"...so boys and ghouls, without further ado, please welcome Mom and Dad's latest nightmare: Marilyn Manson."

A quote from the local newspaper's Pre-Manson-Show-write-up that I just *had* to tag at the beginning of this (my) account of the show last night in Salem.

God!! What a spectacle indeed!! God meaning Mr. Manson last night! He certainly was! Based on what I've read on this list I went in with *some* idea of what to expect, but still, it's an event you have to actually *witness* to get the full effect.

The protesters outside were minimal...just a handful. The Rev had only one thing to say about them: "They're out there *loving* you?? Where was that love before tonight?" What *really* sucked was the confiscation of all lighters and matches prior to going inside...afterwards people were having a hey-day raiding the garbage cans that overflowed with the items. They won't be buying lighters anytime soon! =}.

Okay!! On with the show--L7 opened. It was ok. I'm not really *that* familiar with them, but I thought they were good. You knew who the L7 fans were after the band got off-stage because they cleared out of the crowd pretty quick. I thought the drummer was cool to watch! Then again, I think *all* drummers are cool to watch! : )

The crowd got thicker and thicker and prior to the band's appearance the announcer stated what the Reverend's "request" was...not to throw things on stage...if so, it was cause for the immediate termination of the show. Ok...that said, everyone just waited...there was a glow behind the stage that somewhat lit up the back wall as well as the faces of the audience, and in the foreground of that glow I saw, positioning himself on-stage, none other than Twiggy Ramirez...I could make out those dreds anywhere...just a silhouette of him standing there somewhat rocking back and forth, waiting...then on up strode the Rev--right up to the mic-stand and then the lights came on...(I was so focused on Twiggy's shape I didn't notice the others' entrance on stage).

"Angel With The Scabbed Wings" started off the show as well as total chaos in the audience. I was right in front of Twiggy or a little off to the right and I was *just trying to keep my place*! The audience was going *nuts*!! Twiggy was just non-chalant, looking at various members of the audience as he played, sometimes focusing on one person for a few seconds...at one point it WAS ME!! Ha!! He had no expression, he just looked at people. He was wearing a light-colored dress with light hose that had a run up the front over the knee.

Mr. Manson hadn't shaved for a few days, his arm-pits were looking hairier than usual. He wore his little frilly underpants like in the "Tourniquet" video. He also had on some sort of padding (medical thing?) or wrap around his torso over his stomach. I figured he'd already cut himself up quite a bit so far this tour and so he was "healing" for *this* show. He sprayed a bottle of alcohol at the audience and broke the bottle but didn't really visibly cut himself like when I saw him in 95. A little bit into the show he stripped off the cute panties to exhibit...well...quite a bit more...(of his *butt* for one!!) The lighting was really cool on his body a couple times...it shown on him in such a way to really reveal a lot of his structure...(ok I'm an artist! I notice shit like that!) He would pose a lot while standing on *something* on stage...(a speaker box, maybe? I forget) but that intrigued me...at one point he pulled up his shirt (or what was left of it) and played with his nipple. Yes indeed, he was *quite* the spectacle!!

Every now and then I'd glance around the stage...Ginger Fish was very stern at the drums and Madonna W. Gacy was continually looking up at the ceiling while he struck at the keyboard. His pointy beard protruded forward as he pre-occupied himself with the view above (???). I couldn't see Zim Zum at all. He was just a shadow. He was *not* in my view all night!! =[

I thought the audience participation was really cool. Of course Manson taunted the audience to spit on him...again, posing for all to see, spread out like a bird: "come on...spit...right here, right here". Not much happened though. If those people's mouths were as dry as mine I could see why!! It was like a *sauna* in there!! He'd also hold the mic out for the audience to finish what he started...i.e. Rev: "yeah right great if you're so good", Audience: "EXPLAIN THE SHIT STAINS ON YOUR FACE!" and... Rev: "white trash get down on your knees" Audience: "TIME FOR CAKE AND SODOMY!". And he got the audience going pretty good during "Sweet Dreams" and repeated such things as "We LOVE hate! We HATE love!" What I thought was good was all the middle fingers the audience held up during "Irresponsible Hate Anthem": "I wasn't born with enough middle fingers..."

Some memorable moments I noted in particular that I thought were *damn* cool were:

...during "Cryptorchid" with just the spotlight showing on Manson and the "snow" falling, his arms were outstretched while his hands motioned "5,6,7,8...7,8,9,10...4,3,2,1..." It just seemed so quiet.

...and the*whole* podium show was incredible...his presence on the podium was so different from earlier in the show. He was now in an eerie suit and tie of Red and Black, hair dangling, and totally re-inacting the role of "dictator" equipped with complete audience particiation--arms saluting over and over as he gestered back, blowing kisses of spit. He was *revelling* in that role with his arms outstretched over his head, leader of the moment: The Antichrist Superstar. Then all of the sudden his torso collapsed over the podium and he dangled this way and that, in time with the music, his arms limp and jerky. His hair hung down over the front of the podium and as he shook back and forth like a broken ragdoll/puppet, I could see the sweat dripping down the white and black circular shock symbol. It was just incredible! He had the pantomime down *perfectly*!!

Twiggy had a helmet on and he slapped his guitar and kicked it with his right heel at the same time. Madonna W. Gacy was now performing percussion pounding in rage on drums...I don't remember anything else...the Rev had me captivated with that puppetry motion.

The final moment of the show, after much mic-smashing and shrieking vocals, was the calmest...the "snow" began falling again and lillies appeared to have grown in front of the mic stand. The Rev stood arms reaching out front, with a cloth or sash of some kind draped from one arm to the other, and it appeared as if his arms were painted red (but this could've been the lighting) and the "snow" was sticking to his arms as he emitted the lyrics mournfully.

Finally came the recorded message: "When all your wishes are granted, many of your dreams will be destroyed", and it repeated until the stage was empty. The "snow" stopped falling and the house lights came on as the stage lights went out. The stage was just covered with "snow" (about a foot of it) as well as the heads of the security guards behind the barricade =}. It made the stage look even more barren. A lot of the audience still waited up front hoping to "get" something I suppose...guitar pick, whatever. "Apple of Sodom" began playing and people began to leave or hang out. My friend spotted who she believed to be The Rev's dad. He had a long gray ponytail and wore a really *nice* suit! He was with some "beautiful people" ha.

I must say that the theatrics were definitely at work in this show, *moreso* than in 95. I don't know how most people feel about that--whether they prefer a more straightforward show or not, but I've seen a lot of "straightforward" shows the past year and this was a *refreshing* change. It sure stays in your mind after it's over. It's not something I'll easily be forgetting about anytime soon!! --
everything's blue in this world...
icntrol