“Lists”, Hungarian Tool Fans

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Blair has posted on the TA boards a response to peoples questions regarding the Tool Set-List.  As usual, it’s not a straight answer:

E-MAIL ABOUT THIS “LIST” THING

I must admit that I’m completely baffled by recent e-mails from some Tool enthusiasts over in Europe (and here in the U.S. as well) whining and complaining about the band having the same guest list every night. This is just plain ridiculous. First of all there are normally only a dozen or so people on the band’s guest list for each show, and these people usually have some connection with the band or the band’s record label. Although a few of these people might go to several different shows (in different cities), the guest list for the tour is, in fact, different for nearly every show. But why this “same guest list” thing is even an issue, much less a major concern for the average fan is, quite frankly, beyond me. If you’re not connected with the band in some way (or you’re not a female that covers a skeleton rather nicely), chances are you’re not going to be on the guest list in the first place. Honestly, I think some of these people sending me e-mails are confusing Tool with The Grateful Dead, or possibly even Phish where the guest list might actually be the same for each show.

For all you Hungarian Tool fans, check out this fan site.  It looks pretty good to me, and while I can’t understand a word, it’s quite clear the designer knows what he’s doing. Nice work!

Tool Segues

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This weeks poll What’s your favorite Tool ‘segue’? is over, and to my personal surprise Eon Blue Apocalypse has taken the crown. I figured it would probably the Die Eier Von Satan, but that one narrowly missed out.

Being and UFO nut/Conspiracy Theorist, I really like Faaip de Oiad, and expected it to do a little better, but hey, that’s democracy!

  1. Eon Blue Apocalypse: 28% (149)
  2. Die Eier von Satan: 24% (131)
  3. Message to Harry Manback: 11% (57)
  4. Intermission: 10% (52)
  5. Faaip de Oiad: 6% (31)
  6. (-) ions: 6% (30)
  7. Mantra: 4% (21)
  8. Lipan Conjuring: 4% (20)
  9. Useful Idiot: 3% (15)
  10. L.A.M.C.: 3% (14)
  11. Viginti Tres: 2% (10)
  12. Cesaro Summability: 1% (8)
  13. Message to Harry Manback II: 1% (3)

Check out this weeks Poll, which should be appearing over on the right very shortly…..

Edit: Having some technical difficulties with an update of the Democracy Poll plug-in. I’ll get it sorted eventually, even if I have to revert to the old version (which would suck)

Lies, Rumours and Speculation….

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All the time I get people asking me questions. “Hey Hellboy, when do you think Tool will be playing in country X?” “When do you think the Vicarious video will be coming out?”. I’m always happy to answer these questions, but the truth is, most of the time I don’t know the answer.

Anyway, since it’s a slow news day, and in order to inform those of us who don’t have the time on inclination to trawl through the net or Fourtheye/TA/TDN etc. here are my thoughts on several topical Tool-related topics.

Bear in mind, most of this is based on speculation, innuendo and gut feelings, so feel free to agree, disagree or give us some more facts and/or wild speculation:

Tool Touring:

  • Regardless of what’s been said, I don’t think we’ll see any more Tool shows in Australia squeezed into an already tight schedule. This goes for NZ as well, though I guess it would be easy for them to play a show there before doing the Big Day Out. Tool don’t seem to be fond of playing shows on consecutive nights, so that doesn’t leave many gaps.
  • Tool will be touring the US again in Northern Spring. This is all but confirmed.
  • Tool will probably tour Europe again during the Northern Summer. Festivals perhaps?
  • I’d be surprised if Tool didn’t head back down under after that. Look for Tool shows perhaps August-September 2007
  • If Tool decide to head to South/Central American, I’d suggest it would be around then as well.
  • Tool will then probably do one last run at the US before going back into “hibernation”.
  • Don’t expect the set to dramatically change – get over it!

Vicarious Video & DVD:

  • Expect the video to have far more CGI than previous ones.
  • Unless Adam finished the video in the weeks before heading to Europe, don’t expect to see it anytime this year
  • Audio Commentary will again be provided by a guest. I predict it will be Mike Patton.

Live DVD:

  • I don’t think we’ll see a live DVD at all until after Tool call it a day
  • We certainly won’t see it anytime before 2008
  • Expect some live video to be on the Vicarious DVD

Tool:

  • Don’t expect a new album before 2009
  • If Maynard get involved with another band (APC or something else) don’t expect a new album before 2010
  • Half expect that there won’t be a new album
  • Every song on the new album will be about anal sex
  • Somewhat expect Maynard to retire from touring due to problems with his voice, vineyard/family commitments, etc.
  • Expect Adam to release some kind of recording in 2008
  • Expect the unexpected

Other:

  • Toolarmy will never change
  • Blair will continue to post whatever the hell he wants
  • Danny will find a way to make his drumkit bigger and better
  • Doors will comment on this article about how Tool suck anyway and should retire right now before they make fools of themselves (that’s if they haven’t already)

Tool Live Production Details

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Kassel on Toolarmy has posted a link to an article which gives us some more insight into Tool‘s video and lighting show, as well as some of the logistics behind it:

It’s hard to explain the depth of what goes into the production at a Tool concert to somebody who is not in our industry. Much like their music, the production is intelligent and progressive—the interplay of video and lighting is the key aspect of the entire performance. And it has been since mid-‘90s, when Haggerty created a device, later known the NEV System, for triggering content long before media servers, as we know them today, existed.

“Tool has never allowed the use of followspots or live cameras. All of the video is playback. It’s all looped clips that aren’t tracked to a song like a music video. The band has never used any sort of timecode. They’ve always made sure the video can change on-the-fly, in a way that can be improvised. That’s a big important part of the production,” says Haggerty. “The show is never the same twice.”

In other news, John Ziegler from Volto! and his band Amalgatron will be performing at the La Ve Lee Club in Studio City on the 9th of November.

Finally, for those of you considering purchasing the Platinum Lateralus, there’s still some available in the Toolarmy Bazaar

Tool on BBC 6 Music

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According to Blabbermouth, Tool will be appearing on the Rock Show with Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson on Saturday December 9.  The show is broadcast via the internet on BBC.co.uk and runs between 9:00pm and 12:00am.  Now word on whether this will be an interview, or some kind of live performance, though given Tool’s usual reluctance to be recorded live, I’d suggest it’ll be the former.

Big Day Out Update

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The second announcement for the Big Day Out was made today, and joining Tool, Muse, etc are whole truckload of generally unexciting (to me anyway) bands.
Highlights for me include You Am I, The Butterfly Effect, Afra & the Incredible Beatbox Band, The Streets and The Crystal Method.  No one that I’d go out of my way to see, but I feel would put on a good show anyway.

One more announcement is expected, presumably at the beginning of December, and it’s likely to be pretty much all local bands.  Those holding out for Primus can probably start crying into their beers now.  Here’s the full line-up so far:

The Streets, Kasabian, Crystal Method DJs, Justice, Trivium, John Cooper Clarke, Afra & The Incredible Beatbox Band, Lily Allen, Lupe Fiasco, Diplo, John Butler Trio, Something for Kate, You Am I, Little Birdy, The Presets, Bob Evans, The Drones, The Butterfly Effect, love [tattoo] and Shapeshifter join Tool, Muse, Violent Femmes, The Killers, Peaches, My Chemical Romance, Spank Rock, Jet, Eskimo Joe, Scribe, Evermore, The Sleepy Jackson, The Herd and The Spazzys.

Puscifer Share’s the Love

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Just as you’ve mortgaged your house to pay for the Platinum Lateralus, Maynard tells us that the Share The Love section on the Puscifer Website will contain some charity items being sold on Ebay.

This will be the charity section of our shopping cart. Myself, relatives, and friends will be donating items to be auctioned on EBAY. The net proceeds of which will go to a charity of our choice. The item description will contain a brief summary of the item, the person who donated it, and 2 links. 1 to ebay where the item is up for auction, and 1 to the charity designated by the item’s donor. That way anyone who wishes to skip the auction can go straight to the non-profit site and donate. Make sense? The first item up will be a framed photo that Photographer, Tim Cadiente took of me ages ago. Then perhaps some autographed prints by Ramiro Rodriguez, some wardrobe items from the JUDITH video, my dad’s platinum records that he has no place to hang, etc… Drivers, start your engines.

If you happen to win one, make sure you send me a pic!

It turns out you can also purchase a target that has been shot at, autographed and laminated by Maynard.  Viva la capitalism! So is Puscifer really a band, or just a cash cow?

Lateralus “Platinum” Plaques

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Just in case the Signed Lateralus Vinyl hasn’t burnt a big enough hole in your wallet, there is now a Lateralus “Platinum” Plaque available for Toolarmy members which celebrates Lateralus selling 1,000,000 copies. They’re not cheap though, at US$206.00 (plus US$16 postage to Australia, around $288 all up in Australian dollars), you’d better hope your credit cards aren’t maxed out….

It’s a limited edition apparently, though how limited we aren’t told.  They are still available as of 11:13 AEST.