THE mAKE-UP put in an unforgettable appearance at Smaalands Nation in Lund, Sweden many months ago. i chatted with ian SVENONIUS, lead singer & provacateur, before the show. (this is a new feature here at the home of p.m.r. - every so often a new band will be interviewed - the 5 W's & How?, plus a story about that age-old indie-rock institution, crashing at people's homes on tour.) unfortunately, our hero couldn't think of a good crashing on the couch story, so after his inspiring filling out of the 5 W's, i include some notes i took at the show.
who: MAKE-UP
when: ON APRIL 13, 1998
why: BECAUSE OF THE SACRED MISSION TO DEMOLISH AND INVERT THE TRADITIONAL, INDUSTRY-PROPOGATED RELATIONSHIP IN SOUND BETWEEN CONSUMER AND PRODUCER.
how: By USING ELECTRIC INSTRUMENTS TYPICAL TO THE ROCK 'N' ROLL GENRE.
where: IN LUND
what: A GOSPEL GROUP FROM WASHINGTON, D.C.
anyways, so here i am on a fawnky upholstered church of a couch which is so dark 70's orange that you would think it's red, in lund, sweden. why, you ask? i'm here to see the make-up & it's going to be a good time. my back & neck muscles ache but the decor is allright. it's as if the person who made the cover of their new 'sound verite' album decorated this place. a perfect match. a half interview is conducted, some swedish kids swear that they read in a major newspaper than ian SVENONIUS is a gung-ho christian & ian flips out. the night stretches on, through the screamed antics & lunges of frodus, & it's make-up time. sweat starts pouring as the glorious days of soul are re-enacted. the highly reserved swedes fight the overwhelming urge to twist, shake, & boogie as they are lost in a trance of the quartet's twisted gospel revival for the '90s. as the last song builds again & again to climax, they lose. ian is the new james BROWN, so watch out. the show ends with a set by refused, who are sort of the fugazi-meetes-d.o.a-meetes-more-social-heavy-metally-punk-than-you-can-shake-a-s tick-at. if nothing more, at least they prove definitively that swedes are capable of kicking ass.
p.m.r. interview #2 with CORNERSHOP
p.m.r. interview #1 with YO LA TENGO