In jeans and tattered T-shirts they came to Las Vegas' House of Blues (located in the glitzy Mandalay Bay casino) Friday to hear five examples of the latest in loud: Fear Factory , Kittie, Union Underground, Slaves on Dope and Boy Hits Car. In fact, a special entrance was set up outside the building since most of the audience members and a few of the performers were too young to be permitted in the casino.

The middle of the desert is an odd place to launch the Snocore Rock tour since it got its start six years ago as an attempt to bring emerging acts to regions that were submerged by the elements all winter. This approach not only avoided competition with all the high-profile summer tours, it also gave the bands a chance to snowboard.

But that was then; now Snocore is simply the first "titled" tour of the new year. In fact, the Snocore brand is divided into two tours: the Snocore Icicle Ball featuring jam bands and Snocore Rock boasting bands specializing in the hard stuff. The two tours keep close to each other and Snocore Icicle Ball had hit the Hard Rock's Joint two days earlier.

With five bands in the lineup, things moved swiftly to meet a 10:30 p.m. curfew. Sets were kept short without encores and there was no room for opening night glitches. Boy Hits Car were on the stage shortly before 6 and delivered six songs. Slaves on Dope were up 6:30 and off by 7.

Surveying the mosh pit with satisfaction after delivering "Inches From the Mainline," Slaves singer Jason Rockman had the over-psyched look of having just sacked a quarterback. "Now you're fucking awake, Vegas!" he screamed.

Texas rockers Union Underground brought more of a glam look to the proceedings -- with spiky hair and leather -- as well as two video screens projecting an assortment of violent and cartoonish footage. "You're going to get high with us Las Vegas," intoned frontman Bryan Scott as the monitors flickered predictable images of marijuana leaves.

There may have been something a bit incongruous about Slaves on Dope opening for Union Underground. But from the opener, "Drivel," the staggering guitar sound proved their dorm rooms were once full of the same collection of underground Eighties metal albums.

Opening with "Spit" covered in drama and feedback, Kittie were the night's biggest surprise. On a seemingly endless constant tour that has had them in Vegas as recently as New Year's Eve, the band has become a fantastic live unit. Singer Morgan Lander has learned to strut like a diva while still being able to spit a thick loogie to the side of the stage. Guitarist Fallon Bowman, too, seems to be growing into her stage persona of an axe queen with attitude. Still, you could see the teenage girls they still are emerge with demure smiles and mouth "thank yous" every time the stagehands helped them change their guitars. Kittie may not be the greatest musicians, but together they are a fantastic band who are young enough to find fresh options instead of clichés.

Leading fans in a chant of the title as well as the release date, Fear Factory seemed more interested in promoting their new album than in Snocore. After playing one new song, Burton Bell centered his thumb like a Roman Emperor in judgment. He listened to the crowd cheer and then lifted it skyward. Still the audience only really came alive for the older songs like "Edgecrusher."

When the set was over the bands were ushered into a meet-and-greet open to anyone who registered via the tour's Web site. Everyone seemed in good spirits after signing everything from posters to underwear. "This isn't going to be boring," observed Lander. And in a few next weeks the tour will even hit places where it actually snows.

RICHARD ABOWITZ
(January 22, 2001)