Set List courtesy of gascott1@home.com

Miss World
Celebrity Skin
Pretty on the inside
Summer of 69' (Bryan Adams cover)
Northern Star
Dying
Violet
Malibu
Awful
Heaven Tonight
Doll Parts


--- Patrick Chalmers (insomniac9@hotmail.com) wrote:

This is a review for the July 1 show in Barrie Ontario for Edgefest. I arrived late at 6:00 pm to pouring rain, but soon I found all my friends and the sky cleared and we stood waiting for Hole.

Moist was on before Hole was, but who cares. Hole hit the stage at 11:15 pm, and I lost my mind! I've waited 4 years to see Hole! They opened with a killer version of Violet....Courtney was radiant in a long sparkly pink dress and angel wings strapped to her back. Melissa, showing her patriotism, was wearing a Canadian Flag halter top with knee boots and fishnets...think Ginger Spice's Union Jack Dress. Eric was in this really cool shirt that was blue and black, and Samantha was out of my sight range....but not for long.

They went through "Awful" and "Pretty on the Inside", Courtney introducing it saying that "WE ARE HELIX!!" (a Canadian metal band) and did many of my favorite songs. When someone through a bottle at the stage (which happened for every act before them) Courtney said: "If one more person throws a bottle, I will leave, you stupid little shit, or, OR...I will beat you up...you're probably THIS high right?"

Courtney did not play guitar for many of the songs. Instead, she prowled the stage, interacted with her fans, talking about "Our Canadian Content" which was Melissa, told us we were an attractive audience, which caused huge pushing when she came down to shake hands, and constantly pulled people on stage to sit. At last count there was about 10 girls and 3 guys sitting. She danced with some, made others sing, she seemed to really love and enjoy being with her fans. I wanted to be there SOOOOO bad.

"Dying" shot out cannons of glitter, and it was one of the best numbers of the night, as was "Doll Parts," which was SOOOOOO heavy and cathartic. The band even did a cover of "Summer of 69" by Bryan Adams, changing it to "Summer of 99" with Melissa on lead vocals!

But the most amazing part for me, Patrick Chalmers from Niagara Falls, a 20-year-old die-hard Hole fan, who has idolized Courtney for years as a goddess and role model, came for the encore, "Northern Star." Courtney paraded around the stage, singing a great rendition of it, and throughout the whole concert I tried to yell to her, tried to get close so she could see me, but I always got stopped and crushed. So I was inspired. I asked my twin brother and my friend Bill to hoist me on their shoulders, which they did. I was singing and waving to Courtney through the whole song, but she never looked in my direction......until the end. During the end of the song, she saw me waving and singing my heart out, and she POINTED TO ME, and BECKONED ME TO COME ONSTAGE. Now, I was pretty close, on Melissa's side on the stage (left), so i jumped down and tore through the crowd. My friends were trying to help me, cause NO ONE wanted to move. When I was just a few feet from the stage Courtney crouched down and frantically pointed me out to the security guy, saying "He's my cousin! Get him up here! RIGHT THERE! The blond guy with the twin! RIGHT THERE!" But security coudn't see me, and they thought it was a girl, and all the people aropund me were screaming "It's MEEEE!!" and I almost thought I would never get onstage.

Then, mad at security, Courtney grabbed the flaslight from the guy's hand AND SHINED IT ON ME, BECKONING ME CLOSER. All I could see was her, staring into my eyes, telling me to come close to the light...I said "Courtney, help me, I can't do it!" She looked me in the eyes and said "Yes you can! Come on!" and I was determined.

Finally I was pulled over everyone and placed onstage.....I was in heaven. I sat, FLIPPING OUT SCREAMING AND SINGING to all of "Celebrity Skin," the last number, right behind Melissa, I could see my friends just in shock. I told Melissa she was making Canada proud, and she smiled and shook my hand. I waved to Samantha, who smiled at me and said something I couldn't make out. I took a picture of Courtney's back, and I was in HEAVEN.

The last song ended, and Courtney went on a little song rant, it was cool. I just stared at her. Then, out of nowhere, Courtney turns around and says: "Where's my guitar? I need my guitar!" So I turn and yell to the roadies..."She NEEDS HER GUITAR OUT HERE!" And out of nowhere, came the defining event of my life. Courtney grabbed her cream coloured Squire Fender Telecaster with three heart stickers, walked over to me and said: "You are the FIRST guy I've ever given this to, here, you rock!"

AND COURTNEY LOVE GAVE ME HER GUITAR....i was the first guy ever! I said thank you and I love you Courtney....and they walked of stage. I craddled the guitar, walked up to Courtney and Melissa, and they hugged and kissed two girls while I screamed thank you...Then Melissa said smile and TOOK MY PICTURE!

Almost in tears, I saw the throng of people looking at me with envy and happiness, and I thrusted the guitar up in the air and yelled out "YEAAAHHH!" triumphantly. 15,000 people cheered for me, and it was the best moment of my life....I felt  like a rockstar, and I was so happy and in shock. Security detained me, and escorted me to my car so i wouldn't get jumped, and I ran to hug my hysterically happy and shocked friends.

The best night of my life...I am still in shock..Hole is my favorite band, and now I have been touched by the gods...I am shaking as I type this...Unbelievable.


Review by Mike Scott

When the band came out, (an hour late, because of rain) they came out to the opening of Old Age (the begging part to "Credit in the Straight World"). Courtney Love was wearing a pink dress and pink butterfly wings; she was very energetic, constantly going out on to the front of the stage and touching the fans, etc.. During the show she would pull people on stage til there were 10 or 15 people onstage. During "Dying," there were fireworks in the form of pink confetti. She let a couple of the fans on stage sing with her (one grabbed her breasts). She gave her guitar to a guy at the end of the show. They did 2 or 3 songs for an encore. After the Bryan Adams cover, Courtney said, "You may think his songs are really mainstream, but they're really good songs." That wasn't it actually but close enough.

Thats about it.. She threatened to walk offstage if any more bottles were thrown. Melissa was wearing a shirt with a Canadian flag on it (the concert being on Canada Day). The band sounded good, and Courtney's vocals were great.