If you get a chance to see Veruca Salt live, DO IT. The album has been on my stereo for so long now, and it's one of those rare albums, for me at least, where I really like every single song. And they are just as great in concert as they are on the record... the guitars are heavy and layered to create a loud backdrop for Nina and Louise, whose vocal harmonies complement each other extremely well. The crowd was mixed, which I thought was unusual: The Fillmore was packed that night, but it seemed like there was only a minimal crowd up in front that was really getting into the music... most others were listening, but not very enthusiastic. Veruca Salt played just about every song on "American Thighs", and some material I wasn't familiar with... which was great as well.
The only criticism I had was that some of the slower melodies were lost on Veruca Salt's style, which is powerful and heavily melodic. Quiet ballad-type songs, two of which I was not familiar with seemed to go against the wall of sound they've created for themselves.
Later Veronica and I headed over to the sound board to meet Mike. True to his word, we followed him through the crowd into Veruca Salt's tiny dressing room, where it was already crowded with friends and others... Nina (guitarist/vocals), Jim (Nina's brother and drummer), and Steve (bassist) stuck around for the interview; Louise (guitarist/vocals) had to leave to make a quick visit to her sister's house in Walnut Creek - they hadn't seen each other in a long time - but we managed to snap one quick shot of all of them. The rest of the pictures will show the craziness we encountered... There was a table packed with beer, scotch, and other drinks and a huge bowl of Pez, tortilla chips and some wilted cold cuts. Mike showed us over to the couch and we managed to get most of the band over into a corner. It was hard dragging Jim away from his friends, but we finally did - for a little while!
Nina: Why are they kicking everyone out (about 25 people at this point are crammed into a dressing room made for 4 or 5...)?
Mike Comstock (Veruca Salt's manager): ViVid interview...
Nina: OH - okay... Jim and Steve, comeon... they might have questions for you...
J: So, how's the tour so far? Steve: It's good!
J: How far into it are you? Nina: We're almost done... only five more shows to go?... is that right?... Steve: Yeah, something like that...
(Veronica starts to take pictures and immediately Nina snaps to attention. "Are my eyebrows okay?" She laughs) I hand them all copies of the first ViVid, and Nina and Steve start flipping through.
Nina: Hey cool! Let's see (looking back at the cover of ViVid #1)... Lush, they'd be nice about us... I've gotta get on-line more... (meaning the Internet)... Steve, will you let me know what the dangers are? Because I want to do it, but I don't want it to get all-absorbing.
Steve: But it IS all-absorbing!
J: (Trying to get a word edge-wise)...so, since you're almost finished with your tour - what has been your best or most memorable show so far?
Nina: Wait, before we answer any more (the crowd is getting to distracting)... Everyone can stay in here, but they have to be quiet, because we're trying to do this interview....
Jim: And we're going to go around the room and everyone is going to answer a question.... (laughter)...
Nina: We'll tell ghost stories, it'll be fun... (at this point, someone turns off the lights, and Steve lights up a lighter)
J: Cool, keep the lighter on.... this'll be spooky.
Nina: Yeah, keep the lighter on for a picture. (Veronica attempts to take a picture of Nina and Jim with a lighter under their faces for that "ghostly" effect) (At this point a guy is heading out the door and turns to talk to Nina. He says, "I just wanted to say 'hi, back!'" Nina says hi, and turns back to us, saying, "I have a crush on the tour manager for Hole!" Another girl says "oh, is THAT Bob Pfeiffer?" Everyone laughs.)
J: So who IS this Bob Pfeiffer?" (halfway during Veruca Salt's set, Nina announced to the crowd that if there was a drummer named Bob Pfeiffer in the crowd, she wanted to meet him after the show.)
Jim: Nina, "Bob Pfeiffer" is NOT Lars Ulrich (drummer for Metallica - rumored to be in the audience that night) Nina: Shit. (turning back to me) We were told that Metallica was going to be in the audience tonight...and I thought that his pseudonym was Bob Pfeiffer...but I don't know who Bob Pfeiffer is now... (to Steve) Why didn't you tell me?
Steve: I forgot you were going to say that!
J: So, let's get back...I wanted to hear about any shows that have been really memorable for you so far...
Nina: The WORST shows? Probably in L.A....
J: and why was it so bad?
Nina: Our sound was fucked up and we kept getting shocked... it was just plain bad.... nothing really... OH, there was the "show us your tits night"...
J: Oh, gawd...
Nina: In Texas, we put up one of those screens like they do at "Guns N' Roses" shows... we just kept telling them to show us THEIR tits instead of vice versa...
J: I understand that you have all played together as Veruca Salt for about a year?
Steve: more like a year and a half, yeah...
J: So, before that, were you in other bands?
Nina: Steve was, I wasn't, Louise wasn't REALLY, Jim was... (turning to Jim, who is trying to sneak away for the second time) Jim, come back! They have stuff to ask you still...
Jim: I'm just freshening up... (he comes over to the couch again)... why do you need me so bad?
J: Well, it would be nice to hear what you did before Veruca Salt - I understand you were in other bands?
Jim: Yeah, I was in a couple of bands here (he doesn't name them)...
(At this point more people come into the room and everyone becomes distracted... Nina asks a few more people if they are in Metallica... Steve is sitting by himself on the couch, so I turn to talk to him.)
J: Okay, Steve, I'll talk to YOU! (Nina turns back to me as well)... So, what about hooking up with Minty Fresh? Did they go to a lot of shows... how was it that you decided on them?
Steve: They were actually the first label that approached us...
J: So, how long had you been playing shows until you were given attention?
Steve: About five minutes, actually....
J: It seemed as though it happened REALLY fast - how do you feel about that?
Nina: Sometimes it's not cool, and sometimes it's ....no, it's definitely a good thing...
J: Did you ever expect it to get so wild so fast?
Nina: Well, I definitely had hopes that it would develop and be something.
Steve: We ALL wanted that...
Jim: Yeah...
J: So, the question we like to ask everyone is, do you have a dream lineup? I mean, who would open for you and would you open for anyone?
Nina: WOW! Well, I want to play with Red Kross. SO, maybe it would be my boyfriend's band, or Louise's boyfriend's band - maybe we'd have Figdish, Veruca Salt and Red Kross - that would be it....
J: That would be cool...
Steve: Throw Red Red Meat in there...
Nina: and Seam...
Steve: Seam would have to get back together....
J: So, where would you play? Anywhere special?
Nina: Jim, what's the best place we've ever played?
Jim: Uh... Kansas City.
Nina: Nonono... what about the Playmore Ballroom? In Rochester, Minnesota?
Jim: The Playmore Ballroom was cool but I think the Liquid Sky tribute club in Kansas City... (laughter)
Nina: Yeah, what about Peter Case's son? There was this club called the Rhumba Box in Kansas City, and...
Jim: It's probably burned down since then...
Nina: No, it was closed down because of asbestos! And there were those nitrous things ALL over the floor... Who in this room has ever done Whip-its? (laughter) ... and the guys were all such posers, and this guy who was Peter Case's son really wanted us to know who his father was, but he couldn't just come out with it... anyway...
Jim: Who was Peter Case with anyway?
Steve: I don't know, the Plimsouls... (laughter)
J: So, have you played with Hole the whole tour?
Nina & Steve: Yeah...
Nina: It's been really good... so far there've been really great audiences, tonight seemed dead though...
J: Yeah, I thought you'd have a lot more response! We though you guys were great...
Nina: Oh, thank you!
Steve: I mean, there was crowd surfing at every other show we played...
Jim: I think here they have rules against that now... I think I saw a sign about it in front.
J: That's new...
Nina: Really?
J: Well, I seem to remember about 2 months ago, and there was plenty of it going on then! But, I have to tell you guys that I just went on a road trip with my band mate Debra, and about all we played was "American Thighs"! (laughter)
Nina: Hey, that's great!
J: Well, you know driving through those deserts, and there's really nothing else to do but sing at the top of your lungs!
Nina: Oh, that's cool! (laughter from Steve)
J: Well, I'm gonna cut it short, because it's hard, I know, after the show and all...
Nina: You know, I'm sorry about all the trouble....
But it really wasn't any trouble! I left wishing we could have had more time to talk, but we had fun.... Veronica and I headed out to catch Hole, who was just starting. What a show. Courtney Love came out (passing us in the hallway) dressed in a short black velvet with white trim and high black shoes, rhinestone earrings and before singing "Miss World" threw a naked baby doll (there were baby dolls sitting on top of two of the amps) into the audience and put on a tiara. Her new bassist, Melissa was amazing, and was given lots attention by Courtney, as well as Hole's drummer, who was announced as being the first female drummer to make the cover of Modern Drummer. Courtney had lots to say about living in San Francisco (she was born here), including the fact that she "...was born here, and (she's) glad to get the fuck out." All I have to say is, I'd give anything to see that show over again! (Juliette)