Short but sweet: Hole's latest incarnation blitzes New York City

April 27, 2010, at Terminal 5

By Jennifer Fenn
Published: April 29th, 2010 | 4:35pm

Love was in the air as a bustling crowd filled New York’s Terminal 5 for a sold-out show that hailed the return of Courtney Love and the current iteration of Hole, the critically acclaimed grunge band that has been absent from the stage for over a decade.

From the first chords of the blistering opener “Pretty on the Inside,” the current Hole lineup (guitarist Micko Larkin, bassist Shawn Dailey, and drummer Stuart Fisher) proved to be the most technically proficient yet with a tighter and more collaborative bond. It was all business as the band blasted through a set peppered with tracks from the just-released album, Nobody’s Daughter (Mercury), as well as Hole classics such as “Violet,” “Malibu,” and “Miss World.”

Love’s appeal is three-fold: her twisted feminine archetype persona, her talent as a lyricist, and her vocals, which are a combination of a sing-songy purr and vengeful shriek. Of the three characteristics, two are still intact.

Love was draped in a Stevie Nicks–esque mini-dress, topped by a sleek peroxide bob—an updated and mature version of the babydoll frocks and blonde snarls that inspired many imitators when Love’s iconic status peaked in the mid-‘90s. Love looked healthier and happier than expected, quick to smile at both the audience and her band. Her trademark slurred tirades were entirely absent, replaced by new songs that cover territory with sharp entendres and memorable imagery: junkie mythology, soured relationships, glitter that wasn’t gold, and dreams that didn’t pan out.

Though Love introduced each new song with near apology (“Can I play a new song?” she asked forlornly), when she let loose with the line “People like you / Fuck people like me / In order to avoid agony” in standout new track “Samantha,” the audience wailed along in sheer delight.

Love’s collaborations with songwriters Larkin, Billy Corgan, and Linda Perry resulted in a palette of varied material including the album’s grungy, bass-heavy new single “Skinny Little Bitch,” and the slow number “Pacific Coast Highway.” Love’s voice is another matter, however. Her tabloid lifestyle and the screaming demands of her songs have obviously taken a toll on Love’s vocal abilities. While never a polished vocalist, Love’s ability to swing from a sweet melody to a ravaged howl was unique and memorable on the classic Hole album Live Through This (Geffen) and the well-received follow-up Celebrity Skin. Her 2004 solo album, America’s Sweetheart (Virgin), started to show signs of the strain that was on display at this show.

It’s apparent that Love’s shredded vocal chords can’t support an epic, piano-studded ballad like the Perry-co-written “Letter to God” or the dramatic acoustic number “Northern Star.” Even the softer, tuneful verses necessary to build to the climatic choruses in such beloved Hole staples as “Doll Parts” seemed to stretch Love’s range, and unfortunately the female backing vocals supplied by former bassist Melissa Auf der Maur on Hole’s last tour left a noticeable gap.

Perhaps this is why, despite a rousing set-list and a disappointed audience eager to embrace Love’s return, Hole only played a brisk 45 minutes. Near the end, Love turned to Larkin and drew a quick finger across her throat, seemingly ready wrap it up. Is Love’s voice simply too raw to carry a longer set? Perhaps, or maybe she figures that, as an expanded North American tour approaches this summer, a bit more absence will only make her fans’ hearts grow fonder.

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