Mindless Self Indulgence 3/25/14
My oh my M.S.I, yes sir the 1997 NYC group Mindless Self Indulgence came home this past week to Irving Plaza (yes I was again at Irving Plaza). I had high expectations for this show and while the band did not disappoint, the lineup was almost, a complete misfire. Victory records own the bunny, the bear were completely overshadowed in this tour stop and Chantal Claret stole the show away from the opener like taking candy from a baby. There was a huge imbalance to where I still feel Chantal claret and M.S.I would have bee a tour package all on their own.
The bunny, the bear opened up the nights festivities. There was a clear indication that everyone was ONLY there for Mindless self indulgence. Because as soon as they hit the stage, the place went quiet. Now, I am not one to bash bands or criticize. But, I’m gonna tell you right now, this band was overshadowed beyond a reasonable doubt. The crowd was not feeling them, the lights were atrocious for photographers and their time slot was beyond short. I do not doubt this band as being good and I would give them another shot to witness live but this tour was NOT for them and it resounded so clearly by the atmosphere running through Irving plaza. It was quiet and almost to a point where it was awkward to watch their set because nobody really showed interest except their die hard fan base. I was interested in seeing them that night until all of these elements I stated ruined my experience. I will see this band again and shoot them again without a doubt. This night however, was cold and unkind to them. Set-list is as follows: Aisle, It’s a long way from the esophagus to the ovaries, So smooth, so appealing, A mothers love, Hey Allie, Pale green eyes, Lonely and Ocean floor.
Chantal Claret resurrected the interest of the audience with a fury of gorgeous and talented women. Chantal was incredible. By far one of the better female fronted singers I have seen this year to date. Chantal hopped into the audience, sang in mosh pits while patrons and on goers shot video and snapped photos on their phones and she even hopped atop one of the high risers between the stage and the second floor and sang while sitting down as if it was no big deal. Photogenic, elaborate sound and very easy going, the genre of music was a major switch from the opener to her act. Being Jimmy urine’s wife, she poked fun when she got on stage about how she had to “bone” someone to get on this tour. I could not stop laughing. Although I did not get to speak with her, she greeted fans at the merch booth and snapped photos while selling merchandise. In my opinion that instance really shined a light into the kind of personality she possesses. The whole time she held a compelling performance. I thoroughly enjoyed shooting this set regardless of its light drawbacks. High contrasted blues and purples filled the stage, then red and fluorescent whites as I hit the balcony area to take crowd shots. It was annoying but doable. The favorite parts of this session were of her in the general admission floor and moshing with others while performing. Those random moments make amazing photos. No set-list is available for this show.
Mindless Self Indulgence arrived with a highly detailed stage setup. “Joker” colored lights of green and purple lit up the stage for a jovial/comedic ambiance. Highly appropriate for lead singer Jimmy Urine as he has a tendency to swing his microphone stand like a baton and jump around like a madman. Drummer extraordinaire only known as “Kitty” had 3 different bass drum’s which conveniently held the acronyms for the band name. 1 with M, 1 with S and 1 with I. It was an awesome change of atmosphere with creativity I have yet to see. The lighting system stayed the same. Concurrent colors that did not stray away from perfecting composition, but there were no foreground lights to further boost complexion and facial details. Even though M.S.I played over twenty songs, it boosted up the overall tour package as fans got their money’s worth. I was listening to this band in 1999 when I was twelve years old and even though I still have good memory (thank goodness), it took me back to the days when I really began to find my niche in music. Mindless Self Indulgence was a huge contributor to the music I listen to today. Not only that, but they also allowed the crowd to choose 1 song to play while they all had their own choices. Being the hometown heroes, this not only makes me happy to be a metalhead and advocate of all musical genres, but also a New Yorker and the untapped potential this city has to offer for future bands. It has been fourteen years since the birth of this band. I hope to see them again in the near future, maybe a twenty year anniversary 😉 ??? The world will not know…just yet anyways. Their set-list is as follows: It gets worse, Shut me up, 1989, Stupid MF, Keepin’ up with the kids (Steve’s choice), Fuck machine, Issues, Animal, Molly (Jimmy’s choice), Never wanted to dance, Stalkers (Slit my wrists), Evening wear, Anonymous, Cocaine & toupees (Kitty’s choice), Tornado, Ala mode, Dicks are my friends, Seven-eleven (Lyn-Z’s choice), Faggot, Planet of the apes, Jack you up, I hate Jimmy Page (Crowd’s choice).
Check out the rest of the photos down below and enjoy them. This year continues to run smoothly for Irving Plaza. As long as it does, I intend on showing up to cover the lifestyle we love.
Catch you rockers on the flip side!
–Derek Soto–
The Bunny, The Bear Gallery
Chantal Claret Gallery
Mindless Self Indulgence Gallery
Flickr Link Provided. CLICK HERE!
