Primus @ The Fillmore, Detroit

Primus @ The Fillmore, 3 de Octubre, 2010. Detroit, Rock City (I see what you did there – Q).

I remember the first time I heard Primus. It was 1995 and a friend from high school lent me an album she had abandoned in her desk. She told me she didn’t listen to it often as it was “weird”, but surely I would like it.

Turns out it was the Sailing the seas of cheese and, yes, I liked. So much that I listened to it for over a year and I still listen to it as one of my “powersongs” when I go out running.

Once I found out that Primus (Les Claypool, Larry LaLonde and Tim Alexander) were visiting Motor City, I was happier than a japanese schoolgirl fighting Gojira. It would be the second time I see them in 4 years.

The Fillmore, previously known as State Theater, is a majestic place in the city centre, just in front of the Detroit Tigers baseball park. The acoustics is excellent and the interior design is top notch, with some colossal statues included just for kicks.

The lobby hosted a couple of circus-like characters doing magic tricks. They were going around in stilts and grotesque costumes, and when I tried to take a snapshot, a security guard had a go at me. It stroke me as odd, but it would all be explained later.

Opening bands started at 6:30 PM. First it was Split Lip Rayfield, from Kansas and Portugal the Man, from Alaska. Split Lip Rayfield are 100% country, well-armed with mandolin, bass and a one string banjo (made with the gas tank of a 77 Ford Marquis). Their style is punk country, a little repetitive, but quite virtuous with their instruments.

Portugal the Man are more in the vein of Mars Volta, but less dissonant. Quite melodic, with some songs clocking 10 minutes. Both bands were good aperitifs.

That thing about the circus characters? Well, when Primus took the stage, these characters were doing some pretty dangerous circus acts with knives, beds of nails and swords, and because of legal issues they couldn’t be filmed.

Once that was done, lights went out and the real circus started. Primus came out, amidst shouts of “Primus sucks!” and clapping. Two giant astronauts were by the sides, with their visors being two massive screens were videos were projected.

Although I call myself a fan, there were some songs I didn’t recognise, but suffice to say, from song number one, the audience was eating it up. It has been a long time since I see a proper mosh pit in a city concert, this one even had some crowd surfing.

As the night progressed, some classics shone through, like ‘Here come the bastards’, ‘Those damn blue collar tweekers’, ‘Over the falls’ and ‘My name is mud’. Les Claypool took out an electric cello and we waited for Primus to play ‘Mr. Kinkle’, but, alas, it was not this the night for it.

I always will respect the deftness that Primus has as a live show and their total devotion to their fans. I also like Les Claypool‘s little dances (sometimes like chickens doing the Lambada).

Les Claypool even dressed up as a chimp (what’s with the animal costumes? – Q) and he pulled out a pipe, then hit it with a stick, making different sounds depending on the position his hand was. Sort of a stick-bass, but without strings (maybe he is a fan of Blue Man Group – Q)

There was some interaction with the public, mostly focused on the multiple bras thrown to the stage, and the night followed with more crowd surfing, bass slapping, double toms and an overtly glossy guitar. The elements were shaken (not stirred) and the final olive was the double rope a dope of ‘Jerry was a race car driver’ and ‘Tommy the cat’, even if they said that ‘Tommy’ wasn’t going to be played that night.

Lights went on and my fiancé, Moi and I took our memento pic, this time with the vynil version of ‘Sailing the seas of cheese’. We weren’t the same people. Something in you changes when you see Primus.

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