Random Notes
January 21, 1999, by Anthony Bozza

The halls were decked at KROQ’s two-night Christmas show at L.A.’s Shrine Auditorium, as Depeche Mode, Korn, Barenaked Ladies, and others filled the joint with enought fa-la-las to raise tens of thousands for abused children. Billy Corgan stole the show with stirring acoustic renditions of “Muzzle” and “Disarm,” but Santa’s real surprise came during Hole’s set, when Courtney Love and the band were joined by capable guitarist-actor-boyfriend Ed Norton for a song. Before heading off to do a secret show at the Roxy, Love took time to sort the naughty from the nice. “I’m looking in the front row and there’s huge music-industry executives’ daughters – the fucking great underclass of L.A.,” she said. “These radio shows are the new payola, although I don’t feel involved, and if I felt I was being blackmailed, I just wouldn’ fucking do it, would you? But I like KROQ – they played us when we were really, really punk rock.” And to all a good night.