When I Wake Up, In My Make Up

I was woken up rudely this morning by the alarm clock at 7am. Stumbled out the bed, over last nights pile of clothes and into the bathroom. Shit. I look like Alice Cooper with a happy slash smile. I begin picking out clumps of glitter and mascara from my eyes before I even attempt to crawl into the shower.

We arrived at the Hole gig last night bang on time. Late enough to miss the queue and shitty support bands, but time enough to grab a cider and black and a good spot to actually see the band and the back of someone’s head.

“SLUT-KISS-GIRLS WON’T YOU PROMISE HER SMACK”

What an entrance. Courtney dressed in a beautiful shimmering dress, slouchy black cardigan and black patent flats. Grabs the mic and hollers out the first verse of Pretty On The Inside. It slowly descends into a sort of medley as we hear Sympathy for the Devil and then something else maybe? Can’t quite remember, I was teetering on the edge at this point – it could go one way or the other…

Decided to hold my ground (and my pint) and stick to the vantage point from the back of the crowd. Then I needed to pee. The ‘ladies’ in the Academy are right at the front, stage right. I knew there was no retreating back to a ‘sensible viewing spot’ after I was that close my gal. With a quick ‘right, I’m off – meet you at the t-shirt stand afterwards’ and a hop, skip and a jump, I sharpened my elbows and thrashed my way forward.

Actually, the crowd were incredibly sweet. A few ‘excuse me’ here and there and I was in the bog merrily singing along with 5 or 6 other lassies to Samantha.

Out I pop and only about 15 feet from Courtney’s feet. Ya dancer! The band rips into Asking For It and my night’s finally begun. This was a good hour into the gig and I assumed I was about to witness the last track. How wrong was I?? Courtney let us know she planned to out-do the Boss and play a 3 hour set. She almost made it. Two and half hours she lasted. Poor sods that have Brixton tickets. I hope her voice holds out…

Here is what I remember of the setlist – in no particular order:

Pretty on the Inside/Sympathy for the Devil
Nobody's Daughter
Malibu
Celebrity Skin
Stevie Nicks cover??
Happy Ending Story
Dying
Samantha
Skinny Little Bitch
How Dirty Girls Get Clean Boys on the Radio (pretty much sung by the crowd)
Awful
Reasons to Be Beautiful
Violet
Miss World
Doll Parts
Asking for It
A Garbage cover?
Letter to God
Northern Star (with the help of 3 pretty minging weegie fans that she hauled onstage to help)
Never Go Hungry (last song, Courtney playing acoustic until her arm went dead and she needed Micko to step in)

Apparently they played everything off Nobody’s Daughter except "Loser Dust" and "For Once in Your Life". I don’t know the album well enough yet to comment.

Would have liked Teenage Whore, but the rest of the ‘band’ were probably still in nappies when it was released, so no chance of that. They were still learning the back catalogue, apparently.

I had the time of my life. Can’t believe I’ve actually seen Courtney Love play live. Never thought it would happen. But it was NOT a Hole gig and that was a little disappointing.



For your viewing pleasure.