I barely remember the drive up to Irvine. We talked the whole way... oddly enough, when we contact Strangel to find out where she was, she was the car right behind us. What are the odds of that? I think I mentioned that I bought tickets to this show primarily for Bauhaus. I love Peter Murphy and I still remember the days when seeing Bauhaus on tour was thought to be "something that would never happen." I wasn't expecting to get into the NIN show... I figured, in fact, that we'd end up leaving a bit early...

Waiting for the show: The Best Friend, D (3dStickMan here), me, Mel and half a Strangel:

Bauhaus was dismally disappointing. Peter looked old and worn out... the stadium/arena show just isn't the Bauhaus gig. 4th & B was an amazing show...this didn't even hold a candle. Other than She's In Parties, I can't even tell you what they played... A disappointing opening act.

As for NIN:

DAMN... first of all Trent, baby, you've got it going ON. Getting off drugs and alcohol (in 2001) has given you a body, some beautiful arms... and quite a fine ass. The show...WOW.. I was freaking blown away by NIN. The light show was amazing, the songs spot on, the line up incredible... We stayed til the lights came up and banged our head the whole way through. What a freakin' AWESOME show.

But let's get it out of the way... dear 36 year old ex-Goth heads... really I respect the love and lure of reliving the glory days... or even living the ones you've never grown out of; however, please note the following:

- Pouring the now widely shaped hips into tight ass black hose and topping it with a corset from which your very ample bosom is literally pouring is not something the rest of us need to see.

- The dress from Hot Topic, it went out when you were 18... frankly... over 30 you simply can't pull it off (and there were quite a few of you).

- To the lesbian girls with the braces -- next time take a freakin' seat already... it's cool to jump around during the main show but, girls, there's no need to flaunt your budding sexuality and, if you really insist, next time wear a g-string.. the grandma panties were even freaking me out.

- To the leather and nakedness boys... truly.. truly.. you were the best in people watching there was.

- In general, be daring... dare to wear something other than a blank t-shirt... it's a rainbow of colors out there and, hell, you could match your hot pink hair.

- To the poor, poor girl from Laguna Hills... you're friends were messing with your head when they told you your black tshirt with the Gold Sparkly Angel Wings on the back and the Gold macrame belt looked really good... The question of the night is, really, what were you thinking.

- To all the suburban soccer moms... come on, you know you were there... with your Rock N Republic Jeans, the Gucci big huge bag (what the hell do you have in that without your kids around?), the Prada shoes... I get you.. but maybe next time you should leave the 4" heels at home.

and, most importantly, to the chick down in the front... honey... you had it all... you wore Levis, a lame ass white tshirt..and you got your freakin' rock on! You go girl.

Most disappointing was the level of targeted advertising... I haven't been to a stadium show since I saw The Cure at SDSU when I was 16. I was blown away... it's like being at the Del Mar Fair -- funnel cakes here, sausage there, pizza, every manner of alcohol (remember when shows used to just be beer)... raffling of a trip to Mexico, sales for AAA.. and a host of other advertisements, commercials even.. absolutely disgusting. I felt dirty just being there.

But Trent.. he pulled it off... he played some great oldies -- Down In It (the same one from a recent blog entry title), Head Like A Hole... a special and beautiful rendition of Something I Can Never Have... he did later stuff, newer stuff... and a literal tear evoking version of Hurt.

Trent, I take everything I said before 8pm this evening back. That was one of the best shows ever....