Rob
Zombie ‘The Zombie Picture Show’ Blu Ray track listing:
1. Teenage
Nosferatu Pussy
2. Superbeast
3. Super
Charger Heaven
4. Living Dead
Girl
5. We're an
American Band
6. More Human
Than Human
7. Sick
Bubblegum
8. Never Gonna
Stop
9. Ging Gang
Gong de Do Gong de Laga Raga
10. Meet the
Creeper
11. Angry Red
Planet
12. Mars Needs
Women
13. House of
1000 Corpses
14. Lords of Salem
15. Dead City
16. Thunder
Kiss '65
17. Dragula
The Band:
Rob Zombie |
Vocals
John 5 | Guitars
Piggy D | Bass
Ginger Fish | Drums
Review:
Born one,
Robert Bartleh Cummings January 12, 1965, the man better known as ‘Zombie’ to his
legion of fans, has accomplished much. Transforming
White Zombie from an underground noise rock band, to a multimillion seller, it was
perhaps all the more shocking when at the peak of their power, Zombie dissolved
the band. Not many artists experience
success the second time around, and yet Rob Zombie has gone onto enjoy a rich
and successful solo music career, as well directing videos for bands such as
Prong and Zakk Wylde, not to mention his recent success as a screen writer and
movie director.
Coming
full circle then, it is worth saying in reference to his music that Zombie is
perhaps at the zenith of his career. Having released perhaps his strongest
album since his debut, in Hellbilly Deluxe 2 and 2013’s top 10 album ‘Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor’, Zombie seems excited by music again and whilst I wasn’t particularly
enamored by his latest record, what is irrefutable is John 5’s influence, having been the catalyst
and motivation to reignite Zombie’s passion for being in a band and releasing
music again in the form of ‘Educated Horses’ in 2006.
Despite
experiencing success, Zombie’s solo band has transitioned somewhat since it’s
inception, original drummer John Tempesta, also of White Zombie and guitarist
Riggs, now of ‘Scum of the Earth’ are gone, indeed their replacement members
jumped ship some time later, most notably drummer Clufetos* and Blasko, who
moved on to be part of the Ozzy Osborne band and one ‘Black Sabbath*’. Despite these setbacks and with Zombie
seemingly on indefinite hiatus, to concentrate on movies following ‘The
Sinister Urge’ album, Zombie regrouped in 2006 and his band is perhaps the strongest
it has been in years. Joey Jordison (Ex-
Slipknot) originally replaced Clufetos in 2010, who would in turn be replaced
by Ginger Fish of Marilyn Manson fame, Piggy D replacing Blasko and in John 5;
he has arguably the best stringer around as his right hand man.
Rewinding
a little to 2011 and following years of hardship, UK
fans were finally treated to the Zombie live spectacular and my memories of his
show at The Apollo in Manchester ,
UK UK UK
tour that same year in support of Astrocreep 2000:, is all we had to show for
years of dedication from his UK
fans (I saw them twice that year, Donington and Leeds ).
The
reason I mention this, is that having absorbed his show in the first person
back in 2011 and having watched this Live DVD/Blu Ray, you can’t help feel that
we have been missing out on so much. Whatever the issue, if you have yet
to experience Rob Zombie Live, this is DVD/BluRay is perhaps the closest
representation of his live show without actually being there.
Despite
releasing the ‘Zombie Live’ album back in 2007, ‘The Zombie Horror Picture Show,’ is his first concert film and was filmed during the summer of
2013, featuring shows from the Houston and Dallas, Texas leg of the Mayhem
Festival tour, deftly cut and edited together to be presented as this film. In terms of the set list, there are few surprises, as much
of the set is derived from the set I saw back in 2011, with at least 8 tracks
being presented here too.
Filmed in
what seems like 9mm tape, the introduction leading up to the band hitting the
stage, we
are treated to snippets of backstage action of Zombie and his band mates, until
the show kicks off with ‘Teenage
Nosferatu Pussy’. The band adorning face
masks like some arcane band of outlaws, the film immediately
resonated with me as a viewer. What is
striking about the film is
that songs are intertwined with an arsenal of elaborate,
special effects. During the course of
the next 80 mins, you get animatronic robots, pyrotechnics, LED screens, split
screen visuals, a magnificent light show, but more importantly outstanding
music and performances courtesy of John 5, Piggy D and Ginger Fish, with Rob
Zombie the architect of this weird and wonderful spectacle.
Zombie and his fans are at one with each
other, with the audience expressing their enthusiasm and adulation by means of
singing, dancing, fighting and barely flesh.
With at least half of the songs taken from ‘Hellbilly
Deluxe’ and its 2010 sequel ‘Hellbilly Deluxe 2.’ there are also nods to ‘The
Sinister Urge’ with ‘Never
Gonna Stop’ and also 2006‘s ‘Educated
Horses’. Often overlooked as the shabby
horse in terms of his back catalogue, there are some superior songs on there. ‘Lords of Salem’ is a fine example of that
and is one of the highlights of the show.
As remarked upon earlier, the opener ‘Teenage Nosferatu Pussy’ from
‘Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor’, is my least favourite record and yet it sounds massive and
every bit a classic. For me there is an
absence of many of my favourite tracks, ‘Demonoid Phenomenon’, ‘Iron Head’,
‘Feel So Numb’, ‘Scum of the Earth’, ‘Jesus Frankenstein’, but a Zombie show
wouldn’t be the same without a nod to his White Zombie days and ‘Super Charger Heaven,’ ‘More Human Than
Human’ and ‘Thunder Kiss ‘65’, are all brilliant.
Visually the film is excellent, with numerous screens
broadcasting horror
clips, words from the songs for the crowd to sign a long too, indeed as a
viewer you are just overwhelmed by this ocular smorgasbord. Try singing ‘Ging Gang Gong de Do Gong de Laga Raga’ three
times really fast. Not easy, huh!!
The only gig I could compare Zombie too, is Metallica
in 1996, which including the stage collapsing and stuntmen being set on fire,
however on the whole Zombie trumps everyone, perhaps taking influence from
Alice Cooper and making the gig an event, with giant devil man props during
‘Super Charger Heaven’ and Zombie
dancing around on a power ranger esque mechanised dinosaur on ‘Meet the
Creeper’. It is safe to say there is never
a dull moment
For
me John 5 shines throughout, his
technical ability on guitar is jaw dropping, ‘Star Spangled Banner’ played with
his teeth, his trademark telecaster guitars with flashing LEDs and for me a
real highlight is his blistering guitar solos during ‘Thunderkiss ‘65’. Finishing
off the show as he did 3 years ago with,
‘Dragula,’ this song is a fitting conclusion to a remarkable show. If you want to be entertained, you like Rob
Zombie and you’re yet to see him live, 'The Zombie Horror Picture Show' is effectively
a must have purchase. “They Live for
Kicks, Love for Kicks, Kill for Kicks’.
You can buy it everywhere now
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