Danzig intimidates even without costumes Halloween show
By John Sabatini
On this evening of diabolical darkness, nightfall will be the
harbinger of an entity more supremely evil than the foulest ghouls
or the fiercest demons.
Tonight, the punk/metal powerhouse Danzig will descend in all
its devastating potency upon the sorry souls in attendance at the
Irvine Meadows Amphitheater. Fans beware: the band’s reputation for
force and aggression is not undeserved.
"We don’t hold back; we just give it to you straight," warns
lead guitarist John Christ. "And the bulk of our fans, that’s how
they want it. They want it loud, heavy, right in their faces. They
just go nuts."
Without a doubt, strength, intensity and volume are Danzig’s
primary distinguishing characteristics. Christ feels that it is
precisely this overwhelming vision of darkness and dominance that
fans find so attractive.
"It’s a powerful image. You got these three guys up in the
front, and they’ve got black hair and the more muscles the better,"
Christ says. "We get off on that. And the fans get off on it, too.
I think a lot of them give us a certain amount of respect because
we’re not these tiny, little, skinny, drugged-out 1980s glam
rockers with makeup everywhere."
While he recognizes how Danzig’s negative musical vibe and
imposing physical appearance can be intimidating or distasteful to
many people, Christ feels that true Danzig fans can find the deeper
meaning in the music.
"Out on stage, there’s this guy with big muscles and
bare-chested with black hair and big belt buckles, flexing and
belting out and howling at the crowd," Christ says. "That’s enough
for some people just to say, ‘Oh God, this is ridiculous. Get away
from me.’
"But the fans who are touched by the music and realize that
there is something to it, who kind of delve into the content of the
music and the lyrics and see what’s actually going on, the people
who make the connection and identify with it are the Danzig fans,"
he argues.
Touring to promote their latest album, Danzig 4, the band hopes
to build on the monster success of the smash hit "Mother ’93". And
on this special night of horrors and haunts, Christ is anxiously
awaiting the opportunity to assail the audience with the crowd
favorite.
"I can’t wait to play ‘Mother’ on Halloween," says the
guitarist. "When I play the first three chords, I get to absorb the
brunt of the audience reaction, the intensity when they recognize
the song. That’s a total rush; I get chills just thinking about
it."
The popular appeal of the song has come as a surprise to many
people, including the band members themselves, but Christ and the
others see it as a reward for their patience and determination over
the last seven years.
In fact, Danzig’s recent success is quite ironic, given that the
track "Mother" was originally released on Danzig’s 1987
self-entitled debut album and went relatively unnoticed by the
public at the time. The version currently so popular appears on the
band’s EP Thrall-demonsweatlive, remixed only slightly.
In explaining this phenomenon, Christ simply argues that
Danzig’s time has now arrived thanks to a more positive critical
response and greater radio acceptance of heavy music generated by
the success of grunge.
"The Seattle scene had a huge influence on this coming of age of
Danzig music," he suggests. "Now radio has changed enough, and it’s
time. I don’t necessarily say we’re ahead of our time; it’s just
that our time has come now."
Although Christ and his bandmates are proud of what "Mother ’93"
has achieved and anticipate continued success, Christ insists that
this taste of prosperity will not compromise Danzig’s fatalistic
philosophy or hardcore sound.
"As far as the band and the music goes, [success] hasn’t changed
the writing process; it hasn’t changed Glenn [Danzig]’s style,"
Christ explains. "He’s not doing things any differently than he
would normally do to satisfy his own desires musically and
creatively, which is good, which the fans appreciate and which is
part of the reason we’re still here."
Christ asserts that the qualities which the whole band strives
to maintain include overall intensity, dark themes, musical tones
and colors, and the general aura of omnipotence.
"I think retaining the essence of the Danzig sound and style has
been a constant, but [we are] ever experimenting and pushing out
the boundaries just around the edges," Christ says.
In particular, the guitarist stresses the evolution of Glenn
Danzig’s vocal style. According to Christ, the lead singer
initially relied on a limited range of vocal tones but has come to
feel more comfortable with experimentation. As a heavy metal
guitarist in what is primarily a punk band, Christ has understood
from the beginning that he must conform to the needs and
expectations of the other band members. And Christ has already
demonstrated his willingness to experiment for the good of the band
at his own expense.
"[When I joined Danzig,] I had to dye my hair black and shave my
moustache … and go all black with biker boots and everything
else," he remembers. "I had some very bad hair days in the
beginning."
Having been an integral part of Danzig for more than seven
years, Christ realizes how fulfilling yet difficult it can be to
keep taking chances and staying fresh musically while preserving a
cohesive band unit.
"I have a lot of respect for bands like Aerosmith and the Stones
who’ve been doing it for years," Christ says. "I think they should
get medals for just being able to stick together that long. I don’t
care how good or bad their records are, the fact that they can do
that just blows my mind."