Well,
I don't have to say that the concert was the greatest! Anybody who went
knows this already, but for those of you unfortunate enough to miss the
last show of the House of God tour missed one hell of a show! I got there
at about 9:30 in the morning, and took a look around the spectacular "House
of Blues" in Marina City, Chicago....beautiful venue. Nobody was there
yet, so I shacked up at the Super 8 in Calumet Park, ate lunch, and drove
back around 4:30p.m.
I walked
in, and met up with "Sully", the T-Shirt guy, who I grilled for information
about the show, where King was, etc. As I was standing there, I met the
drummer, John Hebert. I decided that standing there was a pretty
good idea, since I also met and was photographed with David
Harbour. Eventually, I also met and was photographed with Glen
Drover. Hanging around the merchandising booth, was the lead singer
of Babylon Whores.
I can't say enough how cool these guys all are. Sometimes, you get an impression
that stardom turns people into pricks, but these guys have all managed
to stay real, and I was impressed by the ease that they leapt into conversation
with me, instead of acting bored with yet another fan....
At any
rate, DEEP took the stage first, getting the crowd ready for the evening,
then the Babylon Whores took the stage, who were a little reminiscent of
the Misfits...but a very enjoyable set. Finally, Shadows Fall finished
racing the audience towards the Main Event.
At the
onset of King Diamond, the set began with Grandma sitting on the stage
while the beginning of "Welcome Home" played. King came out in grand style,
bringing the crowd to its expected frenzy, then continued with "The Invisible
Guests". "Voodoo" brought out the mysterious half-naked woman dancer that
has joined the tour, while King taunted her with the Damballah. "A Secret"
finished up the Voodoo album section, when the band began with "Sleepless
Nights".
Then
began the long awaited portion of the show....The House of God. There was
a few brief moments of silence, when King appeared at a pulpit singing
"Upon the Cross". At the end of the intro, King's pulpit caught on fire
to the utter delight of fans. "The Trees Have Eyes", then "Follow the Wolf",
where a mysterious wolf-faced figure danced among the band members. The
title track "House of God" was perfect in it's execution. As a side-note....I
have rarely heard such perfect mastery of the soundboards....usually, you
have inferior equipment, bad acoustics, whatever...interfering with a band's
sound. Not so at the House of Blues.
"Black
Devil" began with King astride an evil looking dark gargoyle....and he
finished up the set with "Help".
Then
he took a few moments and began again with "The Candle", which began a
frenzy of mosh pit enthusiasts. I jumped into the pit a few times, but
I hate it when people take it too seriously. Most people were having fun,
but what I hate is when you get a couple of idiots who are just there to
hurt people...and there were just a couple who got just as much as they
gave. I've participated in some really violent mosh-pits, but at least
people weren't aiming for the face.
"You'll
never know" rounded off the Fatal Portrait ensemble, which left time for
"The Eye", and of course, one of my favorites, "Burn".
A King
Diamond concert just would not be complete without a few songs from Abigail.
"Arrival", "Abigail", "The Family Ghost", and "Black Horsemen" completed
our craving for this epic album, with Andy Laroque's guitar technique thrilling
the audience. Another side note...I was just a
little depressed that Andy didn't bring out the 12 string for the beginning
of "Black Horsemen". He played it during the Conspiracy Tour, and it just
freaked everyone out in a great way.
I also got to meet the members of "Usurper", the band in which King makes a special
guest vocal appearance. I hope to meet these guys again, soon!
Finally,
after much screaming, and chants of "King, King, King", King Diamond finished
up the tour with the classic, "No Presents for Christmas", and Andy finished up with "Peace of Mind"...
After
the show, King was spirited off backstage to the bowels of the back parking
lot. I was lucky enough to meet him there, along with a few other fans.
I got his autograph, and a photo
with him. Anyone who knows King personally knows that he is very shy,
but I can personally say that he is a VERY nice and down to earth person.
An excellent
show by a master performer. I wouldn't have traded the night for anything
else.
Michael Griffey II