by Hans Jaeger
Photos by Reggie Edwards
It’s that time of year again, the leaves are changing and the Twins of Evil Tour is out in full force. Two of the biggest names in shock rock are back; Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson. Just as anyone heading out to this tour would expect it was a spectacle of debauchery and over the top pyro-technics. We even saw DJ Starscream (Sid Wilson of Slipknot) open for the two giants.
There had been some speculation heading into this Bloomington show about whether there would be a clean-flowing show. The previous night, Manson\’s set had gotten cut short and he proceeded to threaten to kick Zombie\’s ass backstage. Zombie fired back by calling Manson \”a punk-ass bitch\” and repeating \”f**k you Marilyn f*****g Manson.\”
Despite the trouble of the previous night, this night went over very well.
Early in the night as the lights dimmed and DJ Starscream took the stage an air began to take the audience. Slowly as the beat began to build to a sound similar to something that might be able to scratch an itch in the back of your brain, the beat dropped and it is was on.
With lights surrounding his tables and people dressed in his attire from Slipknot emerging from the fog surrounding him he was able to keep the crowd’s attention. DJ Starscream put on an overall good performance.
At moments he felt a little boring, but as any opening act is supposed to do, he was able to pump the crowd for what was to come. The lights came up and the crowd was left wanting more.
A short intermission later it was time for the Antichrist Superstar himself, the disciple of despicable- Marilyn Manson. His performance was exactly what you would expect and more. Any song loved by fans he played that night- everything from “Disposable Teens” to “The Dope Show;\” he even threw in \”Coma White.\”
The only hits that were skipped, which is a minor complaint, were \”Tourniquet,\” \”This is the New Shit\” and \”The Fight Song.\” He also mostly stayed away from his newer songs which was, in my opinion, a wise decision. Reports about this tour have been very mixed; in Bloomington, Illinois, however, Marilyn Manson brought it.
The spectacle of Manson’s stage show was top-notch. Every song featured a new set piece and costume changes were a plenty. We even saw a special guest star during \”The Love Song\”, The Pope himself.
Another highlight was during \”(m)Obscene.\” These signs showed up flashing words like \”Baby Dicks,\” \”Vagina,\” \”Gang Bang,\” \”Valtrex\”, and \”Rapey.\” I do not believe much more could have been demanded from his performance.
Finally it was time for the man of the hour, Rob Zombie. He started with a dastardly looking set.
A red-lighted set with a loop of the Manson family murders playing on the 15 or so projectors on stage introduce a large skeletal thing. The thing began to blaze as the rest of the band is playing when suddenly out of the chest cavity, the wizard of gore himself appears.
Shortly after we roll into one of the tunes from Hellbilly Deluxe 2, \”Jesus Frankenstein.\”
The pyro was in full force as well. From fireworks to flamethrowers, the show was more than anyone could have expected. Rob Zombie has always been known for his excellent showmanship and that was on full display this night.
A nice mix of classics and newer songs were played. “Thunderkiss ‘65” , “More Human than Human”, and “Superbeast”
were on display. One I did not expect to hear but was pleasantly surprised by was “Pussy Liquor”. At the height of the chaos John 5 was given a few minutes to solo, but low and behold, who is walking around out in the crowd but Rob Zombie.
It was a bold move if you ask me, but fans deserved the chance to see their idol up close and personal. At the end of
show we were even treated to a trailer of Zombie’s upcoming movie “Lords of Salem.”
But wait! There’s more. As the encore to cap off an already wonderful night he returned to the stage with the most recognizable Zombie song of them all- “Dragula”. The Pryo-techniques hit full gear for the encore. Then as the final notes are hit the chaos was done.
Overall it was a spectacle of debauchery well worth seeing if you’re a fan of either of these two giants of evil. A wonderful combination of classic songs brought with new levels of showmanship made for a must-see Halloween show.