skinnypuppy.eu - video samples from movies & official bootleg database

10/30/09; Ponoma CA:

Review by Brian (b.williamsmith@gmail.com):
With a seemingly abbreviated look at what i promise will ultimately stand rival to the band's highly intense and legendary Too Dark Park tour for some of you, Skinny Puppy launched it's 2009 tour, dubbed: In-Solvent-See, in a Halloween Eve performance at the Glass House in Pomona on Friday night.when my date (who wasn't my wife) and i arrived, the old schooler in me came out and i began to eyeball the scene for any of the familiars, be it old friends or acquaintances or whatever, yet i saw nary an even recognizable face. for years prior to the band's relocation to the Los Angeles area, i had long thought about the idea that they should do an annual Halloween show in L.A. in order to offer an alternative attraction to the yearly non-fat spook of Oingo Boingo at Irvine Meadows (or whatever the kids are calling it these days). so with this dream finally appearing to come to fruition for (at least) the first time, you could probably imagine my surprise and slight disappointment that not only did i not see what i always thought would be the perfect marriage of multiple excesses given the particulars in alignment and the level of promising non-limitations (though there WAS some dude dressed as a Roman), but the venue - probably the smallest space they have played since the Cleanse, Fold and Manipulate era, was WELL less than full. now don't get me wrong, there were "Elviras" o' plenty, quietly shadowdancing in their own respective spaces and there were a number of people in attendance altogether. but put it this way, i saw Bauhaus' tune-up for Coachella in the same building a few years ago, and let's just say that if a fire broke out that night, NONE of us would have survived. the opening acts were, well, opening acts. in order to avoid ruffling any feathers, i will abstain from giving any opinion (i say this because i know that the second act has a connection to the Subconscious family) other than my buddy and i spent a considerable portion of the time next door. suffice it to say, having to endure the trifling garbage She Wants Revenge offered me last week in support of Echo & The Bunnymen, i've had it up to here with the likes of those people. unfair maybe, but i HAVE been known to like an opener or two... from time to time. the dogs then enter. the set was a back and forth-ing throughout its history save for Mind: TPI. when the opening bars of Love In Vein, sees Ogre taking the stage looking like a cross between the warped skeleton of a tattered Stormtrooper and an incredibly exaggerated Whirling Dervish-esque mummy, i knew this night was going to be different... better than their last few outings. i always love seeing the Pup, but i felt that everything beginning with the Greater Wrong of the Right tour was all prologue to this. i don't know what Justin Bennett's station with the band is, but i personally felt a little like they had found their "3rd" after the last tour, and now i know they have. it isn't Dwayne, and i'm sure they'll all probably say something to that effect, but nobody ever will be. somehow though, with Justin, it just "feels" right. it's really tough to explain even for my long-winded ass, but those of you who may agree probably understand what i mean... i hope the band does too. the guy is just terminal, and the interplay of nuance between he and cEvin is beyond sight. the highlight of the night for me was the dastardly version of Addiction. i don't think it was the best of the set, nor did it receive the loudest reaction (people seemed to get TFWO'd over Pedafly), but i hadn't been that blown away by the unexpected since they busted Second Tooth during the Last Rights tour. personally, i thought the strongest notes on the night were Deadlines, Tormentor, Ugli and Assimilate, with a nod to another unexpected treat when they dusted off Morpheus Laughing for this tour. that one though was a tad bittersweet because it reminded me of my dumb ass opting out on the middle night of the last tour and missing what i was told was a raucous rendition of Convulsion. other noteworthy things for me on a personal level were the fact that i had been DONE with Tin Omen in their set for quite a while, so it was a real treat to not have to hear it this time, and the fact that Pro-Test was the only track played from an album that i consider even less focused than The Process, made me happy as well... oh yeah, i don't own any vault shit, nor had i ever heard Hatekill before. i thought it was a new song that sounded like it was a harken back to the Process, but after a post by one fan on the Skinny Puppy message board on Litany, i learned something... great tune! i wouldn't be me without a node of criticism, so as good as it was, i thought Rodent was the sore thumb, and in its stead i'd rather they played something a little more powerful like Shore Lined Poison or something odd and ooky (and unexpected) like Shadowcast... or perhaps even a somewhat ridiculous version of Tear Or Beat going into Tormentor. i ain't complaining though. considering the thing that sets each show apart and makes every night a bit unique, the lack of any real significant brapage was a let down as well... but again, i ain't complaining. Ogre was Ogre and the visuals were fucktastic, and again, the nuanced interplay between Justin and cEvin brought enormous presence and added so much depth... even for a small venue with notoriously mediocre sound.as a side note, at some point early on i decided to head to the back of the venue near the lemonade stand (as the locals know, the Glass House doesn't offer up the potion) to get a better overall view of the weird and i noticed either Tim or Hiwatt practically on-stage to Ogre's right. i immediately wondered if the same fate would befall someone like Daniel Bresanutti were Front 242 to play there... it made me laugh. so to those wary old souls, i highly recommend digging through your old dusty boxes in the garage (which you have no doubt placed well under all your collected baby shit) for those fishnets, reconnect with from whence you came, and catch the dogs on this tour that clearly promises a new divine tomorrow!

New Orleans 2009:

Below is a review of the New Orleans show from Dom Price:

I'd like to contribute a concert review for the 2009 In Solvent See tour. This was at the House of Blues in New Orleans. I hope it finds it's way to your page.

Here it goes!
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Set List:
1. Love In Vein
2. Hatekill
3. Addiction
4. Dogshit
5. Deadlines
6. Politikil
7. Pedafly
8. Rodent
9. Tormentor
10. Pro-Test
11. Morpheus Laughing
12. Ugli
13. Assimilate

encore
14. Worlock
15. Improv
16. Far Too Frail

We got to the House of Blues at about 7:30 just when the line was starting to form. By the time the doors finally opened, it was wrapped down Decatur street. The opening act, VVerevvolf Grehv (pronounced werewolf grave) was in my opinion, some of the most god awful shit I have ever heard. Some metal heads near the stage got into it, but the act seemed to annoy the rest of the people there, including the staff. It was basically an hour of a guy shredding on a guitar to an annoyingly randomized drum sequence blasting out from his laptop over the P.A, accompanyed by an occasional scream. Half the people cleared out to smoke during his set, I took the opportunity to get drinks and go to the bathroom. I suggest you do the same should he ever open for Puppy again.

When the lights finally dimmed for Puppy, the crowd went batshit. The smell of pot was heavy in the air by the time the band finally took the stage. We were about three rows back from the left side of the stage. The setup for this show was similar to that of MythRUs, with some major differences. cEVIN Key's equipment was in it's usual spot off to the right and raised up on a platform a good 5 feet off the stage. Above him were stretched sheets for the projectors. To the left of him was Justin's drumset with a large screen directly behind him. On the left side of the stage was a large plexiglass cage/box accented by grates and covered in what looked like shrink wrap and white tarps, which covered the glass portion of the box. Above it was a Panel TV and video camera on top of a large pole which Ogre would shake later in the performance.

The band began with it's usual symphony of noise as Ogre entered from stage left dressed in what looked like a vinyl straight jacket, white dunce cap, spook mask and long black beard. His costume looked a lot like that of a Klansman. As lurched toward the front of the stage on a walker, the band began to perform "Love In Vein", followed by "Hatekill", during which he would occasionally "threaten" the crowd with his walker and canes. He cast off his walker and crutches by the time the band began to play "Addiction" and began to stumble about the stage in his usual haggard manner. Convulsing and dancing around like a puppet on a string and occasionally "peeking" inside of his plexiglass box.

During "Dogshit", Ogre replaced his beard and klan-hat with what looked like a white jack-o-lantern face mask. The rest of his head was made up like a horribly disfigured burn victim. When the song started he crawled inside of his plexiglass box and the various screens around him began to project a distorted and warped top down view of him from inside the box. When the the performance of "Dead Lines" started the crowd went ballistic. Ogre would occasionally swat at the camera from inside the box and shake the pole the camera and adjacent TV.

The next two songs, "Politikil", and "Pedafly" were rudely interrupted for me by a jackass pushing people around and shoving people to the floor, so I missed a lot of what was going on. Finally the jackass left and I could resume enjoying the show. When the band began to perform "Rodent", the tarp was completely gone, exposing the plexiglass box which exploded in a bloody mess, some of which got on me!

During "Tormentor" and "Protest", Ogre emerged from his plexiglass box, and began to stumble around the stage again, occasionally peeling off just a peak of his disfigured face from behind the halloween mask as he eyed the crowd.

"Morpheus Laughing" was also a crowd favorite, and one of my favorite tracks. When "Ugli" started, Ogre completely removed the halloween mask revealing yet another covering. You could catch a glimpse of his eyes beaming out from behind a thin black featureless mask. During the song images of Religion and War flashed around on the screens scattered around the stage. After this song finished Ogre disappeared behind the stage for a moment.

When Ogre re-emerged he was once again donning his klansman hat which was rigged with a small smoke machine, which shot smoke out from the tip of the hat. At this point the band went right into "Assimilate"; which the crowd went absolutely crazy for, resulting in a mosh pit. Images of American flags and Illuminati symbolism adored the screens as the band barreled through the song, afterwhich cEVIN and Justin faded out and Ogre stumbled back into the darkness backstage.

At this point the crowd began to stomp and demand an encore, which the band finally abliged after a few minutes. For "Worlock", and "Far Too Frail" Ogre was completely unmasked and very much casual with the crowd.

The After Party was at a bar called "Rubyfruit Jungle", down the way from the House of Blues. My bandmate (who went with me) and I got to chat it up with cEVIN and Ogre. cEVIN, who was obviously wasted by the time I got there, talked with me about synths and his influences. Ogre and I talked about performances, and I showed him a few pictures from some shows we've played. He gave my bandmate and I encouragement with our Industrial project and even went went as far as showing off our band's performance pictures to others at the party; and saying that I reminded him of a younger version of himself. I was very much humbled. Definitely a memorable night, and well worth the headache of driving through New Orleans' horrible traffic.
-Mod
Pensacola FL