he had coloured dots and stripes which showed in different coloured lights. He moved as if trying to avoid falling down a whole in the middle of the stage, entertaining the crowd the whole duration of the show. Justin was brown I think and MJK introduced him as the new bass player who comes from Redfern........Ohio. Those who know about that will understand. 46 & 2, Prison Sex, Eulogy, Pushit were all there. Drawing mainly on songs off Aenima, I can't remember all the songs that were played but they gave a good full set. Before H MJK cleared up few misconceptions about the band . that they were violent and aggressive, he explained that this was a misinterpretation of energy that they transmitted and infact it was emotion and thought and even hatred that was in the energy. All positive energies. They did the jam thing before Sober and it looked as if MJK was offering himself to aliens above. Justin and Adam on his sides preparing for the arrival. MJK went and sat in front of the mic and curled up, himself looking like an alien because of his spots and stripes. When Sober started he rose from his slumber and belted out the lyrics perfectly. They introduced Opiate as the 'last song........... off the first album'. After that they grouped on the side and 'discussed' what they would play. " OK we'll play one more". He then told us how this song originated, "this song was inspired by (Joe Blow) who is here with us tonite. He had a cavity in his tooth years ago and had a gold filling put in it. Just last year he had another hole and again it was filled with gold. because he had bad crooked teeth he wore a retainer, and those around him could hear strange noises, and he felt a sensation inside his mouth. It was discovered that we was recieving radion signals from all the metal in his mouth. No Shit!! This is true. Scientists revealed he was getting signals from outer space and on further investigation decided that he was actually recieving signals from the tail of a meteor which told of an apocalypse. That is a true story. this song is called Aenima" They ripped through that, MJK spitting the lyrics in total hatred and then they were gone. Itchy and Scrathy and the Simpson's themes entertained us as we reflected on what we had just experineced. TOTAL MUSIC PERFECTION. Bye tool, comeback soon, ya hear !!!