Photo of Rob Zombie by Colin Williams
What better way to ring in spooky season than alongside Rob Zombie, the master of macabre? Zombie was accompanied by Alice Cooper on Sunday as the duo trick-or-treated St. Louis to the Freaks on Parade Tour, now in its second year. Never ones to shy away from theatrics, the co-headliners spared no expense for the show, which included an abundance of pyro and fireworks, plenty of knives and swords, ten-foot stage monsters, and, of course, at least one beheading onstage via a full-size guillotine.
Filter opened the night by filling the stands with fog before making their entrance to the industrial sound of Trent Reznor crooning “Head Like a Hole.” The foursome looked impeccable in all black, shouting out St. Louis before launching into “You Walk Away” off their third album, The Amalgut. Bassist Bobby Miller worked the audience with a mega-watt smile and several hair flips to accent his punchy bass during “(Can’t You) Trip Like I Do.” The song also featured a brief-but-memorable shred session courtesy of longtime guitarist Jonathan Radtke. Vocalist Richard Patrick complimented fans on their appearance before the band jumped into their third song of the set, “Obliteration,” with drummer Elias Mallen making himself known through chest vibrating drum grooves that, at times, overwhelmed the vocals of the track. Ahead of “Take A Picture,” Patrick did just that, snagging a quick crowd photo with his phone to “prove to my kids I was actually here!” Fog continued to pour across stage as the band closed with “Welcome to the Fold” and, of course, “Hey Man Nice Shot,” with its ‘notice me’ downtuned, D-stringed bass-y goodness. Simple, profound, very mindful, very demure.
Ministry forewent fog in lieu of a skeletonized Virgin Mary on a cross as they took their entrance ahead of their scheduled showtime. Launching immediately into “Alert Level,” the band allowed little time for pleasantries, opting for ground rattling bass instead. Before I continue the review, I have a serious question: has anyone ever seen vocalist Al Jourgensen and Kid Rock in the same room? Heading into their second song of the night, “Goddamn White Trash,” my hunch about metal Kid Rock waned as the message of the song became clear. The videographer for this track deserves an Academy Award, with confederate flags and automatic rifles being trashed on screen in a glorious display of activism. Kid Rock could never. “Stigmata” and “Burning Inside” followed, with both songs continuing the trend of loud instrumentals with distorted accent vocals, consistent with their industrial metal sound. The eight-song set list went quickly, with Ministry choosing “Jesus Built My Hotrod” to close the night, which coincidently was released the year I was born. The thirty-year-old track still blends seamlessly with modern metal playlists, showcasing chaotic, aggressive guitar riffs creating an atmosphere of mayhem.
A black curtain shielded the crowd from Alice Cooper’s set as it was quickly built following Ministry, with Rob Zombie and his wife Sheri watching stealthily side stage. Two plague doctors strolled in front of the sheet ringing their bells before it dropped revealing the band and a massive newspaper with the headline “banned in Missouri.” Guitarist Nita Strauss treated us to a brief solo before Cooper took the stage with his signature top hat, brandishing a large sword. It became quickly apparent that Cooper is a vampire who has stopped aging as he bounded back and forth across stage during “No More Mr. Nice Guy,” his agility rivaling that of most twenty-year-olds. Ryan Roxie shredded seamlessly through “I’m Eighteen” before drummer Glen Sobel introduced us to “Under My Wheels.” Sobel was again highlighted during “Billion Dollar Babies,” quite literally spotlighted while the rest of the stage went dark before a terrifying clown with a confetti gun targeted fans from stage. The entire first half of this set felt more like cinematic musical theater than a concert, with vivid strobing LEDs creating an air of exhilaration. The theatrics continued with “Snakebite” as Cooper sang with a large snake slithering over his neck and shoulders.
“Feed My Frankenstein” treated us to a monstrous ten-foot-tall zombied version of Cooper strolling between band members, creating turmoil. Strauss stunned with a solo after “Poison,” putting her technical prowess on display before being joined by Roxie and guitarist Tommy Henriksen. Cooper returned for “Ballad of Dwight Fry,” which he sang while restrained in a straitjacket before being cut loose by yet another stage monster in the final lines. A Dolly Parton lookalike in a hoop skirt and eye patch took the stage for “Killer/I Love the Dead” only to kiss Cooper before beheading him with a life-sized guillotine and spending the song fondling his severed head. Cooper rounded out the set with “Elected” and “School’s Out” setting the bar high and leaving a rowdy crowd for Rob Zombie to close the night.
Sensory overload commenced immediately as the curtain dropped for Rob Zombie, with drummer Ginger Fish playing from a platform high above the stage, and Zombie singing “Demon Screaming” atop a massive ‘Zombie’ skull. Full stage LCD screens displayed graphics matching the beat of red and teal strobes, creating a hypnotic scene for those in attendance. Zombie came down from his throne to take his place at his signature demon microphone stand for the second song of the night, “Super Charger Heaven,” as sparks rained down from the top of the stage. I was finally able to breathe as they lowered the lift Fish was playing from, bringing him much lower to the ground for “Feel So Numb” where he joined the band amidst fountains of pyro. I’ve seen Zombie several times as he is forever touring and, despite the long days on the road, he continues to have a stage presence and energy that is unmatched. We were treated to a giant ape/robot/alien for “Everybody’s Fucking in A UFO,” which is always a fan favorite.
“Superbeast” brought plenty of pyro as well as trippy graphics that added a singalong portion during the chorus with lyrics on screen for the less familiar fans. Each song of the set came with its own performance and graphics, making every song a performance in itself. We were treated to a few White Zombie hits, including “More Human Than Human” and “Thunder Kiss ‘65” with the latter being so intense someone was knocked out in the pit and the show had to be paused temporarily. The show closed with “Dragula,” which had Fish back up in the rafters drumming while Zombie doused the crowd with a fog gun. Blinding, psychedelic graphics continued to make concertgoers feel like they were living in this hellish world Zombie built. The Freaks on Parade Tour kicked off in 2023, with this leg extending through mid-September. Each band on this roster could stand alone as a headliner, making it one you won’t want to miss. | Erica Vining
