Another quick recollection:
During the Shellac soundcheck for this gig, Bob Weston had a go at a few seconds of Arpeggiator on his bass and exchanged a nod and smile with Joe Lally.

1/2
At the gig Bob was milling around in the crowd with people he knew, and then onstage with Shellac after Marine Research. After Shellac had played and once Fugazi had started, I remember seeing him standing right at the back of the stage, some metres behind Brendan Canty. The importance of this detail becomes clear later…

This is Interlude 1 (from the recording) as I recall it: once Fugazi started playing, maybe during the first or second song, a young man ran from the back of the stage, through the band as they played, and stage dived into the crowd, which dutifully held him in the air. Within seconds, the band stopped playing. The full glare of the house lights and Ian Mackaye's frustration were right on this guy. Suspended by the crowd who seemed happy to contribute to his humiliation, the stagediver put his fists in the air and shouted words like "Yeah!" and "C'mon!" at Ian and Guy, clearly having expectations of what should happen at a "punk" show. As the crowd floated the stagediver forward towards the stage, Ian reached across and ripped the guy's lanyard and backstage pass from his neck (and said the words you hear in Interlude 1). The guy walked off. I felt for him, but he should have done his research. It rather singled him out as someone who probably hadn't followed Fugazi for long. Or read a single Fugazi interview.

2/2 Later on as Fugazi were playing, the disgraced stagediver had managed to return to the backstage area. Behind Brendan Canty, you could see Bob Weston was talking to him - the appearance was something like a schoolteacher admonishing a pupil. From his gestures and the expression on Bob's face, even at a distance, you could tell Bob was channelling Ian's frustrations. I hope the stagediver understood the reasons; I like to think he came to enjoy Fugazi's music.

Shellac played the following night at The Embassy Rooms/The Improv. It was an equally incredible gig. I'd also seen the Instrument film earlier in the month 06 May 1999 at the Lux cinema in Hoxton Square. What a month.

Finally, here's what Bob Weston had to say on why he was looking forward to playing with Fugazi that evening:
"I guess they're sort of role models or something. They behave in a way that jives with my ethics and morals. Their music is just amazing. Nothing makes me feel as great as listening to FUGAZI. A gut-level reaction is how I judge music. Theirs is just so right-on for me. It is just so correct - I connect to it".

Amen to that.

Kevin Borrett
11 June 2023

This was indeed with Shellac. I remember this Fugazi gig well, it was part of an incredible week. I cannot believe this was now 24 years ago.

Not only were we searched on the way in, but the caution around the venue also meant that there was a security barrier up against the stage. Inevitably, as I heard it, Fugazi asked for this to be removed, so there was a delay to the gig starting, probably 30 to 45 minutes while staff dismantled this, unscrewing the bolts and shifting the metal work. I think this also made the security staff nervous, with hundreds of pasty-faced punks hanging around waiting for their favourite bands to start. But it was a Fugazi crowd - the situation was unlikely to turn nasty, and people were very patient. I hope I haven't misremembered this.

Bob Weston (Shellac) was in London for the week, recording with Idlewild at Air Studios (some of these appeared on Idlewild's "100 Broken Windows"), so I arranged to meet him there (notes from the time say Wednesday 12 May 1999, "11am onwards") and get some pictures to accompany an email interview that we had conducted over the previous weeks, published in Fracture fanzine (#8 July 1999). He was really looking forward to playing with Fugazi: "Playing London with the best band in the world (FUGAZI) will be amazing. They're the greatest people".

Now, correct me if I'm wrong on this. I'm getting old and my recollections get skewed, especially over dates

I think this was with Shellac. The venue had had a shooting the week before at some hip hop show so there were police with dogs and we were all searched on the way in. The show was excellent, both bands were on top form. Stood 2/3 of the way back and went with my wife and best mate. Just a great night all round.

This is one of my most treasured gigs ever
I took my best friend i (she died last year )and the two of us country bumpkins trying to find our way around Stratford was hilarious plus it was my birthday that night
My best gig before this was ratm or Rollins band but this was on a par
Always loved gigabits stripped down no frill ethos and this was epic
I bought the live recording and it takes me back to one of the best nights

This was an epic gig.

The Rex is a really small venue out in Stratford, East London. Pretty far from the centre of town as anyone who traveled there to watch the Olympics will tell you.

My friends and I were all pretty excited to see Fugazi. Three of us had seen them when they played in Brixton just after "In on the Killtaker" came out. This time we took 2 cars full of people. I even paid for a ticket for a chef in one of our local pubs, as he was a fan but totally skint at the time. I barely knew him but I wasn't prepared to let a fellow Fugazi fan miss the opportunity.

It was an all standing venue and we were pretty close to the front.

I've still got my ticket stub.