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| Shirley Manson of Garbage @ the Warfield (Photo: Sean Reiter) |
"If you're ready for love," Garbage lead singer Shirley Manson repeated over and over as she stood bathed in a solo white spotlight at The Warfield Friday night - looking every bit the alternative rock star in a black and white leather jacket, large thigh high black boots and black kilt-like skirt with leggings beneath. The band -- opening with "There's No Future in Optimism" the lead song off their 2025 album Let All That We Imagine Be The Light brought their "Happy Endings" tour to San Francisco on their final lap of a US Tour with phenomenal LA band Starcrawler in the support role in a concert that showcased both the past and future of alternative rock 'n' roll.
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| Shirley Manson of Garbage @ the Warfield (Photo: Sean Reiter) |
Garbage's original lineup of Manson, drummer (and producer extraordinaire) Butch Vig and guitarists Steve Marker and Duke Erikson have stayed consistent since Scotland's Manson joined the others in Madison in 1994. Vig had already established himself as an incredibly successful producer having cut Nirvana's Nevermind (in a terrible trivia note: Vig first saw Manson perform live with her prior band Angelfish in London on the night that Kurt Cobain's suicide was announced).
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| Butch Vig of Garbage @ the Warfield (Photo: Sean Reiter) |
While Manson may have joined the others, Friday night it was clear who the spotlight belonged rightfully to as she prowled the stage back and forth with dark eye makeup and a long ponytail pulled tightly back (so tight that in some of my photos under the bright spotlight, she actually looked bald).
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| Shirley Manson of Garbage @ the Warfield (Photo: Sean Reiter) |
The band's core four were joined by impressive bassist Nicole Fiorentino who had previously been a member of Veruca Salt and Smashing Pumpkins. Fiorentino may have been a late addition to the band, but her bass line was front and center all night long and her backing vocals were terrific providing a layer of depth to feed Manson's choruses in all the right moments.
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| Nicole Fiorentino of Garbage @ the Warfield (Photo: Sean Reiter) |
Manson continually engaged with the crowd and celebrated being in San Francisco -- even adding a VERY personal accent to the show. "Well, well, well San Francisco! It is a true joy to be here again," Manson told the audience about a half-hour into the show. "I think this is the seventh time we've played this incredible theater. I have a lot of personal attachments to this venue. My parents came out here and saw us play here and this was my father's favorite city in America," she continued to loud applause.
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| Garbage @ the Warfield (Photo: Sean Reiter) |
"He crossed in the QE2 from Scotland and drove all the way across the country from New York to study at the University of (California at) Davis...I lost my father about three weeks ago and he's been on my mind all day today. When he was dying, he was really in a lot of pain and they gave him a lot of painkillers and his fantasy was that he had to get better because he was due to catch a flight to San Francisco," Manson shared as she fought back tears along with the audience members, who then responded with supportive applause. "So, you can imagine waking up in this city this morning was quite a thing. So, I'm gonna' dedicate this to my old man!" With that Garbage, delivered an inspired (and ironically titled) "The Trick Is to Keep Breathing."
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| Shirley Manson of Garbage @ the Warfield (Photo: Sean Reiter) |
After a powerful version of "#1 Crush," Manson took the moment to make their philosophies clear in the difficult and divisive modern climate. "We've made a point of playing this next song every night of our tour. It's important at a time when the whole wide world seems to be "othering" and pointing fingers at people and telling them they are wrong and don't live properly.... I just want to make it clear to anyone who is here tonight" We don't give a flying f@#k what God you worship. We don't give one flying f@#k what color your skin is or what gender you are, what sexuality you are, who you want to f@#k and how you want to f@#k them. We don't care what kind of foods you prefer, what kind of animals you like in your home or how you decorate your house. It's all so f@#king stupid. Live and let live and let everyone do what they want to do -- how they want to."
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| Shirley Manson of Garbage @ the Warfield (Photo: Sean Reiter) |
"It's of immense importance that we all hold each other's hands through this...it's all so full of nastiness and bitchiness and hatred and intolerance that it is going to make us all sick. So, what we have to do is focus on what makes us all the same and stick together like glue." A back-to-back of "Bleed Like Me" and "Queer" followed that solidly connected with the Warfield.
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| Shirley Manson of Garbage @ the Warfield (Photo: Sean Reiter) |
New release "Chinese Fire Horse" shined as a defiant anthem with Fiorentino's strong background vocals and Vig's powerful driving beat combining to lay a strong foundation under Manson's repeated cry of "Wait a f@#king minute." Manson later clarified that they would not be touring the whole US again, but didn't rule out future shows in the Bay Area "You are on the coast, so you are lucky c@#ts," she told The Warfield. "But we didn't want to thank you all for 30 years" as the lights came up on the crowd and both the band and audience lustily applauded and cheered. "We have been told numerous times that "they are over" and nobody is interested...and then you all miraculously kept us alive. The fact that you are all here tonight and showed up for us and we were so grateful. I hope you can feel how sincere this and how beautiful this has been." Vig then launched the band into a driving version "Push It" and then into a hypnotic version of "When I Met God" to close out the main set. Garbage returned to encore two of their biggest hits "Stupid Girl" -- where Marker's tapping of the keys felt surprisingly ominous live - and "Only Happy When It Rains" where Manson encouraged and regaled in the audience handling the chorus "Pour your misery down on me" to finish the night.
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| Starcrawler @ the Warfield (Photo: Sean Reiter) |
Earlier, Starcrawler absolutely blew the audience away with their unique combination of classic and punk rock delivered in the spirit of classic performers such as Aerosmith. Taking the stage to an ironic "Tumbling Tumbleweeds", the LA band launched into a sting and drum intro that was reminiscent of a smoke-filled 80's Cow Palace before lead singer Arrow de Wilde burst onto the stage. The band was all the great things about live rock and roll - poses, dramatic pauses in their songs and shouting choruses.
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| Starcrawler @ the Warfield (Photo: Sean Reiter) |
I'm not overstating the potential of Starcrawler when I say that this band - with their combination of songwriting, playing and dramatic stage presence -- must be headlining arenas soon or rock is truly dead. Songs like "Roadkill", "Stranded" and "It's 3 AM" blasted the appreciative Warfield audience with brothers Henri and Bill Cash dazzling on guitars as bassist Tim Franco and drummer Seth Carolina provided a powerful rhythm support. But Wilde's presence was absolutely magnetic as the tall, thin and long-haired singer was in constant motion and provided a 30-minute adrenaline burst for the crowd. Here look and stage command blended the best of Steven Tyler, Joey Ramone and Patty Smith into a delicious performance cocktail.
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| Starcrawler @ the Warfield (Photo: Sean Reiter) |
Garbage's Manson was perhaps the most enthusiastic supporter of her opening band and summed them up nicely "I need to thank the amazing Starcrawler for opening for us this evening. They are so fantastic, and they work their f@#king asses off and they are very special and unlike any band out there. They are so disciplined and always smiling and gorgeous. Here's to Starcrawler! Long may they reign!!"
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