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Review and photos by Johnny Hall One cannot think of the modern Shockrock/Horror genre without Rob Zombie entering the forefront of the mind. The long-time horror devote, who often pulls lyrical inspiration from classic horror and sci-fi, has noted looking up to Bela Lugosi as a child. With five studio albums, three compilations, and 15 singles under his belt, not to mention sales of 15 million albums worldwide and six hits on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock charts, Zombie has solidified his place with the likes of Alice Cooper and Marilyn Mansion in this popular and dark musical soundscape.On June 19th, Rob Zombie made a stop at Tags Summer Soundstage in Upstate New York. Concert goers were greeted by 10 foot creatures, offering plenty of opportunity for fan interaction and photo ops. The crowd of about 5,000 ranged in age from 5 years to mid-50s, proving that Zombie continues to build the fan base that he began cultivating during his White Zombie days. The night kicked off with Dropclutch. A four piece band hailing from Binghamton NY, the members are Shawn Swartwood - vocals, Brandon Schuldt - drums, Joshua Skellett -bass and Adam Skellett - guitars. The Dropclutch sound is reminiscent of modern hard rock bands ranging from Papa Roach to Five Finger Death Punch. At times, Skellett’s bass playing seemed to be channeling the funky grooves of Primus' Les Claypool. Dropclutch started out the night with an intro leading into "The Becoming" and ended their 13 song set with "One Bullet." Next up, was what the crowd had come to see: Rob Zombie. The stage was set with hanging backdrops, featuring the classic horror images of Frankenstein, Dracula, and Wolfman. Although notably absent was Zombie's elaborate theatrics from earlier tours, he maintained his always engaging stage performance. The band opened up their night with "Teenage Nosferatu Pussy" from the album Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor. Rob Zombie also paid homage to White Zombie with "Super-Charger Heaven," "More Human than Human," and his multi-platinum song "Thunder Kiss '65." John 5 on guitar was exceptional as expected, often playing behind his back and later soloing with the "Star Spangled Banner," playing with his teeth as a nod to Jimi Hendrix. Piggy D kept a good solid bottom end on the bass while engaging the crowd throughout the show, at times playing a bass in the shape of a giant wooden cross. Rounding out the rhythm section was Ginger Fish on drums. The drums sounded loud and full and laid a good foundation to hold up such a great group of musicians. Zombie and crew played a thunderous 17 song set which included "Living Dead Girl" and " Meet the Creeper" and some cover songs including the Grand Funk Railroad song, "We're an American Band," as well as the Ramones "Blitzkrieg Bop," ending the night with the crowd favorite "Dragula." Rob Zombie showed no signs of slowing down and delivered a blazing performance despite commenting that he had been under the weather for a week prior to tonight's show. |
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1. Teenage Nosferatu Pussy 2. Super-Charger Heaven 3. Superbeast 4. Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine ~ James Brown cover 5. Living Dead Girl 6. Dead City Radio and the New Gods of Supertown 7. Drum solo by Ginger Fish 8. More Human than Human 9. Sick Bubblegum |
10. Pussy Liquor 11. Meet the Creeper 12. Never Gonna Stop (The Red, Red Kroovy) 13. Blitzkrieg Bop ~ Ramones cover 14. Thunder Kiss '65 Encore 1: 15. We're an American Band ~ Grand Funk Railroad cover Encore 2: 16. The Lords of Salem 17. Dragula |
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