ROX-TV’s Rewind Concert Series Continues: Lords of Acid at the State Theatre in Detroit, Sunday March 4th, 2001

Welcome back to the ROX-TV website. Tonight we will be travelling back in time with our continuing “Rewind Concert Series”. I think concert experiences can be amazing nights, that sometimes hit in pivotal moments of our lives. Usually when you start going to shows, your youth is in full bloom. It’s a sense of freedom to go to your first show, or venue, or concert. Call it whatever you like, but the game is still the same. By the time I was about ten I was ready to start going to events, although my age and parents made that impossible. I didn’t want to hit the Mickey Mouse circuit because by that age I was already listening to rap and rock. In 1990 MTV was in full time wrecking mode and it seemed to be where all things cool were.

When we finally got a black box (device that was circulated around for “borrowing” cable) I had my first window into the music world that wasn’t lame. I had radio but they rarely played things that I cared about or found interesting. Maybe that’s why the medium died out but that is another story all together. After school, if my parents were pre-occupied or didn’t notice, I could play MTV real low and catch the sounds of the nation beaming back at me.

Some of my earliest favorites on the box were Guns-N-Roses, Ice T, Grandmaster Flash, Geto Boys, and the earliest versions of what would be the Seattle Sound within a few years. Pearl Jam really got me going and even some different type things like the B52’s. Music broke through to me on some level that I had previously been unable to achieve in other aspects of my young life.

I suppose if I could have dropped out of school in 1990 at the age of 10 to listen to music all day…well…as Jack Torrance would say “That sounds fine to me” (Shining). I was inspired, had no idea what to do with that, but I could have lived on music and probably been cool with not leaving the house. Obviously, I didn’t get my way but the point was that the music and that scene were so intoxicating to me, it was all I wanted to do. I would have to settle for the radio and MTV when the black box was functioning and also Rap City on BET (Channel 41). Rap City I felt was better than Yo MTV Raps, but that doesn’t matter much, at least not today. The group and concert I will be talking about tonight was some other beast, that didn’t exist really on any of those mediums. But more on that in a minute.

The concert as an idea, was this place to be independent of my parents, the systems of control, and to taste the sweet freedom of being young and on fire. By the time I was 16 years old, I was starting to break away towards this burning light. At 16 in Michigan, if you passed your drivers courses at the high school (usually run by a pre-occupied teacher who wanted to be somewhere else) you had a license free and clear. There was no bullshit drivers’ restrictions and graduated driver’s license levels. That would come by 1998 or so and was nothing more than the very start of slowing down the youth of the day. This is something I have never agreed with but that is also for another time.

I managed to attend some local events and even got as far as Pine Knob a few times by the mid 1990’s give or take. The music bursting around the country was amazing and in abundance. You could literally pick and choose your favorite bands and there were good bands and artists left over. By the late 90’s my girlfriend’s taste in music was starting to rub off on me in few ways.

Up until 1998 or so, I was mostly a stone-cold Detroit fan and enjoyed the local heavies bopping out some groundbreaking music (in my opinion and I think history has vetted that belief). I was firmly into the hip hop/gangster rap vibe as well. Just like with the “grunge” music, which was really just another way of saying punk or updated rock (again, opinion), the “rap” genre was bursting at the seams on both coasts. I got into the dirty south a bit but tended to lean towards that classic gangster sound coming from California. I dug the east coast sound, but not as much. I think they were smoking a lot more weed in the west which created a really chill and cool vibe.

Places like New York are cold and to me felt more like forty ouncers in the stairwell type shit. Colder climates influence a lot of things people don’t really think about, most profoundly in the style of dress. The New York City boots, baggy jeans, hoodies, skullies, and giant coats were helpful to a guy in Michigan, although I could never make it look as cool as Method Man (probably not cool at all). But now I’m drifting again…oh yes, my woman’s musical preferences were different than mine in 1998 although we shared some points of interest. I introduced her to a more heavy rotation of Insane Clown Posse, Esham, and the like. She introduced me to a more Nine Inch Nails, Smashing Pumpkins, and Violent Femmes vibe. We did what people sometimes do and meet somewhere in the middle. 333

How did I get there?

One of the more interesting groups that she enjoyed was a group called “Lords of Acid“. Right off the bat, I was like what the fuck is that? A couple of weirdo’s banging LSD all day and making scary noises into a microphone? I was on new ground and that really is the exciting part about music. Venturing out, exchanging new sounds and ideas, at least that’s how the 1990’s felt to me. People had their feet firm in their scene, but it wasn’t uncommon to float into other shit.

I fell in with a group of true music lovers, who weren’t afraid to go where the sounds took them. I think ultimately this changed me as a musical type of guy and I even remember the albums that did it. For the interest of the story, in 1998 I was introduced to The Doors and The Velvet Underground at about the same time. This altered my journey forever, and I left a “rap only” type of head space and started to trust what sounded good to me. Before that, I would listen to anything that was hip hop or rap, almost exclusively, and didn’t move on, even when the artist or group sucked. I was in all the way, until I found this new foreign sound and feeling. I guess all music is related so “foreign” might not be the right word.

Everything influences everything and the only true originators might be the first cave dude to pound on a deer skin drum and fashion the first flute. Whatever man, the point is music is like the people of this earth. We are all related in some way or another if you go back far enough. Working together is the key to moving forward. We all live on this planet together and share the same species designation. Let’s fucking start to act like our home address is “earth” and not a man-made country. (In my opinion, newer formed countries seem to experience a lot of the growing pains) There are countries around the world that have furniture older than America. In some ways we are like the teenager on the global scale. We want what we want, without regards for anything outside of our country. The U.S. is like a baby drop in the bucket.

So, there I was, I had been introduced to this crazy ass named group called Lords of Acid, but I would find out later that they weren’t as crazy or as terrible as one might deduce from the name.

What is that?

Lysergic acid diethylamide commonly referred to as “Acid” was first synthesized by some white cat from Switzerland in 1938. The man’s name was Albert Hoffman and the Swiss genius is credited with being the first to make, ingest, and study the interesting and magical effects of the substance. “Lysergic Acid is a chemical derived from the hydrolysis of ergotamine, an alkaloid found in ergot, which is a fungus that infects grain” (Thank you Wiki, I’m not a scientist).

Now there are all different kinds of drugs properly or wrongly labeled as “acid” or “psychedelic” and I’m not here for a history debate, street level science opinions, or any of that shit. I just thought something should be said about it since it seems to dominate the name of the group. Ok, moving on to why we are really here of course. The ROX-TV Rewind Concert series. I guess I should also say that although I personally don’t disagree with psychedelics and have actually tried and enjoyed them throughout the years…I have also scared the life out of myself and seen some weird shit dabbling. I guess that’s as close as a “parental advisory” type of warning I can share. People who are not in a good head space SHOULD NEVER FUCK WITH IT. That also goes for bubble gum types who smoke weed a few times and think they are ready. You have to really understand the derangement of the senses (in my opinion) before considering them. If you can’t function well high and outside of a normal head space, just skip these (if that makes any sense, maybe it doesn’t).

Who are they?

Lords of Acid is described as an electronic music group with Belgium/American roots. The troupe is led up by a guy named Praga Khan. I would eventually get into his solo type stuff a few years later once I learned about hard mornings and crazy days. For those wishing to delve further into the subject, I suggest “Breakfast in Vegas”. Chew on that bad MFER for a bit. I did and it took me places that I had only heard about although you don’t have to travel to Las Vegas for that. I never left Michigan and found the hidden spots and people that can be found down a trip into the rabbit hole.

The group has had numerous different members over the years and the actual whole thing got going in 1988. The first single L.O.A. released was called “I sit on acid”. Their first debut album was called “Lust” and was built by Praga Khan, Olivier Adams, and Jade 4U. It hit the ground with a boom in 1991. Singles at that time included “Rough Sex” and another track called “I must increase my bust”. The shit they talked about in the songs were pretty interesting and definitely sexually explicit. They became instantly recognizable and valued within the Electronic and the Dance communities. Like I sometimes do with music, once introduced to a new group/artist/or band…I simply work in reverse into their body of work.

The actual album that turned me onto them and brought them into my lexicon permanently was the album called “Voodoo-U”. Although I didn’t get into it until well after its original release in 1994, when I did get “hip” to it, that was the album that became my favorite out of the material I explored. The cover was pretty sexy and over the top, with naked devil type chicks “enjoying” each other’s company. Just the cover alone would have been enough for me to check them out, if I had come across them first (but I didn’t).

“Voodoo-U” as a whole was what I considered pound for pound my favorite and I still own it today. Once in a while when I feel the old ways calling from distance worlds, I pop that CD in or fire up YouTube for a trip back into my youthful days. Of course, Praga Khan’s never left that status either, but I never really went beyond the album “21st Century Skin”. I never felt the need to, although I’m sure not everyone’s tastes are the same. Check that shit out and judge for yourself. If none of it makes sense, then I’m guessing “you’re not a golfer” (Thank you Big Lebowski).

The night it all mattered

Venue: The State Theatre (Known now as the “Filmore Detroit”)

Location: 2115 Woodward Avenue, Detroit City

Time: Sunday, March 4th, 2001

Ticket Price: $21.75 (Main Floor-General Admission)

I’m not sure who in the gang heard about the show announcement first but it was briefly discussed and agreed upon that the tribe should head there for the show. The official head count was ten that I can remember and account for, and required three vehicles. We could have made it in two, but that would have been a little crowded with the drinks. The ticket price was about “mid-range” for the time. I had paid considerably more and less prior to that, so the cost was fair enough. I really didn’t know what to expect, but I guarantee you, what I did find that night was beyond my wildest little dreams.

Like all shows back then, we started “preparing” for the gig hours earlier with what we used to call a “warm up”. This basically meant people started drinking booze and using whatever else was needed to lift the spirits fifty miles to the city. By 2001, Detroit was a common ground for us as far as seeing concerts. We enjoyed the city, felt comfortable within the confines and often interacted with anyone that would interact with us back (street people, locals, anyone willing to bullshit, drink, smoke, or whatever…you’re cool, we’re cool type of thing). I don’t remember ever having any trouble at any of the shows ever (except Social Distortion in mid 2000’s). I have found over the years and decades that people looking for trouble will find it and that is the way of it. We were down for whatever but certainly open to partying and having a good time above all else.

So, we hit the road and that excitement started to build. Going to a show always felt the same way, there was an element of the unknown, intoxication, and the chance for a real adventure. As it just so happened, the Knob Hill gang was always up for the challenge. We dominated in the area of all three and took our fucking clown show on the road whenever we could get our shit together. The joke was we could keep up with any rock tour in terms of the excessive extremes that we leaned into with drink and substance, but it wasn’t really a joke. I think we generally scared away people because we were mostly broke “on” and forever. I know we did because people would stop by to hang out and their chicks would take one step in the door, see the nitrous tanks, smell the dope, get blinded by the gel tabs and strobe lights, nearly step on the broken glass and they were fucking gone. Their boyfriends would be bummed because they had to follow their chicks. They knew what kind of wild party we would be having and no one wants to miss an old school NOS party. If you did, you just didn’t know how cool it was.

(Author’s Note: We were all where we wanted to be at that time in our lives, but as a warning to younger people thinking about the lifestyle, we all paid heavy bills for our particular participation either in legal fees, health problems, and sadly even losing a few good cats along the way. I won’t judge anyone for zipping down that road, we did it, but just know that the bills will be in the mail, sometimes for years…waiting to be opened and they most certainly will. I can promise anyone that. Not to be a buzz kill, it just needs to said out loud)

Pulling in behind the State Theatre, which at that time was mostly just a free for all parking deal, no one was really collecting money, we just hit an abandoned stretch and parked, pissed in the lot, and then clamored our way inside. And this is when I started to notice that this was not just going to be another show. People were different. There was some another vibe going off and once we pushed through the door and got into the lobby, I knew I wasn’t in Kansas anymore.

I seen chicks in see-through fish net, dragging other chicks around on leashes, lots of fucking crazy behavior out in the open. This was where electronic music and S & M collided, rubber to the road so to speak. Rubber masks, whips, chains, people were leathered up and happy to be giving and receiving a little punishment. I was impressed, mystified, and at a loss for words in an instant. I pulled my girl a little closer as we walked by chicks looking for chicks. But hey, people get their kicks in a lot of ways…fuck it, I’m not a judge or censor. Sex and sex type shit has been around since before the Pyramids. Different people “get off” on different shit. That’s fine, to each is own.

As we waded into the leather and rubber, the music started to bump. I wasn’t an expert so I can’t remember exactly what songs were being played as Lords of Acid took the stage, but they had a far-out situation going on. There were people getting punishment on stage, which they enjoyed of course, and as the music exploded and the strobes became almost overwhelming, that poor old building (which was built in 1925, and listed in the national registry in 1982) got a taste of the leather that night. People were tripping, rolling, candy flipping, whatever you want to call it. It was Sodom and Gomorrah, with electricity and good music.

We had listened to the CD’s and partied along with the songs, but to see that level of participation and actual S&M was pretty far out at the time. Maybe the crew had met our match, but we didn’t run away. We stood our ground and let everyone be who they were. It was a night for the ages. Although I never really got into them on any super heavy level, the Lords of Acid delivered that night and I still bump some of their music from time to time. They are still rolling strong. I tried to track down some footage for the 2001 Detroit show but sadly not was to be found. Cell phones were still kind of a novelty and recording shows with a phone wasn’t really a thing. It was a different time. I found a few shows from Detroit in the late 2010’s but it just didn’t match that energy of the 2001 show. So yeah, that’s about if for this show. Everyone one was a little different and I have a lot of ticket stubs so stay tuned. For many more Rewind Concert articles, from a wide spectrum of musical tastes. You never know what might be showcased next, so keep coming back. Until next time, be well, be cool, and be free.

Signing Off,

Mike Shepard

ROX-TV Head Writer

shepard2909@hotmail.com