Band: A Perfect Circle
Location: Detroit, MI, USA @ St. Andrews Hall
Date: Aug. 9, 2003

Equipment: Mini Disc --- Core Sound Binaurals (bass roll-off) > Sharp MT-180
Taping Position: Front Of Stack - Left

Notes, Recording: Honestly, this is one of the best recordings I have yet had the honor of recording. I was
positioned directly in front of the left stack, with about 3.5 feet of space between because the barricade was
very wide between the sold-out crowd & the band. Probably a good idea, actually. As it turns out, St. Andrews
is a rather bass-e hall if you stand directly, directly, in FOS but if you are unobstructed with a few feet between
the sound turns out to be rather nice. Very surprising actually. There is a little -tiny- bit of wind-noise as I stood
directly in front of a huge fan that was in front of the stacks that blew into the crowd. Hard to notice & I didn't
mind much. Thankfully, I was at a spot where you were not really supposed to stand but did so because the
bouncer/security guy was sort of on my side so there is virtually no crowd noise at all except for in the proper
places. Not really sure what the hell to say about this, I couldn't be happier for the equipment I use to tape, all
pretty standard, really. Performance was absolutely splendid & I am still impressed & doubt that will fade -
pretty much, this is all I've been listening to of my recordings for the past while. Doubt this will change anytime
soon. Of course, the new line-up of A Perfect Circle is: Billy, Josh, Maynard, Twiggy (Jeordie White) & James
Iha. Of course, you know that. Really, if you think about it, APC, in this incarnation, is the closest thing these
days to a super-group with the exception of Audioslave - but not in the same way. James Iha = Smashing
Pumpkins, Twiggy = Marilyn Manson, Josh = Devo + numerous studio fills for loads of artists, Billy = virtuoso
&, of course, James = Tool.

Notes, Background: This show was one of the few warm-up APC shows of 2003. Tickets were announced &
released for the Detroit show on July 19 - depending on how you count it, about 3 weeks before the
performance. Apparently, this show sold out in under 30 seconds for both the presale & via ticketmaster.  
Basically, unless you knew the tickets were going to be on sale & knew how & when to get them you had a
decent chance of attaining a spot. We, of course, managed to get spots, thankfully. Standing in line next to us
were two fellas who each bought one ticket for $200 from eBay for this show. Expensive, very glad I payed...
actually my best-man bought my ticket so I couldn't complain anyway... face value. After waiting in line for a
little under two hours, we made our way to the doors as Pigmy Love Circus was finishing up their set and, yes,
we missed the entire set due to security. At St. Andrews Hall, they never, ever, have any sort of security except
for this night - it was ridiculous. Completely ridiculous & uncalled for. After having my equipment crotched for
that time period, I had to take my cell phone back to the car because it has a little camera on it. Ridiculous. Still,
hard to complain or put up a fight when you are brininging in audio equipment. Made it into the venue & almost
immediately after getting in, smoke started to come out from the stage. We grabbed some beer, fought our way
up to the front & waited. Talked to a security guy, D'Amon (I believe), & offered him a $20 bill if he could get a
copy of a setlist. Said he would see what he could do. After the show, he contacted one of his buddies who
grabbed it from the stage, brought it down, handed him the setlist then handed it to me as I handed him a twenty.
Now, you may ask, was $20 worth a piece of paper that cost less than nothing? Well, most likely, no. But under
these circumstances & for this band for this show it was completely worth it for me. I collect setlsits &
Tool/APC setlists from shows I was at are priceless. Hell of a lot cooler, IMO, than a $35 APC tee shirt. Now,
take moment to check out the disclaimer that littered the walls of St. Andrews; no audio/video - no smoking info.
After 3 Libras & Thomas, there is a problem with the PA's that carries through until halfway through the
package. Not totally noticable but it is to me. Also, during the main down-time between songs, some drunk guy
pukes right behind me. Loveley. You can hear security get the guy out of the venue. Still unsure why APC &
Tool... err, Maynard James Keenan... is so anti-taping. It is an extremely small minority who would do that to a
band(s). Any real taper who respects his/her self would not sell their shit. It is pointless. Live recordings only
help spread the message of a band, any band, really. For a band like APC, I think, they are a live band & are
captured best live. To go to extreme measures to try to nullify this fact is foolish & simply close-minded. If
someone is going to record a band, they are or have also purchased an album, most the time, & are a fan of the
band. Why push fans away? Why try to silence the 'live' voice of a band? I don't get it. This brings me to a
rather irritating fact. As my buddy Ryan & I were scoping out the venue for security, we noticed a white dude,
buzz-cut, polo-tee, built & an inner ear monitor in his ear tackling a kid. A kid; 17-19 years old. The cops came,
the guy was telling the kid to show his ID & the kid refused. Cops told the guy to let the kid go & me, being
nosey, took a listen. The buzz-cut guy was with the band & the kid was trying to sneak in taping equipment.
Heard the buzz-cut guy say something about "if this was leaked, it would be a big problem for the band" or
something like that. The cops made the guy let go of the kid & the fella had his ticket confiscated(?). Ouch.
What a bunch of crap. Seriously.

Setlist Attained?: Yes

Setlist: