2024 Concert Diary

Ranked:

# 1 Front 242

Philadelphia, PA. Oh man. I’ve been a fan of Front 242 since could process music, my father made sure that was baby Eric’s first ever favorite band. Having the opportunity to see them at all, let alone their last ever American tour, is still insane to me. They’re historic, practically the fathers of industrial dance music. I’d give anything to see them again, feeling Headhunter vibrate through the floor and up my boots is a sensation that I fear will never be matched. I’ve never danced so hard in my entire life and I DO get down often.

# 2 Marilyn Manson

Holmdel, NJ. Definitely the one I was most excited about, as he’s my current favorite and has been running strong for several years now. He’s powerful, undoubtedly, and left me shaken. The juxtaposition between his most recent shows and the last few pre hiatus is ridiculously stark, he wears sobriety beautifully and just seeing him without fear or shame residual of the shitstorm the media has cranked him through made me real proud to say the least. I only place the show at second because of the set list and audience energy. You could tell most middle aged red white and blue hogs were there to see Five Finger Donkey Punch, and they were god damn sour about practically everything, including their own beloved dumpy version of Anton LaVey in a white track suit. No shade to my boy Anton, love you man. Fuck FFDP. Anyway, I didn’t care for the setlist all that much. As somebody far more fond of the classics and holding Portrait Of An American Family paramount, I think it could’ve used at least ONE song from that album. Cake And Sodomy or Dogma would’ve fit in just fine. While I appreciate the new shit, I don’t go out of my way to listen to it. The earliest Spooky Kids to Holywood is where I stand, WAC is good too though. I love that he’s producing, can’t say I love what he’s producing. Will still hang his drawings on the fridge to the tune of hundreds of dollars. (Happy birthday Manson!!!)

# 3 KMFDM

NYC. Great show, clusterfuck context. The whole ordeal was my idea, tickets were $53 a piece, was intending on it just being my father and I and covering us both as they’re his favorite band. He was reluctant about going, and then suddenly I got a text from my beast of a step mother telling me to get my ID for some top secret event over the weekend. You know, the one I planned and would be paying for without her. Of course she ended up tagging along anyway, a “woman” who doesn’t even like the band, and made it all about her big cunty self. We ended up soaked to the bone for over an hour waiting to enter the venue, freezing NYC rain with zero cover, and as my father came in to cover me she slid her big self between us and made him hold her instead. Mind you, I was 17, she’s almost 50 and is taller than my father. Get a grip hoe. The whole night was her instigating fights with me and making me look like the dicksmack, meanwhile everything was hanging off MY money, and she spent the entire show giving me dirty looks and grinding on my dad. I don’t know how I’m alive. The show wasn’t as energetic as I would’ve hoped, and I really don’t love their two latest releases either, but I’m glad I got to see them. I’ve loved Kap’n K since I was wee and almost melted making eye contact with Skold. 

# 4 Duran Duran

Wherever the hell Turning Stone Casino is, like 2 hours away from home. Yes it’s gay, yes I love DD. Amazing show, played with commendable energy, very sassy and pulled out a fine line up of spooky covers done exceptionally well since the show was near Halloween. I cried, and I would’ve danced if it weren’t for my torn meniscus and crutches. Can’t say I appreciated all of the AI going on or how my t shirt very much purchased in America said “Europe Tour”, but I rest that on their production team rather than the band itself. The on screen imagery playing behind the band that wasn’t AI was really neat too, far creepier than one may anticipate just listening to the songs they were synced to. 

# 5 Nekrogoblikon

Somewhere in Chicago. I’ll say it straight up I don’t like them. I went because my dad does and had nobody else to go with. That being said, they put on a beyond competent show. Everything was quality, and as somebody who thinks “gimmicks” get too much shit, I do appreciate John Goblikon. The crowd was shitty and smelly and disrespectful as fuck (not in the fun way I promise) which I could’ve laid aside and enjoyed anyway if it weren’t for screaming trigeminal neuralgia surging non stop through my face. For those who are fortunate enough not to know, when nerves die in your teeth they shoot the actual worst pain conceivable through your face and absolutely no medication will do anything to curb it. It’s sensitive to everything and drives those with chronic TN to suicide for lack of any better conveyence of severity. So no I didn’t have any fun. 

Now all that’s left to see is My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, Ministry, Rob Zombie, Melora Creager, RevCo, Covenant, The Dead Milkmen, aaand the rest of the bands I want to see and haven’t seen already will never play again.