Anthems or ambiance, these are the tones that rattle your bones.
#91439
Despite being a frequent concert-goer and fan of Rob Zombie in the late 90s and early 00s, I never saw him live during his tours for the albums Hellbilly Deluxe or The Sinister Urge. Soon after that he started focusing more on his movie directing career and toned down his stage image for 2006's album Educated Horses. At that point I feared I might never get the chance to see his theatrical live show. I even bought a bootleg concert DVD at the time just so I could say I'd see his stage show.

Well since then I've almost had an embarrassment of riches when it comes to Rob Zombie concerts. As of last night, I've seen him perform 5 times. Seems he comes through here every couple years. Since he lives in Connecticut, I can almost guarantee a show near me. I do feel fortunate.

Zombie just finished filming his new film 31, and before going into post-production on that, he hit the road for a summer tour. He's not promoting a new album this time, so his stage setup is a little stripped down compared to past tours. So that means no projection screens, pyrotechnics, raised podiums, or robot costumes roaming the stage. That's okay though. Colored lights, smoke machines and massive banners of Universal monsters do the job. And of course the always high energy of the band.

One thing I've always appreciated about Rob Zombie is that he knows how to give the fans what they want. He and the band are great showmen. They engage the crowd and always provide a spectacle. I've heard Zombie say that even if he gets sick, he still hits the stage with full force, playing those same old songs he knows the fans want.

And whatta ya know... he actually was sick this week. He said to the crowd, "I've been sick for the past few days, but I've just been pushing through. And now that we're here tonight, well... I think I feel... even worse." Haha, at least he has a sense of humor about it. If he didn't mention it, I wouldn't have guessed he was ill. He was still running laps around the stage, jumping, posturing, swinging his dreads and fringed clothing.

I recently got a new camera which seems to do great it low light. I'm really happy with the photos I got at this concert. I'll share the highlights below (click to enlarge pics)...

Nosferatu sculpture mic stands. The band isn't even on the stage at this point, and already the mood is set:

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The band always comes out in their most elaborate costumes for the first song. Probably the best time to get some photos. Before they change clothes, and before the crowd gets too rough (this was general admission standing).

The long fringe on Rob's jacket adds some wild fluid movement to his arm swinging. Here he's striking the same pose as the vampire:

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Guitarist John 5 came out with a spiked gas mask that lit up and one of his many famous monster guitars. This one has Creature from the Black Lagoon art, but he's got one for The Wolfman, The Munsters and more. Another guitar lights up, one is filled with glowing liquid like a lava lamp, and another a working TV screen in it:

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John 5 has some solo albums featuring his impressive guitar work, in a lot of music styles. If you like instrumental rock guitar tracks, check him out.

And here's Piggy D, the bassist. He's been sporting vampire makeup recently and I think he looks killer. :)= This might be my favorite photo of the night, just because of the expression, pose, colors and crisp focus. Dig that retro Frankenstein face bass too!

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I wasn't able to get a good picture of drummer Ginger Fish. He was too far back on the stage, and the lighting was too erratic during his drum solo. Poor drummer, always neglected back there.

All the band members are great though. Rob says this the best band lineup he's ever had. They're good friends and all seem to be having a great time up there.

More fringe flying:

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Here's a wider shot of the stage so you can see the setup. I'd love to have those huge monster banners hanging on my wall (they might be bigger than any wall in my home though). As you can see, they display Mr. Hyde, The Wolfman, King Kong, Frankenstein's monster and the Phantom of the Opera:

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Nice clear shot of Rob here. Face painted and shredded clothes. He sure has a certain style:

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Shots that show the crowd usually feature some devil horns raised to the sky. I think the silhouettes of the hands look pretty cool:

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There's another of those unique guitars. John 5 has so many, you'll usually only see them for one song:

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Half-way through the show (during "More Human Than Human") Rob often comes down off the stage and walks along the barrier, with the crowd partly holding him up. It was during this moment that he slapped my hand at the last concert I was at. I had no direct contact with Mr. Zombie this time, which might be for the best if he's sick.

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At one point Rob brought his little niece on stage, and immediately the crowd started cheering (and eventually chanting her name). Because even a crowd of grungy rock fans have a heart for a sweet kid. Rob was beaming, so you know underneath that monster image he's a big softie family man. I wish I had a rockstar uncle.

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You can always expect some guitar solos from John 5 (sometimes played behind his back or with his teeth):

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They've been playing a couple cover songs recently, like The Ramones' "Blitzkrieg Bop," and Grand Funk Railroad's "We're An American Band." For American Band, Rob added an American flag jacket, and a star spangled bandana and mic stand. Caught a cool pose here:

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One more... if you've seen my pumpkin photography, you know I appreciate stark lighting and bright colors. The Zombie stage has that in spades:

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I've probably said it before, but if you like high energy concerts and even a couple Rob Zombie songs, you should take the opportunity to see him live if you get a chance. Doesn't matter if you don't like his movies or don't know his entire catalog of music. Once you're at this show, the fun is infectious.

And if you can't get to a concert, you can always watch from the comfort of home with the The Zombie Horror Picture Show DVD/bluray.