Speaking as a seriously lapsed Courtney Love fan who saw Hole in a tiny punk rock dive circa 1990 and was thrilled at how primal-powerful they were, I listen to this recording from the band’s Celebrity Skin tour and note how deeply the rot had set in some 8 years later. The band sounds sludgy, and Love barely seems to muster any enthusiasm whatsoever while playing the songs; only during the between-song banter does she come alive, mock-sparring with the audience, tossing out silly faux-self-deprecating remarks, etc. Even then, though, she sounds painfully self-conscious – or maybe annoying self-aware is a better way to put it, almost as if she’s playing the part of an actress playing the part of a rock singer.
Most of the songs are drawn from Skin which, given its very lackluster vibe compared to 1994’s incendiary Live Through This, should be a tip-off in the first place. True enough, the best performances here are tunes from the latter album;“Miss World” and “Doll Parts” remain some of the better pop-grunge artifacts of the era.
Initially I thought this might be an FM broadcast but upon closer examination the ambiance is closer to a decently mixed line recording so I’ll have to call it an excellent soundboard. Packaging is nominal, although the 4-page booklet does have a few semi-cheesecake shots of ol’ Courtney. If you’re the type of person who combs through magazines on the newsstand to see if anybody has a recent Love sighting to report on, this disc’s for you. --OSWALD
