Courtney, Cure Complete MGD Contest Series

Miller Genuine Draft ended its 1998 Blind Date Contest series by filling the London Forum with British lager louts, drunken American fratboy types and the women who love them, all of whom caught a special unannounced performance of Hole and the Cure Sun., Oct. 11. Courtney Love did her best to rouse the Brits in the crowd, much to the amusement of bandmates Eric Erlandson, Melissa Auf Der Maur and new drummer Samantha Maloney. Robert Smith led the Cure through a langthy set of newer psychedelic-sounding material and old favourites. Also in attendance (but not performing) was Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale, who was overcome by radio-station vermin asking if he knew who was playing prior to the announcement (he was there to visit his buddy Courtney). But according to A.P. photographer Joshua Kessler, the American contest winners were the best entertainers. "There was one drunk guy on the plane who was running around with a loaf of French bread he was asking everyone to sign," Kessler says. "So the passengers nicknamed him Loaf." Later at the Forum, Loaf was spotted running around shirtless with the bottom half of a female mannequin. "There were also these two 'winners' on the plane trip to London ruminating on who the acts were going to be," says Kessler. "They were saying such intelligent stuff as 'It might be Pink Floyd; maybe Clapton.' When I reminded them that Modern Rock stations were sponsoring the contest, and that it wouldn't make sense for those people to play, they said, 'They need somebody that's gonna please all these people here, dude.'" Billy Corgan was unavailable for comment.
 
 
 

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