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Melissa and Patty: Post-Warped Gig

From: Soda, 1996-07-10
Date added: 2004-12-28

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July 10 Railway Club, Vancouver
Just when I thought the fun was over after the Warped show, I ran into Melissa Auf der Maur (Hole) backstage. She and Patty Schemel (also in Hole) were in town to play an unannounced gig at the Railway Club that night. Since it was first come first serve and a small venue, I headed over there right away.

I walked up the stairs to the Railway Club, and reached for the doorknob, hoping to walk right in, but to my surprise, the door was locked. I tried again, but no luck. A couple of well-dressed people stepped up beside me and rang a doorbell, right next to the handwritten "gig poster" reading "Tonight: Melissa Auf der Maur, and Patty Schelmel". I found this interesting. A man opened the door and they showed him their "membership cards" and walked in. Now what? I’m not a member. I didn’t even know where this club was up until a couple of minutes ago. I gave it a shot anyway. The man at the door asked me for my card, and with my baggy shorts, t-shirt, and backpack, I answered "Melissa invited me". Apparently these three words were as good as any old membership card that night. He invited me right in and told me to make myself comfortable.

I looked around this intimate room, with a model train steaming around the tracks above our heads, and searched for an empty seat. With the house band still playing, I spotted Melissa and went over to thank her for inviting me and to ask if I could be a bit obnoxious and take a few pictures during their set. "Sure," she answered. We made small-talk for a minute or two and I looked around the room once again for some place to sit. Just then, I ran into Ian Ross, whom I’d met a few times at shows, and who works for CBC Radio in Vancouver. We started cathing up on each other’s lives, and next thing you know, I’m sitting at his table right in front of the stage.

Melissa and Patty took to the stage and a soundtrack of talking and spacey sound effects played through their speakers. Melissa joined in on bass, and Patty on drums, and they were under way with only their second such show. About half way through their twenty minute set, one of Melissa’s strings popped, She looked out at the crowd like, "Now what?". It’s not like their was a guitar tech standing by to replace it, or even a back up bass. The whole thing was so way-off from how you would usually see them with Hole. It was nice to see them doing this semi-improvised kind of thing, because you could tell they were having a lot of fun. They would often exchange smiles while playing, like two best friends just having a good time. This was a lot different from the last time I saw them play with Hole at Lollapalooza in Vancouver. At that show, the only looks I saw being exchanged were those of frustration. Courtney Love was drunker than ever, doing her own thing onstage while the rest of the band was trying to keep it together and play a show.

I’m glad that I was among the lucky few who caught this gig at the Railway Club. Melissa and Patty, don’t take this the wrong way because I’m probably way out of line saying this, but you’d be better off without you know who.

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