European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 5, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse There is More than just grunge to Alice in chains by Deedee Arrington Doke staff writer n the language of grunge one Man s Pearl Jam is another s nirvana. Currently charting its own course on the ascent to grunge nirvana is Alice in chains a Seattle band that shares the Fervour the lapses into bleakness and a musical Breeding ground a but Little else a with the band s aforementioned homeboys. That course brought Alice or air As members have Logoi Zed themselves to Bonn Germany last monday As part of a multiple country jog through Europe to plug dirt their Sony album and to play some. Quot i actually Don t want them to get too popular Quot said air Force staff sgt. Chris Way who had travelled from Span Dahlem a Germany to join the capacity crowd. Quot keep it underground. It makes you want to not listen to pm anymore if everyone s got the same it May be too late. Crowds show up for the gigs. Alice s ghostly Anthem would is the first track on the soundtrack for singles film Dom s homage to the Seattle music scene. Dirt is turning to Gold in sales. Mtg was in Frankfurt to get footage on Alice during the band s tuesday visit there. Even critics like them. No matter. Alice s crunching anthems to death and addiction a not exactly uplifting themes regardless of the musical packaging a May not be for everyone just As the Dank overcast Winters of Seattle turn off the Sun worshippers of key West. However there s much More to Alice s crunch than the gloom and doom of the lyrics harmonies by Lead vocalist Layne Staley and Lead guitarist Jerry Cantrell that evoke the deceptive sweetness of the Byrds on eight Miles a amps Michael Abrams with the exception of the occasional funereal Dirge vocalist Layne Staley and the rest of Seattle based Alice in chains keep the crowd head banging. High Cantrell s guitar work that gives equal nods to Metal and the blues and Complex Tun Smithing that often leads the listener several which ways to the Hook instead of taking a straight path. In a Crisp set of about 10 songs that included two encores Alice kicked up a lot of dirt in a Little Over an hour having had a relatively Tough act a fellow seat leites screaming Trees a to follow. Dam that River them Bones and would set the crowd s Heads to banging Early on As vocalist Staley held firm at Center stage gripping the microphone with both hands. Cantrell and bassist Mike Starr hair flying mane Vered around the stage often smiling in response to the audience s rapt appreciation a in contrast nevertheless with such sentiments As Quot i feel so alone Gonna end up a big Ole pile a them the urge to bang one s head waned for about 98 percent of the audience when Alice dragged out a Dirge like the funereal hate to feel. With its slow motion minor chord progression it and one or two other numbers in the band s repertoire probably replicate accurately a druggy depression. However such dirges make up the most derivative musical trick in the bag and they could easily leave those at Home. Setting aside the dirges it was exciting to see a still evolving band feel its Oats and come up with a full Harvest. If Seattle grunge is ultimately a fad Alice May ride out the tide and make listeners forget that at first their musical identity was indelibly linked to their it Home City s. Chris Way has the right idea. Quot i did t come to see them because they re a grunge band Quot he said after the concert. Quot i came to see them because they re a great guns n roses in concert a see pages 20-21 Rock s perennial bad boy Axl Rose leads the Mega group on a tour through Europe. Short take Kristofferson fights Bias Inger songwriter actor political activist Kris Kristofferson was among the stars performing at the huge anti racism Benefit concert in Hamburg Germany last weekend. Kristofferson said he was invited by Vanessa Redgrave another noted actor human rights activist. Quot i Hope the people recognize that we people Are capable of being manipulated and used to fight each other foreigners instead of fighting the problem Quot Kristofferson told the Kristofferson stars and stripes after his concert in Frankfurt. Quot its the system that needs to to addressed instead of committing violence on another human us your acts a ginning next week the on stage Calendar on pages 18 and 19 will include a roster of live entertainment at night clubs on or near military installations. The shows must include a band comedy show or similar form of live entertainment to fit the format of the listing. Club managers interested in having their shows listed in the roster should fax their schedules to the attention of stars and stripes focus entertainment 06155-601463 in Germany or Dan 348-8463.tattling on Bowie readers who liked Madonna a Book sex no doubt will want backstage passes in which Angela Bowie describes life with her sex Hubby David in lurid detail. The couple split in 1978 after having a son named Zowie Bowie now known As Joe and David is now married to somali born Model Iman. Entertainment weekly tallied some of angelas sexual references in the 327 pages. For example the number of sentences that pass before the author describes sex 0. The number of times the words Quot sex Quot or Quot sexual Are used 101. The number of times she a a discusses having sex with one or More people 29. The number of times she mentions finding David in bed with rolling Stone Mick Jagger 2. And perhaps most significantly the number of times she saw Jagger pick up a Check 0. Bowie iday february 5, 1993 the stars and stripes 17
