Hole made it onto the Sound Academy stage in Toronto on Saturday night, to play a live set rife with cover versions to a screaming crowd of fans. In true diva fashion, Ms. Love wasn’t in the venue ten minutes before her scheduled start time. And she blew off her sound check. Alan Cross got to sit down with her after her performance. That interview w Alan / Courtney is right HERE. With Love at centre stage under heavily gelled yellow and orange lighting, and everyone else in the band lit under aquamarine tones, Hole went right into ‘Pretty on the Inside / Sympathy for the Devil’. Love kept it close to the mic for most of the evening’s set, but ventured from side to side of the stage to wave at fans and give them a chance to get a good look at her up close. What I’ll remember most from the evening is the wonderful version of ‘Miss World’ (covered recently by Neverending White Lights) that Hole played. Even while the band was playing the song, I KNEW I owned it, but just couldn’t place what it was. It didn’t hit me until I was halfway home what the track was, and why I knew the song. And, smoothie that I am, I thought the song was by Neverending White Lights originally. I thought this performance was quite entertaining. Hole put on a good show overall. Love engaged her audience quite well, keeping the banter up until the final song of the evening. And I felt like I got to hear some quality songs; new and old originals along with some cool covers.
Mike Bax 