Set at Roxy followed Friday night appearance at 'Almost Acoustic Christmas' festival at Shrine.
Hole played a surprise doubleheader here over the weekend, including a rare club gig that gave
about 500 lucky fans a chance to experience outrageous frontwoman Courtney Love up close and
personal. Teri vanHorn
After joining thrashers Korn, punk-rockers Offspring and other bands at the Shrine Auditorium
for the first night of KROQ-FM's two-night, "Almost Acoustic Christmas" festival Friday, the
punk-pop band moved to the Roxy Theatre on the Sunset Strip for an unannounced, after-hours
set the following morning.
"It was the best time we've had in, like, 10 years," guitarist Eric Erlandson said after the
latter show.
Fans tipped off to the unplanned performance paid less than $10 for a ticket and began packing
the Roxy shortly after midnight. Many had learned about the club show when Love made the
announcement during the Shrine performance. The club holds about 500 people; the Shrine, in
comparison, seats 6,000.
"It was super cool. I got to see Hole twice in one night," Angela Doyle, 18, who caught both
gigs, said. "This one was better, though. Courtney was a lot more open and closer -- she was
kind-of snotty at the Shrine -- and here they played better songs and more songs."
If it were up to Hole's frontwoman, more people would have had the chance to enjoy the rare
club gig.
About mid-set, the club's side door swung open, revealing about a dozen fans stuck outside.
Love urged them to gate-crash the show. "Chaos is good," she said, jumping up and down. But
the club's security force had the door slammed shut within seconds.
Hole took the stage just after 1:30 a.m., and began with "Pretty On the Inside", the
enraged-punk title track to their 1991 debut album. Then they played a roughed-up version of
"Heaven Tonight," a love song from their latest release, Celebrity Skin.
In case anyone missed the point in juxtaposing the songs, Love told the audience: "See,
there's no difference between those two songs. That was a lesson."
Love wore a low-cut, long, black leather dress, glitter on her face and shiny decorations in
her blond locks for the two-hour performance. And despite a more intimate atmosphere, her
dynamic take-charge and often contradictory nature was in full bloom, whether she was scolding
an unruly fan or blaming Erlandson for a musical mistake she actually made.
Only after thoroughly chewing him out did she admit that the fault was her own.
Actor Edward Norton, with whom Love has been romantically linked, accompanied the band on
guitar for three tunes. Earlier, at the Shrine, he joined Hole for an acoustic version of the
single "Malibu."
"Like we need another boy on this stage," Love said as she watched Norton, in a black T-shirt
and black pants, take his position behind her at the Roxy. Love told the crowd he had won a
contest to play with Hole.
Norton played "Malibu" again at the club, and remained onstage for the B-side, "Beautiful
Son", and the new album's "Boys on the Radio."
"It seemed like he really could play," Janese Nelson, 20, said. "He's an awesome actor, but
maybe he should quit acting and join Hole."
Love ended the show by tossing her guitar into the crowd -- a new habit that seems to have
replaced her ritual of plunging herself into the crowd. But as fans fought over the
instrument, Erlandson and some stagehands retrieved it.
Then they picked a female fan and, swapping the original guitar for a pink one with the word
"Dork" written on it, presented her with the prize.
"I had to throw beer on a guy to get it back," Erlandson said. "But Courtney likes a girl to
get the guitar."
VH1.com, December 14, 1998