Hell not Hallelujah
"Satan
is real, working in spirit. You can see him and hear him in this world every day.
Satan is real, working with power.
He can tempt you, and lead you astray."
The Louvin Brothers' sermon switched from American country rhythms to the testimony
of Rick Ross, when all of sudden rang Mozart's Requiem, which did not actually
praise hell, but frankly the stage wrapped in red and white fog. During the
flashing spotlights and jumping decibels of the Requiem, in the middle of the
stage suddenly appears motionless silhouette, which then disappears again. When
it reappears, he raises his hand in the air and slowly begins to wield a
microphone. Violins and timpani get replaced with guitars and drums, instead of
applause screaming and kicking the legs to the ground is heard now.
This year's 13th of Friday was spiced with one of
the first and most extravagant lovers of a different kind of aesthetics, the
master of grotesque and controversial prince, who put on his most eloquent and
catchy name Marilyn Manson. He was able to combine the elements which seem to
be incompatible, in his character name, but he seems to be doing it well in
music. Well the same was with the expectations of what will were Manson's plans
for this time in Vienna's Gasometer to accompain the release of his ninth
studio album The Pale Emperor. Debates among the fans, who have several hours
before the concert camped outside the door, were followeds by the competition
for evening's craziest look ever! Black is no longer in fashion, hair color of pale-skinned
girls covered the whole range, there were not only few men imitating their idol
by hair or clothing, the most consistent even put in white lenses and scared
few passers-by. Moreover, Manson on his extravagant entertainment conjured up everyone,
from slightly older fans to grieving widows with blood red lipstick hidden by
black veils and even members of the Hell's Angels. Even Austrian "Cruella
De Vil" could not miss the party. Despite the fact that Vienna also hosted
Prodigy in the same night, Gasometer was full and sold out.
When the fog vanishes, visitors are now able to
discern striking image of Manson and the first bars of Deep Six. The crowd was
enchanted, although the members of group New Year's Day tried to heat up place,
but it is still not clear whether the sound system was too poor or the audience
was too anxious, that they failed to get the hands up. Situation was completely
different when the pale Manson appeared in his highly closed black coat and his
boots. Not only the women were screaming out loud, well some of them were even waving
their bras in the air. The situation in the front rows was ready to cause the
alarm, however it was even supported by Manson himself. While slightly dizzy
and absent going down the stage, he suddenly went in front of the fence and let
the fans touch him. However, he has been generous throughout the evening. After
he his hat flew above the fans, it was followed by towel and a glass from which
poured water on the stage. He even sent a kiss to his supporters after the
recent chords of opening song. After the first act of grotesque on a darkened
stage suddenly appears a vintage microphone and there he goes, with a very Charlie
Chaplin hat over one eye and illuminated by the round vintage glow. When the
fans got excited by the memories of what can be referred to Old Hollywood
period, and it really seemed that any minute there will be orchestra playing in
behind and the burlesque dancers will pop out behind the velvet curtains, the
eccentric artist addressed the visitors: "I have to tell you that you are
the best crowd, which I ever had," it was one of the few phrases he
confronted the fans with during that evening. Situation in the audience was at
this point ready for alarm, but Manson then took off his coat and continued with
Disposable teens, mOBSCENE, No reflection and Cupid carries a gun. As it was
impossible to ignore his provocative appearance, he also used the same image
for his voice. While it still seemed rigid, paranoid with taste of alienation,
we are familiar with from the 90s. Nonetheless, when he spoke to the fans, what
they got picture of, was almost unrecognizable American accent, his anarchist
image has little to do with. But so as it would not seem to foreign for the
crowd, the well-known introduction to Sweet Dreams got him back on stage with
braces, "Some of them want to use you" was accompanied by marching
around the stage on stilts. "Some of them want to be abused" got the
meaning only now thanks to his expressive
cry. Not only Manson was conquered by the crowd, it seemed as if he managed to
control the whole scene, including stage performance, his gestures, or the band's
accompainment. Music, which could be described as a slightly harder rock, appeared
to be a place to present authentic emotions. Sometimes he moved down the stage slowly,
his cheers sometimes accompanied by jerky movements and then he clutched the
microphone firmly with both hands. Another time he turned and waved to the
audience with cynicism reciting his verses. In order to ignite the place even
more, provocative scenery found place during one of his anthems Antichrist
Superstar. In the middle of the stage there was a high podium, surrounded by
microphones, adorned with white circle with a red border, only the swastika was
replaced with lightning in the middle. In the background black curtains hung
from the ceiling, decorated with the same symbols. The stage then covers the
red mist and so Manson walks in dressed in a kind of black uniform and climbs
onto the podium. To help you understand the multitude of his provocation, he
helps himself with book he sets on fire, reminiscing piles of works which have
fallen below Fuehrer's matches. Enthusiasm carries him so far that he grabs the
microphone and gets on board. After a short pause, the spotlight illuminates
red and white flowers lilies, wrapped around a microphone. When Manson starts reciting Coma white to the
crowd, he disclosed smeared lipstick on his face and white snow starts to fall from
the ceiling. Already euphoric state of fans gets worse when he confronted the
first row and after the last verse suddenly marched off the stage. Before the
fans managed to get their own little piece of the performance, others trying to
find some left storage place, they were suddenly woken by illuminating lights
above the stage, not knowing when the show actually ended.
