So Apparently I took about 300 odd pictures, so I'll just throw a few up here and then update later
John and I got there pretty early, about the time for doors, and we saw a short line (at the gate closest to the Mall), and I went back and forth to the car a couple times, after forgetting funds to purchase Zac Brown tickets for the end of the week. After I finally entered, I was sweaty from walking back and forth and then in the sun. Draped in my Andrew W.K. ish outfit for GWAR, we made our way ... to the side stage set up for them! We got about Jaxx close to the stage and stood around for a bit... directly in the sun ugh. We then rolled to give Kate her ticket and I needed a wristband that they forgot to give me X_X;
When we got back, the sparsely populated space in front of the stage was jam packed full of people! FFFFF! Shortly after, an ominous voice addressed the crowd over the PA and said that he/it (God) would destroy GWAR and the show kicked off to the madness that is Gwar! This was def the closest I've been to Gwar of the few times I've seen them, which is pretty crazy. They had all the Gwar staples- irreverent humour, monsters, gore, loud and thrashy guitars, and of course the blood splatter all over the crowd! The guest executions included Adolf Hitler, some priest, Jesus, God in some avatar form, and some random slaves. The sound was pretty great and surprisingly clear, except for Oderus Urungus's vocals, which were pretty unintelligible for the most part. Apart from the blazing sun, the odd setlist (Maybe not if you're a bigger Gwar fan), and the rubbish vocals, they were great- probably the best time I've seen them. Not to mention getting splashed with the copious blood! It was really fun, until someone hit the ground pretty hard and messing up his knee (he had to get carried out on a stretcher). After the set I was pretty filthy, and we headed to slack a bit before watching Manson.
Marilyn Manson started while we were... refilling beverages... and the pit was pretty packed. we were on the right side of the stage, near the big ass speakers. It was hella loud, and the crowd seemed pretty excited for him. I only like a handful (if that) of Manson songs that I've heard, so it was more like the Korn experience - I hadn't seen then, but I was there, so why not see how he is? I thought Manson's vocals were struggling and kind of a mess. His band was unremarkable, yet energetic. The theatrics, however, made his show attention holding. He had costume changes, props, confetti, and big light displays- he certainly knows how to steal from Alice- I mean how to put on an entertaining show, despite the lackluster songs. The crowd was pretty loud, but not very mobile or active, which seemed odd to me. The biggest reactions seemed to be for the 2 cover songs that he did, which IMO were better done by the original artists. A few songs def sounded decent live, I will say- and he closed with one of the 2 songs of his that I actually like. I'm pretty sure he had a hat that I have at one point. I read that a lot of the props were from other tours and that this show was better spectacle wise than his recent Fillmore Silver Spring show. I guess if you are a Manson fan, he would have been good, but IMO he's a bit of (perhaps cliched) style over substance.
After Marylin Manson's set, there was a noticeable exodus from the pit area- I'm not sure why you would leave before the headliner, unless you had to get home early (...from a show that would be over by 11 anyways) or if you hated the headliner. How can you hate Alice?
Alice Cooper's stage looked strangely bare except for some sort of electric contraption. I have seen him several times, and this was by far the most stripped down show of his that I've been to. I recall shows where the stage is a mess, with TRASH all over the stage, but this really had nothing- which I was a bit skeptical about, as I love Alice's songs AND the show. This show, however, was perhaps a jibe to haters who doubt Alice's ability without the theatrics- he can pull off a show without much pizazz (tho it is more enjoyable if there is more zazz), his songs are THAT good. There was nothing really new for this show (tho he did pull out some songs I had not heard live before, like "House of Fire"), he had his 'same old tricks,' which I was fine with. If you were expecting something new, you'd be a bit disappointed.
Orianthi, Ryan Roxie, the bassist, and that other guy and the drummer were SOLID, as they were as when I saw them open for Iron Maiden. Orianthi in particular I think sounded even better this time- she seemed a bit more accustomed to the whole spectacle or the like. I still think that they have one guitar player too many, but apart from that, they were pretty flawless- getting some solo time while Alice took a little break. For a 65 year old man, Alice still puts on a hell of a show-I was not able to spot any weaknesses in his performance, and his command of the stage was impeccable. Strutting around Alice scowled at the crowd, and serenaded us with only a few breaks. The theatrics included using swords, necklaces, some sort Dr. Frankenstein's electric table,top hat, a whip, a straight jacket, faux dollars, balloons, the crutch, A SNAKE, the guillotine, and a big Frankenstein's monster. Again, nothing new, but still fun. I think his daughter Calico was featured again this tour, as the evil nurse.
Overall, a GREAT show (even with Manson kind of lulling me during his set), and def worth the pit ticket \m/
Next show: Lamb of God w/ Decapitated and the Acacia Strain
Photos:
(more coming soon)
Before Gwar
After Gwar
Alice!
Setlists
Gwar (6:45- 7:35ish)
- Horror of Yig
- Womb With a View
- Madness at the Core of Time
- Saddam a Go-Go
- Bring Back the Bomb
- Krosstika
- Metal Metal Land
- Immortal Corrupter
- Let Us Slay
- Have You Seen Me?
- Hail, Genocide!
- War Is All We Know
- A Short History of the End of the World
- Sick of You
Marylin Manson (8- 9ish)
- Angel With the Scabbed Wings
- Disposable Teens
- No Reflection
- The Dope Show
- Rock Is Dead
- Coma White
- Personal Jesus (Depeche Mode cover)
- Prelude (The Family Trip)
- mOBSCENE
- Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) (Eurythmics cover)
- This Is the New Shit
- Antichrist Superstar
- The Beautiful People
Alice Cooper (9:40- 11)
- Hello Hooray
- House of Fire
- No More Mr. Nice Guy
- Billion Dollar Babies
- I'll Bite Your Face Off
- Is It My Body
- Under My Wheels
- Hey Stoopid
- Poison
- Dirty Diamonds
- Welcome to My Nightmare
- Go to Hell
- Feed My Frankenstein
- Ballad of Dwight Fry
- Killer (excerpt) [according to setlist.fm, someone added this in- I don't recall hearing it]
- I Love the Dead
- School's Out (Mixed with Pink Floyd's )
- I'm Eighteen
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