DANZIG
House of Blues, Anaheim, CA
3/15/05

What a wonderful incongruity I was lucky enough to witness this evening. Smack in the center of Downtown Disney, an outdoor mall that offers shops and restaurants adjacent to the Magic Kingdom, is the concert venue House of Blues Anaheim. Interspersed through the masses of vacationing Middle American families were numerous black t-shirted social misfits and scantily clad females who had converged to see Danzig on his last scheduled U.S. concert in support of Circle of Snakes.

Danzig fans are a ravenous, dedicated group. Many people showed up to the sold-out event in hopes of a miracle. I was constantly asked if I had an extra and to my regret I didn’t. You could tell these people were searching in earnest, not the usual ticket hustler who was going to turn it around for a profit moments later. These fans planned poorly and were unaware that Danzig could sell the place out. Their loss.

The stage was decorated with the skull and snake motif from the album. “Wotans Procession” was played, announcing Danzig’s arrival. The crowd screamed with enthusiasm. Then nothing; the music stopped and the lights came up a little. There was some technical glitch that the roadies were dealing with. The crowd grew restless. After some adjustment, the band emerged and the crowd went wild.

The band sounded really good. They were up to task of creating the music from the Danzig catalog as every studio album was represented in the set except for Danzig 5: Blackacidevil. Their performance and Glenn’s vocals on the four songs off Circle of Snakes sounded much better than they did on the album.

Glenn is a good showman. When he asked the audience, “How about an old one?” They loudly cheered affirmatively. He is obviously in tune with what his fans like. After the first song of the encore, he asked them whether they wanted something from the first, second or third album; the decision to be made by whatever got the biggest audience reaction. The first album won and he played “Am I Demon?”

Glenn takes dark aspects of emotions and personality and turns them into accessible, identifiable songs. This crowd embraces that darkness, evil, devil, call it what you will, that is inside us. Not that they always act upon it, but they have a recognition that it is there. After all, there can be no good if there is no evil to contrast against it. And what is that evil but a desire the id wants that society tells us is wrong. You can tap into if you allow yourself to, enjoying the dark pleasures of sin and vice, but you have to be careful because “it’s a long way back from hell” as Glenn has correctly stated. You can easily be overwhelmed and lose control before you're aware of it. Many have been, many will be.

During “Her Black Wings,” my favorite song in the set list, I looked over at the bar, and a very attractive woman was staring at me, long brown hair, athletic build, possibly Native American. Her arms were bare, tattooed and very toned. She walked towards me and I noticed, “Her stride is such/mortals freeze/when she walks past.” I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She leaned her head close and asked, “Do you want to kiss me?” We embraced and I could smell “a scent of rain upon her neck.” Her arms were locked tight around me. I had one hand tucked into the back of her pants where I discovered that she had on a G-string. With my other hand I massaged her breast and caressed her nipple. All that existed was the two of us, but then for the briefest of instances I wondered: What the hell was I doing? Who was this mystery woman? What did she want with me? Did she really like me? Am I a good kisser? Would she pick my pocket? Blackmail me? Seduce me only to knock me out cold, use me like a woman, and urinate on me when she was done? She was gone and I was standing in the same spot, banging my head, singing along, “Whoa-oh. Under her black wings.” Was she a memory, a dream, a premonition? You have to love the power men give women to make them both ecstatic and depressed. Glenn knows what I’m referring to and he captured it very well.

Everyone seemed to have a fantastic time at the show and I would recommend you check Danzig out if he comes to your town. I would certainly go back again. He is supposed to be taking some time off from music to get involved with directing and producing other projects. Danzig is on tour through Europe until late May when he plays Monterrey Metal Festival Vol.2 in Mexico.

Set List:
Skin Carver
Satans Child
I Luciferi
Black Mass
Circle of Snakes
1000 Devils Reign
It’s Coming Down
How The Gods Kill
Her Black Wings
Unspeakable
Black Angel, White Angel
Until You Call On The Dark
Bringer of Death
Twist of Cain
Mother

E: She Rides
Am I Demon?