Dressed like a "Rocky Horror Picture Show" escapee,
Marilyn Manson put on a dynamic show with a dramatic finale.
IN the battle between Jesus and the "Antichrist Superstar" Marilyn Manson, some would say Jesus won. Marilyn Manson's sold-out performance Saturday at Nimitz Hall ended abruptly 45 minutes into the set while the band was playing a cover of the Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)." Manson, the lead singer and namesake of the band, was rumored to have passed out from exhaustion. But this morning, Mari Matsuoka of concert promoter Goldenvoice, reported that Manson had cut himself with broken glass from a lightbulb. When the bleeding did not stop, he was taken away by ambulance and later received stitches.
Members from Christian groups Word of Life and Youth With a Mission, however, credited Jesus with stopping the concert.
Kathryn Guma, a 20-year-old full-time evangelist, said the groups prayed that the concert would stop so that no one would get hurt. Guma said the groups were camped outside the hall from 8 p.m.
"Antichrist Superstar" Marilyn Manson.
This isn't the first time the band has attracted such attention, because its singer is a self-professed reverend of the Church of Satan. British members of Parliament tried to ban the group's album, "Portraits of an American Family," calling it an "outrage against society." The Christian Coalition pressured the City Council of Jacksonville, Fla., to ban the group after Manson was arrested in "violation of adult entertainment laws."
But concert goers such as Kimberly Bush and Chris Wade didn't mind the Christian groups' presence. Bush didn't even notice them. "They didn't stop people from coming," Wade said. "They didn't stop the concert completely."
In fact, Bush said she doesn't pay much mind to Manson's beliefs. "He's a freak, but his music is cool," she said of Marilyn Manson's mix of heavy metal, punk and industrial music, which most often garners comparisons to Nine Inch Nails.
The show itself started marvelously, albeit an hour late. When the band took the stage, the audience greeted them with hand gestures ranging from devil signs to middle fingers. The mosh pit took only seconds to form.
Marilyn Manson ripped through its first three songs, taking no time to pause, let alone return the audience's greeting.
Manson: Cross between The Crow and Frank N’ Furter.
The crowd perked up when the group tore into its current single, "Tourniquet." Looking like a cross between The Crow and Frank N' Furter from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," Manson prance about the stage, dousing himself with bottled water and throwing the bottles into the audience.
When guitarist Zim Zum opened up "Sweet Dreams," the crowd started singing along. Manson shone a lamp on himself as a spotlight, then smashed it on the ground.
After the song's second refrain, Zim Zum hit a single note and let it sustain for more than a minute. The lights died and 10 minutes later, an announcer reported the show was over. No refunds will be given.
Up until then, Manson hadn't shown any signs of fatique, which is a testament to his showmanship. And although short, Marilyn Manson's performance was sweet.