12/1 The Mad Monk, Wilmington NC (--What a pretty town.)

WHAT A GODDAMN GREAT NIGHT!! One of those shows where everything works to perfection. Club nice, crowd not too rough, barricade solid, unannounced third band (Children's Choir, a decent deathmetal trio) not at all painful, even Clutch's set tolerable; and bleeding Osiris, were the Mansons ever brilliant!! The Reverend was just crackling electric, super high energy level in constant motion; Twiggy and Daisy (matched in all black tonight) dead solid and in that perfect synch that seems telepathic; set was a total monster. Glorious, glorious, utterly heartstealing. One of those nights you'd choose to spend the rest of your life in. --Wrapped with a terrific "Rock'n'Roll Nigger." (Remember, when you get to sing that last verse, *point* at him and *grin*! He really seems to love it! =) --Got to mention the fashionable guitar duo: Twig in black dress, black-rimmed glasses, full makeup and blonde wig; Daisy in black t-shirt and (!!) tight, shiny black vinyl pants! (Can I hear ya say "yum!"?)--He's got some black in his hair too now, under the green and tied with bright-colored rubber bands. Looks way neat.

Let's see, the Rev did the water-bottle-up-the-butt trick again (though didn't douse a bouncer)and the stuffed monkey was still adorning the crosspieces overhead. Also, this was the third night they'd skipped "Cyclops." --something in the crowd during "Dogma" had Twiggy very upset - did some pointing and yelling to the stage- hands and even to Manson - couldn't see what it was though...

Event of the night: our conversation with the girl from a local record store who'd been the band's driver/gopher for, I think, the previous few days. Ready for this?...Mr. Manson, she assured us, requires the venue to provide him with a cat box for his personal use - and he must have the clumping type of litter, too, and none of these cheap cardboard boxes - or he'll refuse to do the show. Why, she herself had to change the Rev's kitty litter; though she hastened to add that he only uses the box to pee. And has been doing so for three years, according to Pogo
--you must, you just *have* to, be impressed by the thousand and one ways the guys find to play into and around this total-freak image they've got...

Quite a night. =)

==angelynx=