Friday, June 26th 2009
Shows: Spinnerette
Eat Your Fucking Heart Out, Courtney Love
You may have heard that Courtney Love is trying to drum up interest in her new album, which likely arose by means of the same kind of starfucking, pill-popping sensationalistic madness the rest of her work came from. Generally, the wives of rock gods have a tendency to get a bad rap from the gate – and history shows that there’s good reason for it. But every so often, one of them is able to walk the line, steer clear of her man’s legacy and carve out her own niche. Courtney Love, meet Brody Dalle – everything you wish you could be.
Let’s get this out of the way: for those under the rocks, Brody is the wife of Josh Homme, Indian chief on the phenomenal reservation known as Queens Of The Stone Age. We’ve said plenty about the man, and are bound to say more soon.
Brody’s risen from the rubble of her previous band, the punkilicious Distillers, and brought together a formidable batch of players for her new outfit, Spinnerette: the excellent Alain Johannes (Eleven, Queens Of The Stone Age), drummer Jack Irons (Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Eleven) and guitarist Tony Bevilaqua – the only remaining member from the Distillers besides Brody.
Celebrating the release of their eponymous debut earlier this month, Spinnerette descended on the Troubadour in Los Angeles on Wednesday with an arsenal of new songs and an adoring audience at their feet. Beginning with Valium Knights and Bury My Heart, two tracks that didn’t make the cut for their debut (they can be found on the Ghetto Love EP), the energy level at the Troubadour angled sharply skyward and never turned back. All Babes Are Wolves followed, which along with Bury My Cock, Distorting A Colon and Driving Schlong was changed on the setlist to All Babes Are Whores.
There was an unusual air of brooding to Brody throughout the set. Was she pissed? Sick? It was hard to tell, but the music didn’t suffer one bit. Mysteries were solved after the second or third song, when Mrs. Homme confessed that she had a “fucked up case of laryngitis.”
Now, I’ve seen Courtney Love at her best and her strung-out sloppiest, at both times putting nothing of herself into songs that she’s raked in millions from. She played with the careless abandon of someone who didn’t even write the songs she was there to play… and perhaps there’s something to be said for that, maybe on a rainy day sometime.
That being said, Brody hardly let on for a second that she was sick as a dog. Sex Bomb was a house-shaking crowd favorite, and she stalked the stage in stiletto boots like the rock queen that she is, alternating between playing rhythm guitar and double-fisting the mic. As with the eight-and-a-half minute A Prescription For Mankind, it was made most clear that Spinnerette is representative of not only Brody’s evolution as an artist and ability to bring the best out of some of the finest in the game, but also of the notion that a woman (or man) isn’t resigned to a life of legacy-ruining hanger-on status just because she’s married to a rock icon.
Spinnerette
June 24, 2009
West Hollywood, CA
Setlist:
Valium Knights
Bury My Heart
All Babes Are Wolves
Geeking
Cupid
Baptized By Fire
A Spectral Suspension
Distorting A Code
Sex Bomb
Driving Song
Borderline
Rebellious Palpitations
Impaler
A Prescription For Mankind
Ghetto Love
Fuck. Yes. I’m surprised they didn’t play Ghetto Love Juice or Sex Bum:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/katealvarez/3639275115/
@Fernando…Sex Bomb. Two shows in the whole US of A and I miss this. You have no idea how fucking pathetic I am for that. Anyhoo, the beauty of it is that there’s some formidable talent comprising this Spinnerette thing and I really want to see where it goes. The streets of LA are littered with wannabees whether or not they’re anyone’s Mrs. The fact that this dame is balls to the wall, with brains to boot, an embarrassment of riches in a band and a voice that’s the sexy side of sinister- I yearn for more flesh and blood rock like that. Even better if it’s competent and fronted by luscious estrogen. I’m down with that. Thanks for the coverage, J.
click fernando’s link ;)
I did earlier…great shots! But hey, no spell check when we make a setlist and Ghetto Love Juice is probably a Limp Bizkit-esque rap version. Troubadour just wasn’t ready for all that:-).
oh i thought you were correcting him. carry on. :P
by the way, i feel the need to plug my review of coral fang while we’re on the subject of how awesome brody is.
You should also plug THIS! http://twitter.com/Spinnerette/status/2352047132
Well you just did, so I don’t have to, but still…. so cool. Also made sure to mention your review, sir.
Haha, looks like Fernando already did my plugging for me. Thanks, mang.
Front page of Spinnerette.com. BAD. ASS.
The Spinnerette twitter removed the initial RT (the one that mentioned Courtney Love) and wrote this one: http://twitter.com/Spinnerette/status/2354576621
Man, Antiquiet sure has a hard-on for Brody.
Or a hard-on for quality rock, with a heart-on for chicks who can do it just as well as any of the guys. Whatever you’re calling it, we’re proud to have it.
Who doesn’t have a hard on for Brody? I will end them.
Kate – your pictures rock. Just blew a half hour clickin’ through. My jaw hurts.
Aw, thank you! Glad you enjoy.
I actually thought that “America’s Sweetheart” was a hell of a good record. However, I have not seen Love live in any capacity so I can’t make any comparison there. However, I am not sure why you need to bash her to prove the point of how great Brody/Spinnerette are. Both being women who are married to famous musicians from other bands is not a good enough reason to tie them together.
Much like Courtney, Brody’s best days are in the past. Coral Fang KILLS any of this Spinnerette silliness.
You know what really yanks my chain?
How come no one ever calls Josh Homme Mr Brody Dalle, etc?
Or opens a review of his performances by talking about his wife?!!!
SEXISM.
Perhaps a review of a band should focus on the BAND.
Bah!!!!!
This article was quite… terrible, to be completely honest. There is so much wrong with this article that I don’t even care to address it all.
I don’t understand how this can even be classified as a review. This article seemed more focused on speaking ill of Courtney Love than it did on reviewing how great Brody is. Furthermore, I do not see how the positive review of one artist involves trashing another artist who is completely unrelated.
So they both had rockstar husbands. Who cares? They are both talented musicians with or without their husbands.
Thanks for reading!
I won’t knock anyone’s viewpoint but I will say that comparison and contrast are valid methods of critiquing…especially if the observations are pointed and dead on. Sexism? No. Reality. Perspective. Kin of a major star are always subject to unique scrutiny when they try to go their own way (hey, I just went all Fleetwood Mac on you!). No one cried “sexism” when little Janet Jackson was busting her ass to become more than “Michael’s little sister”. Sure she had talent but also something to prove as does Brody because talent is a dime a dozen and millions have it.
sexism? please, ellie. homme is just a bigger star. noone complained that k-fed had to be mr. britney spears. no need to call code pink on us. and yeah, what dharma said.
listen up: brody, tony, jack, and alain were fantastic. but there was one other guitarist responsible for fucking up the first three and several other songs that totally ruined this show for me. who is this guy, and who forgot to tell him not to quit his starbucks day job?
i’ve been a fan of brody’s since i first saw the distillers play the troubadour in 2000. she is wildly electric and ferocious and an all around stellar musician. i had really high expectations of this show and i was bummed that they let some pee wee jerk the songs around.
and the josh homme reference is totally sexist. brody could do way better than that schmuck.
courtney and brody are both GREAT ARTISTS
sadly courtney is not in her best days…
whats the point of this review???
whats the point of thinking who theyre married with.. thats their shit…
<3 ROCK GODDES
I have never really understood the comparison with Brody and Courtney, they are just VERY different muscians to me, that being said this article IS laying down the “brody love” (ooh I like that) just a wee bit thick, it is impressive that she played well through her sickness but this I’m sorry to say, sounds kinda like a fluff peice and that sucks to say, I know that’s not how you meant it to come across cause it sounds like you really enjoyed yourself but I mean, there is not one mention (on this site or anyone else) on how it’s kinda effed up she is just mainly touring Europe. WHAT THE FUX UP WITH THAT? I mean did I miss something, am I the only person that feels that way? but ok it’s a review but it’s like waving a bone in my face cause I know they aint coming to my shit hole town, wait* not even the same country really and also the Courtney Love comparison weakens it as well cause you could have replaced the Courtney reference with any “drugged up starlet (whore) muscians (leeching on her husband-theirs plenty of them too) who shits it live”, i’m not a big courtney fan either but to bash her to make someone else look “cooler” seeems…fluffy…and I can even admit that at her prime, she was awesome, now she is not, and at the moment Brody seems to be in hers so it’s kinda not fair to compare the two, especially since courtney hasn’t been relevant/a fuckin’ mess for years but like I said I have never really gotten the comparison of these two females especially musically so for me, comparison not necessary since I know/ we all know Brody tromps Courtney; now you have to punch yourself in the face for everytime I used fluff, sorry that really did suck to write but felt necessary and speed is a very powerful drug j/k SPEED IS BAD, Sounds like an awesome show though~~
I think that comment was all one sentence.
I think what I was trying to say, was: if the situation was reversed, and Spinnerette were bigger than QOTSA, I doubt queens reviews would start off by calling Josh Homme Mr. Brody Dalle. I think they would, in fact, be more likely to be reviewed in their own right, rather than be instantly compared to their spouses band before they’ve even finished their set.
well then the sexism only exists in your mind until we see otherwise. we write reviews, and i could very easily see us opening one by introducing josh homme as the husband of brody dalle, if the tables were turned and she was the more well known partner. it’s common for us to provide points of reference when a lesser known act we dig is connected, even obscurely, to one we figure our audience might know. hopefully someday there’ll be an opportunity for us to prove we play that game fairly- as fairly as we play everything else around here.
Hey, I’m sorry Kate* I forgot bloggers really dont read anything that’s over 7-10 lines without losing their wits, I’ll try to remember to condense my thoughts next time just for you. Jeez, anyways sorry for the rant, it was kinda late(and I don’t think this article implied sexism at all, that’s just silly) all in all it’s a nice piece* those were just my thoughts on it…
Shut up and get my clothes.
Lol I was just kidding relax* and I’m getting them damn it but I’m going to do you a favor and wash them first, okay okay low blow I’m done, later Kate :)
I think the comparison is valid. And I, for one, don’t think there is nearly enough Courtney bashing. I think we should all take any and every opportunity to trash her. All the way back to the fucking rock she crawled out from under. I witnessed her singlehandedly suck every ounce of energy from the Arrowhead Pond when she opened for Manson. It was not a pretty sight. She is a detriment to Rock music, a danger to small children and animals, and more than likely the future downfall of all society.
Brody Dalle is the AntiCourtney. She is everything rock fans wanted from Courtney but Courtney didn’t care enough about to give it to ‘em, and that can be summed up in one word: integrity. Unlike Courtney, it doesn’t matter who Brody is married to. She can rock on her own. She delivers the goods. Fuck Courtney Love for (directly or indirectly) killing Kurt, and Fuck Courtney Love for attempting to destroy Rock n Roll. Long Live the new Queen.
[...] an album was three years ago, with Spinnerette. While that musical project came along with some great shows and one of Antiquiet’s coolest interviews, no new music was heard from it [...]