Pop Reviews : Grass-Roots Spectacle for Anti-Vivisectionists

If rock ‘n’ roll bow hunter Ted Nugent were dead, he’d be spinning in his grave over the spectacle at the Hollywood Palladium on Saturday: a baker’s dozen of young rock acts, many cast from Nugent’s long-haired-gonzo mold, singing to save animals, not kill them, in a lengthy concert supporting the anti-animal-experimentation American Assn. for Science and Public Policy--and acoustic at that.

But the Nuge would have probably delighted in some of the sights and sounds, such as the band Tool (which was joined by Henry Rollins) using its namesakes to vivisect its instruments, and the young fans moshing along merrily despite the non-electric setting.

In other highlights, hard-rockers Circus of Power honored such heroes as Neil Young, the Cult and John Lennon with well-turned versions of songs they originated, and Perry Farrell’s Porno for Pyros (clearly the crowd favorite) was much more focused and intriguing in this short set than at its full Castaic Lake concert two weeks ago.

In contrast to several other recent benefits involving some of the same acts, there was no real headliner--Farrell, Skinny Puppy’s Nivek Ogre, and Alice in Chains with Heart’s Ann Wilson guesting were the biggest names. But that just gave it a real grass-roots, egalitarian aura. And the fans’ and performers’ sense of commitment (to the music, at least) would have impressed even the most dedicated meat-eaters.