Grrls Night Out
Garbage, No Doubt and The Distillers
Unleash Some Grrl Power

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>> Shirley works the crowd in Long Beach. >>

>> Long Beach, CA [10/29/02] >> While it was a night filled with very good music, bands that know how to keep the crowd alive and with loads of hits, these were three bands and very different stages in their respective careers.  The Distillers, Garbage and No Doubt are all at very different positions when it comes to the limelight.

For Shirley Manson and Garbage, they've been the media darlings, they've got a catalogue of hits and they seen the world more than a few times.  Of late, though, radio hasn't given them the attention they deserve and they aren't garnering as much of the spotlight as they did a scant few years ago.

Whatever the case, the band doesn't seem to care.  Shirley Manson stalked the stage with the same edge and passion that Garbage fans are used to, and it's still amazing that the strong, crystal clear voice that she delivers comes from that petite individual.  Unlike their last time through the LA area, when they came in as the headliner, the band spent much more time playing tracks from their latest release, Beautiful Garbage, than the big hits they've had.

Additionally, maybe it was because this was their last night on the tour before a much-needed break, or because they, too, knew that this truly wasn't their crowd, but Garbage did look and seem a bit tired, physically.

>> Gwen greets the adoring fans. >>

Once No Doubt came out the mass of young ladies doing their best to imitate singer Gwen Stefani (and the men ogling these women) came to life.   No Doubt is a band that is firmly planted in the media spotlight, their star shining as bright as possible.  Stefani's recent marriage to Bush's Gavin Rossdale was treated much as any star-studded wedding, receiving as much attention in the market tabloids as it did in the music publications.  In fact, at this point, Stefani is the more-famous member of the couple.

For opening act The Distillers, this tour has been a chance to show their wares and get their tour legs under them.  Playing stadium shows is far different that the club circuit, which is where The Distillers were up until now.   This has been an opportunity for massive exposure for the band, whose lead singer, Brody Armstrong, sounds like Courtney Love before she sold out.  The Distillers are your basic punk band, and they seem to hold many of the punk values intact, with an explosive sound, an excellent grasp of how to build a song and a "f**k you" attitude.  The problem for them here was that this was a crowd filled with "Gwenabe's," teenage girls who idolize Gwen Stefani and seemed much more interested in strong grrl-power pop rather than manic punk.

The Distillers deserve a measure of credit just for giving it their all, even with a half-empty arena before them - this was the typical late-arriving LA/Orange County crowd.  For a band just starting to get some major exposure, they acquitted themselves quite well.

>> The night belonged to No Doubt. >>

As for No Doubt's live show, it continues to grow and improve along with their fan base - they have plenty of hits to choose from and keep the crowd singing along.  The band emerged by rising up through a section at the end of the platform that extended out in to the middle of the crowd, thus placing them immediately in the midst of their fans.  With bassist Tony Kanal and guitarist Tom Dumont working the middle of the walkway, Stefani was free to whip the mass in to a frenzy, where they stayed for the duration.   After a few songs, the band moved to their more traditional places on stage, Kanal and Dumont remaining pretty much within place, with Gwen providing most of the energy and working the crowd like a rock veteran.

Considering this is No Doubt's backyard, it really was no surprise that the crowd was completely in their corner.  With the band having scored a number of cross-over hits and Stefani becoming the standard bearer for the young, strong and still-sexy woman, it's no wonder that so many try to imitate her.  Still, this obviously wasn't the same crowd that No Doubt was playing to four or five years ago - the ska and punk kids have been replaced by the mid-teen hipsters being chaperoned by mom, dad or both, with many of the moms doing their best to be a Gwenabe as well.

>>Shirley receives flowers from an adoring fan. >>

Considering the alternatives, Stefani is not a bad role model for today's young women - she exudes confidence, intelligence and strength, without sacrificing sexuality.  Maybe more importantly, she hasn't has any physical alterations done (a la Courtney Love) and seems completely happy with her physical appearance, which hopefully sends a message to the young women who imitate her.  She still occasionally drops a few f-words in here and there, as she always has, but where parents used to seem a bit shocked by it, that appears to not even raise an eyebrow any more.

Playing everything in their catalogue, from their latest massive hit "Underneath It All," to one of their first hits, "I'm Just A Girl," No Doubt was extremely sharp and in control.  Stefani works a crowd as well as any of her male counterparts in rock today.  When the band finally finished up for the evening, it was apparent that most of the crowd was willing to go for more, maybe because this wasn't a school night.