Subject: ween, live at London Astoria 2 , the Mollusk Tour From: 101754.2212@compuserve.com Well well. It seemed from the outset that this was going to be an evening worthy of the Boognish. Having been fired only minuites before the start of the gig (my boss didn't think a Ween gig was an excuse worthy of not turning up for work!!) So being now unemployed, not even a gas pumpin'job, backstage pass in hand (my old job had it's perks) WEEN BECKOND-- The house was packed, and after fighting for that first beer and making my way to the front, I suddenly realised what was actually going down. The strange clash between the five unthreatening looking dudes onstage with the aural headsmash that they create. Ween seem to take intense glee in trying to fuck shit up! Most notably when Dean Ween forgot the words to the pinting pirate song "the Blarney Stone" and started a entire correspondance with Gene about how that kinda thing always happens! (I think the new words are "I've got hemroids on my asshole, and your mom on my cock"!!!!!!!!!!) This was probably due to the excessively large bottle of Jack Daniels that was consumed on-stage. Ween played just about everything during their 2 and a half hour set,from the tender "baby bitch" to the psycho rocking "Dr. Rock" culminating into the Mexican classic "Buenos Tardes Amigo" where the crowed spontaneously became the backing rhythm section forming a mass of castinets. Ween have the uncanny ability to play their songs to near perfection in the live environment while attempting as hard as possible to destroy them! The gig displayed Ween totally on form, dispite running comentary from the most pissed Welsh girl in London that night, who seemed determined to become part of the band herself, taking Gene's mic over on a few occasions!! This gig rocked!?!?£%## and I managed to get my copy of the Mollusk signed, while the band were finishing that bottle of JD in the smallest and the most crowded dressing room on the plannet. I left stoked and passing some graffiti on the way out that read "GENE WEEN IS GOD" seemed an all too fitting way to end the evening. Subject: ween at the astoria, London From: "Scott Herbertson" (bardin@classic.msn.com) This isn't a proper review, but in case you don't get a sensible one from someone else, here goes..... My friends had been at the Astoria the previous week to see Yo La Tengo and 'reliably' informed me the bands never come on till 9pm, so we had a few beers and turned up at 8.35 to find the band in the middle of 'The Molusk' , so god knows what they played before then. Anyway after getting the beers up we weaved our way into the crowd, getting near the front. I can't do a track list, but they played much the same stuff as in the previously reviewed gigs from this tour. The only exception I missed was 'Mister won't you please help my pony'. I was especially impressed by the chant before 'I can't put my finger on it' and the subsequent quasi muslim interpretation of the song itself - I can't think of another band who could even try this. Highlights were the scabrous blarney stone, my personal favourite 'baby bitch' the renewed early stuff from God Ween Satan, and the closing version of 'Buenos Tardes Amigos' where the audience spontaneously and unanimously did the castinet backing while the band were at their most over the top serious -all in all a great fun gig to a full house which went wild (fans on stage, diving and general mayhem). I honestly didn't know what to expect, as someone who has enjoyed the music but doesn't know much about the band. I had a fear that they would play exclusively The Molllusk and 12 Golden Country Greats, but to my relief they played a lot of Chocolate and Cheese and the early stuff. I was impressed at just how well they played without session musicians, and the atmosphere with the crowd was excellent. All and all, this was one of the best gigs I've seen, and as they say over here, I've seen a few. Scott Herbertson (Scottish living in England) bardi@msn.com