Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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This Week in USC History i • Dec. 7, 1987 — USC signed a contract with Lou Reda Productions that gave the television and documentary producer access to its movietone news collection and would bring USC half of any production profits. Trio shows Euro-rock style Special to The Gamecock Velvet Acid Christ’s latest release, “Twisted Thought Generator,” was showcased in their performance at Atlanta’s Masquerade. ■ Velvet Acid Christ, Haujobb and Din_Five play in Atlanta by Steve Suchomski The Gamecock ■& OUT OF ☆ AAA Velvet Acid Christ, Haujobb and Din_Fiv played a mesmerizing show at the Masquerade in Atlanta on Nov. 28. The trio of these industrial dance/ebm bands, a style more pop ular in Europe, featured Haujobb as the only European band. The two American acts were showcasing their newest releases — Din_Fiv’s second album, “Escape to Reality” and \AC’s “Twisted Thought Generator.” Din_Fiv opened the show by playing songs from their two albums and some songs by frontman David Din’s other band, Informatik. For their show, Haujobb had planned a surprise, which they hint ed at in the interview before the show, saying, “We’re much more of a rock band live.” Their performance featured the addition of a guitar and live drums to their synth-laden songs, a change the audience reacted to by forming several mosh pits during the performance. In addition to clas sics such as “Distance” and “Anti Matter,” a couple of songs from up coming albums were performed. Haujobb left the stage along with all of the instruments save for two keyboard units. The reason for the extra space became apparent shortly after bright lights and samples from Star Trek signaled the start of “Futile” and \AC’s performance. VAC frontman Bryan Erickson, aka Disease Facto ry, took to the nearly empty stage by throwing himself around it. The hybrid between “Futile” and its extended remix, “Futile 98,” served primarily as a warm-up for the intense performance that fol lowed. While doing vocals, Erickson emphasized the emotions and con tent of the songs with physical ac tions. During the second song, “Di al 8,” Erickson expressed his feelings about suicide and his.recent depres sion by making a pistol out of his hand, holding it to his head, pulling the trigger and falling hard to the stage. Erickson also wrapped the mi crophone cord thoroughly around his neck at the end of “The Calling,” pretended to shoot drugs during “Fun With Drugs” and hit himself during an encore performance of “Mal function.” In addition, Erickson also disas sembled and reassembled his micro phone, accidently burning himself in the process, and unplugged all of his monitors during the show, saying dur ing the interview that they hampered the sound quality of the first three songs. Thus, later songs including “Lyseigia,” “Aplfux,” and “Hyper sphere” sounded louder and clearer. Erickson also interacted a great deal with the audience. In addition to the standard cliches of high fives and calls for more noise, Er ickson put his hands on people’s heads and held a mobile over the audience until someone pulled it out of his hands. During the interview after the show, Erickson was exhausted from the show’s intensity and re sponded to a question about a Euro pean tour by saying, “I’ll see if I sur vive this one first.” The spotlight desk can be reached at gamecockspotliglTt@hotniail.com. Rob McEwan Special to The Gamecock Arnold Schwarzenegger stars in "The 6th Day” as Adam Gibson, an unknowing participant in the cloning process. ‘The 6th Day’ falls flat, despite seasoned actors by Erin O’Neal The Gamecock First came Dolly the sheep, then the University of Oregon success fully cloned a monkey and now, with Paramount Pictures’ “The 6th Day,” audiences have the pleasure of twice the action, excitement and German-accented humor of Arnold Schwarzenegger. “And on the sixth day, God cre ated man.” At least that’s the way it’s told according to the Bible. In Shwarzenegger’s latest attempt at a sci-fi thriller, pets and oigans can be cloned, but cloning a human is still illegal. The 6th Day takes place in the not too distant future, featur ing Schwarzenegger as Adam Gib son, an unknowing participant in the human cloning process. Gibson returns home from shop ping to find that a clone has taken his place. In order to return to his family, Gibson embarks on a dan gerous game of survival against cor rupt businessman, Michael Druck er (Tony Goldwyn) and his three loyal henchmen. Sarah Wynter (“Lost Souls”) put on an impressive performance as Talia Elsworth, one of Drucker’s goons, and television actor Rob Rowland (“Dark Angel”) provid ed much of the comic relief as Wi ley, a newcomer to this team of cloned sidekicks. Seasoned actor Michael Rook er’s (“The Bone Collector”) por trayal of Robert Marshall, Druck er’s right-hand man, gives a whole new meaning to the words “bad guy.” Director Roger Spottiswoode (“Tomorrow Never Dies”) created an admirable display of pyrotech nics and virtual imagery, including multiple explosions, incredible car chases and a virtual girlfriend, as well as Schwarzenegger’s clone. “The 6th Day” is full of under lying questions as to the morality of cloning, from the protesting of Bible zealots to the clone’s real ization that he is, in fact, a clone. There was an especially touch ing scene between Dr. Griffin Weir (Robert Duvall), the founder of cloning technology, and his dying wife, Katherine (Wanda Cannon). A rather small part for a man of Duvall’s merits, Weir came across as a weak character and didn’t get as much Screen time as he should have. The movie also took a stand against prejudice, as according to law, clones had no rights as citizens. They were considered to be on the same level as animals. The apparent preaching for civ il rights and predictable plot twists took away from the movie’s inten sity. The weak script was strength ened by seasoned actors and an in teresting subject, though neither were enough to keep “The 6th Day” from being much more than mp.rlinr'rp As far as Schwarzenegger sci-fi thrillers go, “The 6th Day” was en tertaining but pales in comparison to “Total Recall.” If nothing else, this glorified ac tion flick qualifies as nothing more than a stuntman’s fantasy. The spotlight desk can be reached at gamecockspotlight@hotmail.com. TNT ’80s special remembers time as ‘awesome’ era by William Snyder The Gamecock Last week, TNT dedicated an en tire week of programs to commemo rate a very special time in history. Some eras are defined by significant moments — the 1940s and WWII, the 1960s and the first mission to the moon, the Os and the birth of Christ. But each of these pales in com parison to the 1980s because this was the era of “cool.” The ’80s represented a state of mind rather than a singular event. TNT realized this and paid its respects by devoting a week to celebrate — ’’The Awesome ’80s.” What other decade in history could ever be so appropriately labeled “awesome?” And the ’80s were just that, and better yet, we grew up then. Sure, we’re in college now, pursu ing professions and higher education, but we share the common bond of growing up in a time when fashion trends spiked up and down like a car diograph. When else in history could or ange, yellow, purple and red all have been meshed together in such a resplendent display of fashion? And when we couldn’t classify our new fashion statement as either shorts or pants, we created our own name — not shants, not ports, but...jams. In the ’80s, social status was mea sured by the brightness of one's clothes or the size of his Trapper Keeper. However, the coolest kid in the 4th grade was the guy who could convince his mom to get him hightop converse shoes. Not the kind that cut off around the ankles, we’re talking shin-highs here. They’d even fold down to re veal a yellow lining. This was the’80s. In the ’90s, children strut around with lame shirts broadcasting their hobbies, like Pokemon or Harry Pot ter. Eighties’ children would never have stooped to such a low. They spent recess playing tetheiball in their “tight rolled” jeans. Now that’s fashion. And the only thing that beat a pair of jeans with five pockets was a pair with 10 pockets. And the only thing that beat a pair of jeans with 10 pock ets was a pair with 10 pockets and zip pers. Zippers started showing up every where. It was like they reproduced. A child could wake up and count a different number of zippers on the same pair of pants each morning. Clothes started showing up with zip pers that didn’t even open into pock ets. They didn’t serve a practical, tan gible function, like sealing an opening; they just looked cool, and that’s what the ’80s was about. Children marched up the halls, book bags slung over one shoulder, trying their best to look like Marty McFly. They’d wave to each other and talk about how “fresh” or “radi cal” their new bowl-cuts were. It was a great time to be a guy. Not being able to match clothes was a social talent. Picking up a girlfriend was as easy as passing her a letter in between episodes of “Reading Rain bow.” If she checked the “no” box, he wasn’t upset. * There was no fear of rejection be cause he’d know that all it would take to convince her would be a “slap-on” bracelet. What 10-year old girl can say no to a romantic gesture of af fection that doubles as a ruler? Not many. USC student Justin Gough re members the ’80s as “fun.” “I played a lot of four square and traded Garbage Pail Kids with my friends,” Gough said. “My favorite was Vile Kyle because he rode a mo torcycle.” When asked about the ’80s. Ross Oakley started singing “Like a Vngin” at the top of his lungs in the middle of the Russell House. After he finished his number, he continued, saying, “I really didn’t like the ’80s. Everyone made fun of me. It wasn’t my fault my mom made me wear my older brother’s polyester V-necks to class.” Sophomore Gray Howard recalls “walking like an Egyptian and watch ing the Junkyard Dog battle Jake the Snake.” In its weeklong tribute, TNT per fectly described this decade as “awe some.” The ’80s encouraged loud col ors and creative clothing, among other things. Children tirelessly sought out unique trends in pursuit of coolness. In one word, the ’80s were “tubular.” The spotlight desk can be reached at gamecockspotiight@hotmail.com. What’s Happening Friday, Dec. 8 BB’s (St Andrews)- Jay & Becky Knoll BB’s (Lexington)-Hip N. Bones Motion Bhie Martini- Ticos Jazz Group Carolina Coliseum- 27th Annual USC „ Holiday Music Festival Delaney’s-Chris Ricker Elbow Room- Five Way Friday, Jennifer Nettles Band ^ Heminway’s- Captain Cook and the Co-'*' conuts Hunter-Gatherer- Danielle Howie and ’ the Tantrums Jammin’ Java-Phil Norman Legends-Phoenix Band Mac’s on Main- Fatback & The Groove Band Merlin’s Second Generation J New Brookland- The Verna Cannon, Poprocket, Perfect Sleeper Sundance-Oldstar -± Saturday, Dec. 9 Bill’s Music Shop-Bill Wells & The BlueRidge Mountain Grass Xmas Show Blue Martini-Modal Expression Delaney’s-Chris Ricker , - Decision’s- J. Edwards Band Elbow Room- Blue Doggs Hobex H, Hemingway’s- Jim LeBlanc Jammin’ Java- Zu Zu’s Petal Legends- Phoenix Band Mac’s on Main- Page II Jazz Ensemble Merlin’s Second Generation Montoy’s- Jack Ryan Monroe and Josh “^ Riffle New Brookland- Scrubbies (CD release party, Cherry Cherry Pow Pow) Sundance- Lapis Lazuli % Sunday, Dec. 10 Decisions’s- Blues Jam with Brainstorm ' Delaney’s- Teen Trivia Montery Jacks -Latoya and Gregg Acoustic ■*‘j Christmas tunes to play on WUSC by Mackenzie Craven The Gamecock WUSC will be broadcasting Christ mas tunes as the semester comes to a close. WUSC disc jockeys Clair Boatwright and Mark Lyvers first thought of the idea of having a weekend of holiday music last year. “We thought it would be fun, it would be good for the station and good for our audience,” Lyvers said. Lyvers and Boatwright usually have holiday shows featuring songs from their genres, American/Folk and jazz/blues respectfully. This year, about 10 DJs will con tribute so the special will feature all gen res of holiday tunes. Some of the DJs are already prepar ing their playlists. DJ Jennifer Wright has a free-foimat show and plans on play ing her favorite ffee-format bands, such as Low’s Holiday album, “Christmas.” “I think it’s really cool because it helps us continue the trend of teaching the community about new genres of mu sic and bands,” Wright said. Lyvers said WUSC will try to stick to the no Top 40 policy. “I imagine a few tunes will slip by the Top 40 rule, but my idea is to be as alternative as possi ble to what the commercial stations are playing,” he said. Lyvers’ previous shows have been done without using any Top 40. “I did two four-hour specials last year without repeating one song, and all in just the Americana genre, so I don’t think it’ll be too hard to mix in some jazz, blues, reggae, metal, punk, ska and good old rock ‘n’ roll,” Lyvers said. Lyvers said WUSC will also play some comedy bits and maybe some film dialogue. Lyvers said he hopes this becomes an annual event. The special will start at 6 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 16, and last until 6 a.m. the next day. Station manager Taylor Marshall Greene said this event is for the com munity. “It gives them another airwave, on which they hear jolly Christmas tunes,” Greene said. “It will make an interesting Christ mas,” Wight said. IT]