Rob Zombie - Apollo, Manchester, 17/3/2011

  by Aaron Brown

published: 21 / 2 / 2011

intro

At the Apollo in Manchester, Aaron Brown enjoys a night of theatrical rock horror from former White Zombie frontman and film director, Rob Zombie, on his first visit to Britain in twelve years

It has been twelve years since Rob Zombie last graced these shores with his carnival freak show. In that time Zombie has become a respected film director, producer and writer of such titles such as 'House of a 1000 Corpses' and the imaginatively titled 'The Devil's Rejects'. Finally after questionable remakes of the 'Halloween' series, El Zombie is back at his day job and, boy, does he know how to entertain. The band takes the stage with the opener 'Jesus Frankenstein', with the graveyard scene from 'Bride of Frankenstein' playing in the background to creepy effect. Dressed in skull masks, Mr Zombie appears from the mist out of a giant claw hand. For those who have never been to a theatrical rock horror gig, this was a treat. Senior Zombie is the natural successor to the throne of Alice Cooper, in real life a personal friend of his and judging by the show possibly his mentor. While the band play throughout the gig, the stage has lurking in the background other people dressed as various creatures. The band themselves, featuring Slipknot’s Joey Jordison and ex Marilyn Manson’s John 5, are a tight outfit despite Senor Zombie’s chop and change approach to group membership. Herr Zombie mainly sticks to the classics tonight, the rifftastic 'Dragula', to the sleaze that is 'Living Dead Girl' to the creepiness of 'What Lurks on Channel X'. Master Zombie’s music is easy to digest, anthems a plenty with a mixture of the old and the new. Fans of Zombie's first creation, White Zombie weren’t disappointed neither. The inclusion of such classics as 'Super Charger Heaven', 'More Human than Human' and the show stopping 'Thunderkiss ’65' brought the house down and made this writer’s night. In total, Rob Zombie. could you please stop remaking horror movies that sympathise with the killer and star your wife all the time?

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