2008 Woodie Awards
Manson puts on quite a show in "The Grotesque Burlesque"
Max Voelker/ Staff Writer
Issue date: 10/31/03 Section: The Verge
The modern king of shock-rock has returned in full force to support his newest album, "The Golden Age Of Grotesque". Headlining the Aragon Ballroom Oct.17, Marilyn Manson proudly declared, "I don't worship Satan. Satan worships me!"
Manson opened with the first two tracks from his new album, "Thaeter" and "This is the New Shit." From there he went on to play an hour and 45-minute set, coming back for a one-song encore of "The Irresponsible Hate Anthem" During the show he covered the majority of his singles, including his covers of both "Tainted Love" and "Sweet Dreams (are made of this)" The only odd exception was the complete lack of anything from "Portrait of an American Family," his first major-label album.
Anyone worried Mr. Manson has lost his edge or his bravado would have been pleased to see that he is still up to his onstage antics. Women with prosthetic breasts and genitals played a large role in the show, revealing that even though Manson's music has matured somewhat over the years, his fixation with fake privates has stayed the same.
In the end, though, a Marilyn Manson show is just that: a show. The dancers were choreographed well and the band was tight and together, with the newest member, Tim Skold (ex-KMFDM) keeping up as though he had been playing with them for years. There were even several costume changes, disturbingly reminiscent of a pop act. The rehearsed feel was probably both the best and worst part of the show. On one hand, the costume and stage changes made for an engaging show, and created the feeling of performance art. There was something new to look at practically every song, from banners to a huge inflated Manson head in the center of the stage. However, the rehearsed feel also runs somewhat counter to the improvised vibe that most rock audiences come to expect from a live show. Although the theatrics were interesting, it could have been a bit more impromptu, as that is one of the big draws of live music.
Overall, it was a good show. Manson made every effort to get the crowd involved, and, for the most part, it worked. It was a little too polished, but it certainly showed that Marilyn Manson has made a definite return to the world of rock.
Manson opened with the first two tracks from his new album, "Thaeter" and "This is the New Shit." From there he went on to play an hour and 45-minute set, coming back for a one-song encore of "The Irresponsible Hate Anthem" During the show he covered the majority of his singles, including his covers of both "Tainted Love" and "Sweet Dreams (are made of this)" The only odd exception was the complete lack of anything from "Portrait of an American Family," his first major-label album.
Anyone worried Mr. Manson has lost his edge or his bravado would have been pleased to see that he is still up to his onstage antics. Women with prosthetic breasts and genitals played a large role in the show, revealing that even though Manson's music has matured somewhat over the years, his fixation with fake privates has stayed the same.
In the end, though, a Marilyn Manson show is just that: a show. The dancers were choreographed well and the band was tight and together, with the newest member, Tim Skold (ex-KMFDM) keeping up as though he had been playing with them for years. There were even several costume changes, disturbingly reminiscent of a pop act. The rehearsed feel was probably both the best and worst part of the show. On one hand, the costume and stage changes made for an engaging show, and created the feeling of performance art. There was something new to look at practically every song, from banners to a huge inflated Manson head in the center of the stage. However, the rehearsed feel also runs somewhat counter to the improvised vibe that most rock audiences come to expect from a live show. Although the theatrics were interesting, it could have been a bit more impromptu, as that is one of the big draws of live music.
Overall, it was a good show. Manson made every effort to get the crowd involved, and, for the most part, it worked. It was a little too polished, but it certainly showed that Marilyn Manson has made a definite return to the world of rock.
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