Defending The Indefensible - 13: Courtney Love

I don’t like bands reforming usually – and I certainly don’t like bands reforming when they contain only ONE original member.

Courtney Love recently reformed Hole for a show in London – never mind the fact the other musicians playing are all nodding lapdog wannabe scenesters (i.e. session musicians) that probably weren’t even born the time Hole’s first single came out, never mind the fact she doesn’t even have the legal rights to the name. Her first solo album – the appalling wannabe Britney rock posturing of 2004’s America’s Sweetheart – tanked, and there’s no value in that brand anymore, none at all. It must be time to dust off the old brand, and milk the shit out of it.

And why shouldn’t she? Everyone does it these days – from the ultra-cynical Pixies reformation to the more intriguing reunion of devastatingly shy gothic Welsh trio Young Marble Giants, from the Pitchfork-beloved college boys own’ Pavement to Brisbane’s Laughing Clowns (still belligerent, still unpredictable). If there are people willing to pay to see musicians continue to exist in their own fantasy world, where everything is a pallid copy of imagined glories – a place where toilet breaks can take as long as hit singles – then why shouldn’t the musicians cash in? It’s not their fault that people are suckers.

Courtney Love reforming Hole is particularly cynical, though. This new Hole has little or no relation to the old Hole – indeed, Courtney herself has little in common with the spunk and spittle-flecked figure of the past. Then, she was unpredictable and wired, an enthralling prospect live on stage because you could never be certain what she’d be doing next – whether it’d be climbing up the side of a balcony to bash a fan, or turning the house lights fall on journalists masquerading as photographers down the front, or hurling glass ashtrays at guitarist (and co-Hole founder) Eric Erlandson. Now, this is one more tired string to add to her tired and useless bow, wherein everything in real life is a tired copy of a tired Hollywood movie, and “dirty blonde” isn’t something fought-for and squabbled over in the streets, but comes straight out of a publicist’s wardrobe.

I don’t understand. Why doesn’t she go the whole hog and call herself the Smashing Pumpkins? After all, Billy Corgan wrote quite a bit of Hole’s third album: and they’re way more popular than Hole ever were. She’d make way more money that way – and money is surely what she’s after. It’s all that anyone is after, these musicians given up on life and creativity.

“I am in England and going to see ‘Hole’ tonight,” writes one friend on Facebook. “Because I was too young first time round *sigh* it's very dubious but if she performs old material the 14 year old girl in me will be incredibly happy.”

What is this? The original Hole were an explosion of venom and energy and intellectualism and vigour all colliding together in one frenzied whole: what does this bare nostalgia feast and the grinning lapdog musicians add to the equation? Nothing.

“Does anyone care what the musicians in the band look like anyway,” writes another Facebook friend, cynically. Only if you gave a fuck about what the music sounded like in the first place.

“Why a shot at Hole, if she can still perform the songs well, then it’s still getting to hear classic good songs?” asks another punter.

That’s simple. It’s not Hole. And you won’t get to hear those “classic good songs” performed with anything amount the energy or motivation they deserve. These were songs that were made for the moment, and lived in the moment. I would not go back into the past and claim to be the person I was then. It’s absurd. And neither should any self-righteous, smug-as-fuck, uselessly impotent musician.

Hey. I've got nothing against folk going to see Courtney Love play live, and nothing against her wanting to play live either. I just think it's more than a little dishonest to call it something that it’s not.

P.S. Not that I have anything against session musicians whatsoever. Just a certain type of session musician...

P.P.S. I note that Wikipedia states that critical reaction to America's Sweetheart was "generally mixed to positive". Not round these parts it wasn't.

P.P.P.S. I got this really sweet email at my Facebook account from someone who attended the "Hole" reunion show, and thought that, in fairness, I really couldn't not print it.

Shelly Jenkin 19 February at 18:28

Dearest Everett,

It was...I am not sure I can look at this one objectively, try as I mighnt...in part, wonderful, in part gutting.

I know she's just using 'Hole' to get momentum going behind the event, and I am PAINFULLY aware the new material isn't Hole, could NEVER be Hole, and that I was going to see Courtney Love Solo... but I felt that being safe in that knowledge meant I could go, not expect too much and make the bit of me that needed and HAD to be at that gig happy.

So... I was completely overwhelmed and spent perhaps the first half of the set trying not to cry (I am embarrassed to admit!). It was bizzare hearing her perform old Hole, it felt like someone doing Hole karaoke, not because she didn't perform them well, but because she put no feeling into the songs. I spent the vast majority of my geeky teenhood watching Hole on VHS I managed to get at music festivals, or by trading someone via teletext or zines... so I had quite a good knowledge of what a Hole gig *could* be like.

What I was surprised by, and came completely unexpectedly, was how much I enjoyed the new songs.
I wouldn't ever want to listen to them on record, because quite frankly they make me cringe, but, live, she was singing them from her gut!

And, I suppose that's what made the gig from me, and thats what I wanted all along, to see Courtney putting her heart into something again.

My highlights were the fact that she was wearing so much glitter that when she shook her head, to get her mermaid-hair from her face, a little cloud of sparkle surrounded her... I was close enough to see that and it's something Im not sure the cameras could have possibly picked up, so it's a treasured memory of sorts now.

Also, when she was singing she broke posture (and there was A LOT of posturing, I'm sure you can imagine, the lady having so, so much to prove) to smile and wink at me, because I was fanning myself with a big antique hand fan.

Anywhoo's Everett, I do wish it had been Hole with Melissa and Eric (like you wouldn't believe), but it wasn't as bad or as good as it could have been... it just was.

Take care, and best of luck at your show!

Love Shelly xxx

P.P.P.P.S. The original article was originally written for the excellent Go Mag.