Watch Tool’s First Live Show Ever From 1991
Usually, footage from a band’s first live show ever is an adorable affair. Fans can look at the awkward, teenage versions of musicians they love, or see what became their favorite rock band wiling out at some thrash club in the ’80s, and think, ‘Aw, even THEY were just kids once!’ Of course, leave it to Tool to break the mold — footage from the band’s first-ever show in 1991 has recently surfaced, and it’s a terrifying glimpse into the rabid beginnings of one of rock’s weirdest bands.
To get out in front of it: holy shit, Maynard. We now know Tool’s frontman as a confident firebrand and jack of all trades, but onstage in 1991, the singer is deeply unsettling. The way he twists and moves his skinny frame makes one think of a Javier Botet character from one of the Conjuring movies. Meanwhile, his mumbling and screaming vocals give off a genuine hostility that’s reminiscent of a performer like GG Allin — it’s as though this dude isn’t playing an onstage persona, but genuinely fucking hates you.
Check out Tool’s jarring live footage from their first show in 1991:
