On the Road to Spiritual Glam-Rock

[Shroomy]

POP REVIEW
On the Road to Spiritual Glam-Rock
By NEIL STRAUSS
Published: July 15, 1996

It was clear that Porno for Pyros was finally finding a direction when they performed the first of two sold-out shows on Thursday night at Irving Plaza. Before forming the group four years ago, Perry Farrell had built up a large fan base as the leader of the alternative-rock stalwarts Jane's Addiction and a founder of the Lollapalooza traveling festival. But Porno for Pyros' self-titled debut recording was feeble, with Mr. Farrell's high-pitched voice wailing over the most generic of rock backdrops. On its new album, "Good God's Urge" (Warner Brothers) the music gets atmospheric, experimental and interesting. In concert it became clear that the band was pioneering a stylistic mish-mash all its own: spiritual glam-rock.

Mr. Farrell emerged onstage drinking a bottle of wine, dressed in a lei, Mardi Gras beads, peacock feathers and various talismans, and made up with eyeliner and a red mark of consecration on his forehead. He was a mixture of retro hippie, New Age guru and Jimmy Buffett tourist. In his lyrics and speeches, he talked of spirituality, female energy, tropical islands and the environment as the music merged ambient dance music with 70's rock. The former bassist for the punk band the Minutemen, Mike Watt, dressed as a Druid, added a slowly shifting bottom end to a music made up of atmospheric sounds, scraped guitar strings and riffs, Bjork-like backing vocals and, occasionally, Mr. Farrell's harmonica blasting.

After performing a song about the artist Kimberly Austin, Mr. Farrell tried to change the way the audience related to his music. He brought a boisterous slam-dancer onstage and demanded, "What are you going to do with your rage?" before instructing him to turn it into love. At that moment it became clear that Mr. Farrell is not just a recovering drug addict (his prior dances with cocaine and heroin are well known), he's also a recovering alternative-rocker, because in a decade when self-absorption and melancholy dominate the music, it is rare to hear someone use that particular four-letter word without sarcasm.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.h ... A960958260

[Jasper]

"the most generic of rock backdrops"???

Huh? I hope Neil Strauss is thinking a little clearer now that he's getting some pussy. Otherwise the article is fine.

[bman]

I was at both of those shows and met Perry after show 1!! funny story actually..I bought a VIP pass off the singer from Cornershop! Went upstairs and mingled my way into P4P's dressing room! Perryz Bro was there and someone else..It was clear that I didn't belong and slowely made my exit! But afterwards I went to the after party at the bar next door and met the band! Chatted with Perry briefly..he was at a table with David Byrne and Sean lennon!