;r ;med-wth n iamb.
The Ann Arbor Poetry Slam will feature
Kim Webb, Steve Marsh, Dan Jacobs
end Lynne Coffin at the Heidelberg Club Monday
tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $3.July6199813
oft
hamber
rcks hard
y AdlIn RoslI
aily Arts Writer
Heavy music bands have always been
haracterized by imagery that complements
eir music. Bands like Nine Inch Nails,
ool and Marilyn Manson are always por-
ed with images of destruction, hurt and
ser.
Then there's one of this year's main draws
>r (zzfest Coal Chamber. 'This is a band
at wears all black elothes and black make-up
id has multiple facial piercings, but they go
n tour with a stage full of cute and cuddly soft
Ws.
Just what is going on here? The music of
ooal Chamber is pure 100 percent heavy and
i urbing yet the band has an ice cream truck
s album cover and a cute scribble face for
s logo:
I love Alice Cooper," said lead singer
)z. "But I don t want to be like the Alice
ooper syndrome where I'll always have to
e wearing lipstick and lthis and that. You
an't be stuck into one thing. Image for us
Just as important as music and hopefully
ith the gross th of our music ill Iibe the
rowth of our image as well."
1he baid consists of lez on vocals. Meegs
-uitar. Ravna on bass and Mike on drums
divisdihulsaisnd ofstage. they're all friend-
soft-spoken and courteous
ttnstage. hotever. the Coal Chamber
during machine appears energetic, manic
nd driven to push the crossd into a lunatic
renzv. Just last \car the band ended up
>laving an excess of 400 shows (having
>laved two sets a day at Ozzfest '97).
Not surprisingly. the band has been growing
i poIpularity. Its debut album was released in
if'san, of 1997. Since then the bad has
ound critical fame and popularity in Europe.
>laying manv festivals there.
Coal Chamber has also extensively toured
he States, appearing on the second stage at last
-ear's Ozzfest and convincing Sharon
Jsbourne (Ozzy Osbourne's wife and manag-
r) to become its manager.
Courtesy of Roadrunner Records
The members of Coal Chamber gather for a meeting on the importance of traditional family val-
ues. OK, not really, but they sure can rock, and you can catch them at Ozzfest this summer.
The band considered being part of such a
successful tour a great experience.
"Ozzfest '97 ticket sales killed Lollapalooza
last year 10 to I," Dez said.
Coal Chamber is excited to le returning to
Ozzfest this summer, sNhere they swill perform
on the main stage.
"It's an honor first of all." Diez said. "Now
te re main stage, and not oily do we have to
impress fans and people like that, but our man-
ager is Sharon Osboumt so we really have to
nake her look good.-
The land is very appreciatiVe of suppiort
from its fans, who are still Coal Chamber's
slain priority.
"hur whole philosophy is that we don't
have fans, we have friends,' Dez said. "We
hang out after the show and we're extreme-
ly down to earth. For a band of our image
and music and everything like that. we just
trv to stay as close to the fans as we can.
"We have a lot of things we say and one of
them is. 'One hand stashes the other' We
believe in karma.."
Despite its endless touring schedule,
Coal Chamber expects to release a new
album as early as' the begining of next
sear.
"We re going to try to do the Madonna
thing. That's put an album out every two
years. which alot of bands don't hold claim
to do," Dez said. "After the Ozzfest we're
only going to take two weeks off, then we'll
go on to a month of pre-production, a
month of recording, two weeks of press or
whatever, and then we'll be back on the
road again in January, maybe early
December. The album is going to be
released February I1. two years to the day."
Three unrecorded songs, "Anxiety," "Not
Living" and "Blisters" have already found
their way on Coal Chambers current live
set.
Although Coal Chambers popularity in
Europe still ourshines its popularity here, the
crowd in the States is beginning to catch on.
The single "Loco" has begun to receive
extensive airplay on moden rock and hard
rock stations here. The public acceptance of
heavy music may be taking a back seat at the
moment to other musical genres, but Dez is
optimistic about the state of heavy music in
Anerica.
"I say it's getting ready to spring back up,"
Dez said.
With the Ozzfest outselling many other large
tours this summer, DeZs prediction may be
accurate. When Coal Chamber comes through
with the Ozzfest, be prepared for a terrific
show ... and bring your teddy bear
'Down' more
than expected
By Alexandra Ruh
Daily Arts Writer
Previews indicated that "I Went Down" would be an Irish
Trainspotting, complete with thick accents and dodgy
underworld characters.
While these factors are present , "I Went Down" suc-
cessfully travels beyond the boundaries of its apparent
genre.
The characters may include gangsters and the scenery
may have the grit of Ireland, but at the heart of this film is a
genuine and funny buddy movie.
Git Ilaynes (newcomer Peter MacDonald) has just been
released from jail for a crime he didn't commit, when he
lands himself in trouble with the local crime boss, Tom
French (Tony Doyle).
In order to make amends with
the boss and bail his gambling best
friend out of debt, Git must find
I Went and bring back the boss' old part-
Down ner, who has disappeared with
* something the boss is desperate to
retrieve.
Git's companon on this journey is
Bunny (Brendan Glesson), a stub-
born, unwilling henchman to the
boss. From the moment the two set
out on the road, it's plain that Bunny
is a bit mad, a bit lonely and a bomb
waiting to explode.
The frustration and friendship that
ensues between these two is what breathes life and charm
into the film.
Git is imediately likeable. The unfortunate ex-con is
shy, loyal and has a conscience made of steel.
Bunny, on the other hand, is crude and pig-headed. His
antics continuously put Git in the most horrible situa-
tions. But through the progression of their friendship,
Bunny is revealed as a sweet, vulnerable and surprising-
ly loyal lug.
What makes the movie truly great is the careful charac-
ter development of script writer Conor McPherson. He
creates a crime story background for two characters very
unlike the macho gangsters sho command them. The con-
trast between the henchmen and the upper mobsters is
effective in exposing the personalities behind Git and
Bunny.
"I Went Down" uses crooks, witty language and an
Irish backdrop to create the rough feel of a gangster film.
But don't go expecting a Tarentino movie; you'll be dis-
appointed. This movie may have guns and small time
criminals, but, unlike many films of this genre, it also has
a heart of gold.
Of L & D' only has the looks
By Michael Galloway
Daily Arts Editor
Almost exery time you see a video
game advertisement on TV. Iu a usaga-
zine or on the wteb, the words "incredi-
ble (or amazing or any other adJectise
synonymous stith 'really good') graph-
ics" appear.
But what recent releases for the PC.
P -station or N64 don't have great
shics? It's like whenever Robert
DcNiro, Al Pacino or Dustin Hoffman
star in a movie. Of course critics are
going to say they gave an "incredible
performance." When don't they?
Video game technology' is nost at the
Summer Wheat eer To Quench Your Thirst!
* Hoegarrden White
* Widmer Hefe Weizen
-'Weinhenstephaner Hefe-Weiss
* Nor'west Rasoberrv Weizen
level that praise for graphics means
sew' little.
So its not
much to say that
Interplay's new Of Light and
real time adven- Darkness
ture, "Of Light **
and Darkness -- Interplay
'The Prophecy," ca-ROM for win 95,
has unbelievable wi n98
graphics. The
game's 31)Art
a n d
Environmental
design were done
w by fantasy/sci-fi artist Gil Bruvel.
Bruvel was the perfect artist for this
game about die end of the world, taking
place in a town between heaven and
hell. the mixes the organic with the
mechanical and inorganic in the same
way IH.R. Giger (the guy who designed
the aliens for the "Aliens" and
"Species" moies) does. But Bruvels
drawings can be pleasant and beautiful,
fully colored dreamscapes as well as the
nightmarish images Giger comes up
with (though Giger's are usually isore
darkly colored).
In "Of Light and Darkness," you
play the Chosen One, who has to stop
See LIGHT, Page 14