last night i went to go see skinny puppy in san francisco at the grand ballroom at the regency center and i dragged along twiddle thumbs. i think we parked at the same place for sepultura at the avalon ballroom. it's a distinct little parking structure that closes at midnight. skinny puppy played a little longer than that so twiddle thumbs left early to move the car. we had a pretty good spot up in the balcony section, in the front, left of center. i took my digital camera with me as a test. i don't think it's very good for night photography. i got a cheap camera 'cos i need a cheap digital camera. i'll have to take it with me to a concert where i am up in the front, but i think for concerts a film camera will be best.

the show was so-so for me. i feel the energy best when i am up in the front, though the lights for this show were so bright that i could feel the heat from them even way in the back. for industrial bands, i don't have much fun because of everyone immobilized by technology. ogre did move around a little, but he's too old to hold the show down by himself. before i had heard any music from skinny puppy, i knew just a little bit about them and had seen some pictures from concerts--they scared me. it was similar seeing the cover "the texas chainsaw massacre"--always too scared to rent it. when i finally rented it, i loved it. when i first heard skinny puppy, i wasn't into it. there were just years ahead of their time and eventually i caught up. at the show, skinny puppy didn't scare me. :(

this is the best shot that came out

i don't have all the albums either, which didn't help. hey, they just aren't available cheap at used cd shops. i guess their albums are too good to get rid of. they did play 3 songs that i really like so that was good. when they played "tin omen", i changed my camera into video mode so i could have a clip of it. by that point my memory was so full that i only got about 30 seconds worth of video. funny thing, the camera takes pictures better in video mode, at least in dark settings such as concerts. in regular camera mode, the pictures had light streaks due to poor shutter speed i think. i tried to take a few pictures at different settings, but because the camera is so new to me, and i haven't read the manual, i just don't know what setting will work best in various environments.

we got there while tweaker was on stage. i just wasn't into them so i bought a skinny puppy t-shirt, size L. since the diet change, i have been buying size L and i'm still in shock. for years i have been XL. i don't think i've worn L since high school. let's just say i'm pleased. skinny puppy took the stage somewhere around 10:35pm and kept playing 'til close to midnight. then they came back for a 3 song encore. the concert was over by 12:15am. after the show, we drove to meet up our friend dani. he was supposed to meet us at the venue but he always flakes out on plans. while waiting for him at the venue and talking to him, i was going to wait to meet skinny puppy! there went that idea!!! it was so late for me by the time that we drove home that i was too tired to drive. i was speeding in the one stretch of highway that i never see cops and i got pulled over! luckily it was a nice young cop who could see that i was too tired and he let me switch drivers with twiddle thumbs and didn't give me a ticket!!! i am soooo lucky!

the setlist was something like this:
intro/brap/epilogue
downsizer
i'mmortal
protest
empte
curcible
gods gift (maggot)
vx gas attack
worlock
neuwerld
glass houses
tin omen
inquisition
hardset head
human disease (s.k.u.m.m.)
harsh stone white
reclamation

encore:
convulsion
blue serge
smothered hope