FAMILY VALUES - TOUR '98

I saw this concert back in 1998. I don't remember Incubus playing, but I remember all the other acts. I went to the show because Rammstein was playing and I was a huge Rammstein fanatic. I couldn't wait to see them again.

From what I remember, it was an extremely enjoyable program for a festival type show. The fist group I remember playing was Orgy. I had the single for 'Blue Monday' but I didn't yet own the actual album. They were new and I liked what they were doing and became really excited after seeing them live. They inspired me to actually fork out the $15. and buy 'Candyass'. Looking back, I think I wouldn't have gone to such an extreme knowing what I know now. I remember the Limp Bizkit set and I really enjoyed their show, though I wasn't quite sure what to make of the break dancers. That was kinda odd. But I like the blend of Urban and alternative rock. It was fun!

Now Ice Cube... As much as I enjoyed his set, I don't think he was a good addition to this tour. In fact, I think it was a terrible idea. The audience was extremely restless and I heard more than one person screaming obscenities at him. It really dropped the momentum out from under the hype. You had some really great bands opening the show who warmed the crowd up. Then Ice Cube and the power in the room took a nose dive.

Fortunately, Rammstein came on and in my opinion totally upstaged Korn. They completely blew the roof off the place. It was awesome!

Now let's discuss the audio CD released to pump up ticket sales. It was nice to have a collection of performances of the show. However, I'm disappointed Rammstein only has one track on the disc. On the home video and DVD, they show two Rammstein songs. Still, at the time it was better than nothing. However, now... All these years later, Rammstein has a whole slew of live material for sale. DVDs and CDs. So this little item becomes less interesting. It is nice to have some of the other performances. There are a few things worth noting. Namely, Fred Durst from Limp Bizkit referring to the audience as "Baby" during their performance. "Do you like breakdancing, Baby?" It's funny and smart at the same time. Durst gets intimate with the audience without doing anything more than using a familiar term of endearment.

Then there's Jay Gordon of Orgy who's only comment comes at the beginning of 'Blue Monday'. He announces the song title, as if there's any doubt. With the most recognizable drum beat and melody, this little blurb is both redundant and absurd. Better by far to introduce the band's original material. The 'Intro'/'Interlude' s are more annoying than transitioning. I would strongly suggest avoiding this release unless you were a die-hard fan trying to complete a collection of one of the groups in question.

If you missed the show... You really missed out. It was an awesome experience and I will never forget how much fun I had. My final word: WORTHLESS.

FAMILY VALUES - TOUR '98
01. Intro
02. Incubus - New Skin
03. interlude #1
04. Orgy - Dissention
05. Orgy - Gender
06. Orgy - Blue Monday
07. Interlude #2
08. Limp Bizkit - Cambodia
09. Limp Bizkit - Faith
10. Limp Bizkit - Jump Around
11. Interlude #3
12. Ice Cube - Check Yo Self (Remix)
13. Ice Cube - Natural Born Killaz
14. Ice Cube - Straight Outta Compton/F* Tha Police
15. Interlude #4
16. Rammstein - Du Hast
17. Interlude #5
18. Korn - Shot Liver Medley
19. Korn - Freak On A Leash
20. Korn - Twist/Chi
21. Korn - Got The Life

ORGY - CANDYASS

Orgy came out on the heels of Marilyn Manson, Rammstein, Rob Zombie and other go-go metal acts. My first exposure to this group was seeing them perform live. They were part of a festival show I saw. I quite liked them live and when I saw the CD, I picked it up. My opinion of Orgy is kinda strange. I like them... Especially some of their later stuff. The first album isn't all that great though. There's all the elements of a great industrial metal disc and yet, none of the songs really jump out and grab you. Each one has an interesting hook at one point or another, but nothing that sets it apart from anything else at the time. Sadly, it came across as rather generic for the time.

There seems to be a preoccupation with shocking lyrics. Especially at the time Orgy came on the scene. Including words like razor, rape... seemed to be a way for bands to make themselves seem very anti-social. But with so many acts writing and producing outrageous music, the little lyrical dabbling of Orgy seems almost silly. Later on, the band seemed to move into a more mature view of things. Their subject matter extended to things beyond the typical overblown drama of ridiculous teenage angst. There's a lot of songs dealing with the miasma of petty relationships. Not to devalue a relationship in any way, but there are those people, and you know who I'm talking about, who constantly go on and on about their boyfriend/girlfriend and drive the world crazy by over-analyzing every single minutiae of every single detail... It's too much. And for some reason, the lyrics of this album make me feel like I'm being bombarded by someone's life I just don't care about.

The New Order cover is pretty exciting and better than the original. It's actually the song that got me into them. At one point I had the single but it's since been appropriated by those who plundered my collection. I like Orgy, and I like the album ok. Just not a stand out performance. Still, it's got a great title. My final words: ANGST DRIBBLE.

ORGY - CANDYASS
01. Social Enemies
02. Stitches
03. Dissention
04. Platinum
05. Fetisha
06. Fiend
07. Blue Monday
08. Gender
09. All The Same
10. Pantomime
11. Revival
12. Dizzy