HYBRIDS - TOUR

 
 
  DATE/VENUE  
     

 

     
  November  
 
 
  06/11/99 - Atlanta, The Masquerade

The Masquerade, Atlanta 06/11/99 Ticket - Click Here For Bigger Scan

 
     

 

     
  05/11/99 - Towson, Recher Theatre  
   
  03/11/99 - New York, Irving Plaza  
   

 

     
  02/11/99 - Chicago, Park West  
     
  Columbia Chronicle 15/09/99  
     
 

Glamorous and fresh as ever, the Creatures seize the scene once again.

Back in the 80s, when wearing all black and being depressed was in vogue, Siouxsie and The Banshees rocked the worlds of many suicidal teens. Nearly 20 years later, Siouxsie is back in Chicago and still rocking, this time with long time Banshee bassist Budgie and a new drummer. Playing as the Creatures, this three-piece takes a fresh and slightly less gloomy take on the old Banshees' old sound.

In 1996, when Siouxsie and The Banshees decided to part ways after 20 years, other early punk bands like the Sex Pistols were busy organizing over-hyped reunion tours. In an interview with Melody Maker magazine, Siouxsie reaffirmed the band's dignity when she said, "I'm sure there's going to be lots of people with flagging careers feeling that now they can be vindicated by saying, 'We're here, we've always been here.' But the band has never hung on to being part of a movement, and certainly we've nothing to do with nostalgia."

But her adoring fans at the Park West seemed gleefully steeped in such nostalgia. The crowd appeared as a late 80s time warp, marked by dusty leather jackets and fading black concert t-shirts from long lost bands like Echo and The Bunnymen or Christian Death. Siouxsie is herself perhaps the best preserved relic of gloom's grand heyday. Back in the mid 80s, countless acts such as The Cure, The Smiths, Joy Division and The Sisters of Mercy reaped the benefits of a pre-Prozac society. These were the days when sulky, anemic-looking teenagers congregated outside the Metro, stinking of patchouli and sweat, praising the dark sounds of English rockers like Siouxsie. The aftermath of this era presented itself at the Park West on Tuesday as a band of balding, Goth-turned-Lincoln Parkers, calmly sipping six dollar cocktails in the theater's coveted reserved seating section.

When the show finally began, The Creatures set off into a block of new songs from this year's Anima Animus album. Glamorous as ever, Siouxsie strutted out in a sassy yet flattering white leather vest with faux fur collar, complete with 80s style zippers up the sides. She started the show with "All She Could Ask For," tantalizing the crowd with her sleek, snaky dance moves.

Her dark, sultry voice then broke into "Disconnected" before the band worked into "Turn It On." She pranced around dramatically, occasionally having a go at the keyboard or shaking a set of bells in time with the music. Later in the show, she took a few whacks at a drum while another song had her shaking up a tambourine until she tired of it and hurled it to the back of the stage.

And if at this point anyone still doubted that she could rock, Siouxsie seized the moment by shrugging off the white leather vest to reveal a skin-tight black and white top. The excited cheers and screams of the crowd were so intense that the start of the next song had to be delayed until everyone could calm down.

Although the band stuck mostly to the new album, they did break into a few old Banshee songs toward the end of the show. The black-clad diehards in the front row squealed with joy as Siouxsie brought them back to the 80s with "Red Light," "Night Shift," and "Red Over White."

Somehow, Siouxsie and The Creatures have maintained the integrity of their original sound without getting stale. They've also preserved credibility by avoiding the punk revival bandwagon. Even if her fans can't squeeze into their old leather jackets with as much grace and ease, Siouxsie and The Creatures remain as dynamic as ever

Martina Sheehan

 
     

 

     
  October  
 
 
  31/10/99 - San Francisco, Maritime Hall

Ticket 08/05/99 - Courtesy Of Paul Valdez - Click Here For Bigger Scan

 
   

 

     
  30/10/99 - Los Angeles, Variety Arts Center

Concert Flyer - Click Here For Bigger Scan

 
   

 

     
  29/10/99 - Santa Ana, Galaxy Theatre    
   
  27/10/99 - Seattle, Fenix Underground   
   

 

     
  September  
 
 
  04/09/99 - Tutbury Castle, Invocation (Cancelled)    
   

 

     
  August  
 
 
  07/08/99 - Brockwell Park, Summer Rights Festival 

Summer Rites - Click Here For Bigger Scan

 
   

 

     
  06/08/99 - Hamont Achel, Euro Rock Festival    
   
  04/08/99 - Nottingham, Rock City    
   

 

     
  July  
 
 
  10/07/99 - Dour, Festival    
   

 

     
  07/07/99 - London, Scala

VIP Pass  - Click Here For Bigger Scan

Scala - Click Here For Bigger Scan