When There Is No More Room In Court, The Misfits Will Reunite
Original recipe Misfits Jerry Only and Glenn Danzig, 1979. Photog unknown.
In not very surprising news considering the recent past, founding Misfits Jerry Only and Glenn Danzig have announced they will take the stage with Jerry’s brother Doyle and a drummer to be named later for several performances as “The Original Misfits” at 2016’s Riot Fest. We understand this to mean Glenn and Jerry have finally stopped suing each other over ownership of the Misfit logos and skull faces. Fantastic. I’m excited to see the exclusive merch they plan to roll out for this landmark concert engagement.
My enthusiasm for the reunion itself is mild. Of course Danzig goes back to the Misfits, driving a stake through the heart of its legal monster with option to make a final artistic statement on the matter if he chooses. Of course Jerry agrees, because it’s spectacle (and profitable). A bigger surprise would have found Danzig buying back the performing rights to the Misfits and icing Jerry out for the rest of his life, or Danzig retiring from music and moving to Nepal to become a monk. Sting went back to the Police. Nesmith went back to the Monkees. Of course Glenn Danzig goes back to the Misfits.
Everyone goes back to the well—especially if the well vomits money.
Obviously there is also cynicism in my heart that any of this will actually happen. Riot Fest is four long months away, and these guys have lived in acrimony for a far greater period than they ever spent making music. Will Jerry and Glenn make it to September without another donnybrook or injunction? Maybe if the Original Misfits drummer is one of their lawyers.
It’s like the Mets. I wanna believe, but history and logic tells me otherwise. Stranger things have happened, I suppose. We’ll see come September.
Scott Reynolds Apologizes For Teasing Danzig (Via Song)
Earlier this month, All singer Scott Reynolds fanned the flames of heavy metal Hell when he appeared at Chicago’s Riot Fest dressed as perennial grump Glenn Danzig. The Glenn Brigade was none too pleased with Scott’s “tribute,” and they’ve been giving the guy grief ever since. So, a couple days ago, Scott uploaded the following musical apology to Danzig, saying he was “being a dick” and that he “knows what it’s like to be picked on.” All fans will appreciate the Descendents joke tucked in there, but will any serious Danzig fans accept this mea culpa from Scotty Fake-zig?
More On That Scott Reynolds Danzig Riot Fest Comment
Curiosity got the better of me the other day regarding what All singer Scott Reynolds allegedly wrote on Facebook about playing with Glenn Danzig last week at Chicago’s Riot Fest (the former was said to have labeled the latter an “egomaniacal douche nozzle”), so I messaged Scott via the FB about it. Apparently, Scott wasn’t referencing any specific incident—he’s just bummed, as a long-time Misfits fan, that everything Danzig’s done with his eponymous band has been so serious and muscle-laden and obsessed with sex. Nothing personal, just depression over the D Man’s stylistic departure from the fun of the Misfits. Of course, it should be noted that during All’s Riot Fest set, Scott expressed these frustrations by dressing up as Glenn. LULZ. Something tells me Danzig won’t fire back by getting a JFK haircut and bookworm reading glasses.
Watch The Majority Of Danzig’s Chicago “Legacy” Concert
Glenn Danzig performed the first in his series of four 2011 “Legacy” concerts Friday night at Chicago’s Riot Fest, headlining the day-long event with a special set of material reaching from present Danzig day all the way back to his storied years with Samhain and the Misfits. Glenn’s strict “no camera” policy couldn’t stop one intrepid fan far in the back row from recording the majority of the performance (beginning from the Samhain chunk of songs). Check it out below.
Sounds pretty good, right? Those period-specific backdrops are sick, too. I just might have to try and weasel my way into the New York “Legacy” gig at Hammerstein later this month. Seriously, I’m a friend of Glenn’s sister, let me in.
Danzig may have put on a great show for his legions of skull-worshipping fans, but rumors are flying around the Internetz this morning about the expected backstage rigmarole. All singer Scott Reynolds hath apparently posted to the Facebook, “Had a great frickin’ weekend…I hung out with some of my favorite human beings in the history of ever! And I gained new respect for Glenn Danzig, because I never knew how much work goes into being such an egomaniacal douche nozzle.”
Hey man, if you spill Danzig’s kitty litter, be prepared to pay the price.
DANZIG “LEGACY” SET LIST 10/7/11:
[DANZIG MATERIAL]
Overture of the Rebel Angels
SkinCarver
Hammer of the Gods
Rebel Spirits
Twist of Cain
Her Black Wings
Devil’s Plaything
How the Gods kill
Dirty BlackSummer
It’s Coming Down
[SAMHAIN MATERIAL]
Initium
Samhain
All Murder, All Guts, All Fun
Horror Biz
Unholy Passion
Let the Day Begin
To Walk the night
Mother of Mercy
[MISFITS MATERIAL]
Death Comes Ripping
Vampira
Bullet
Martian
Night of the Living Dead
Halloween
Astro Zombies
Last Caress
[DANZIG]
Bringer of Death
Not of This World
Mother
[MISFITS]
Skulls
PERSONNEL:
[DANZIG]
Vocals: Glenn Danzig
Guitar: Tommy Victor
Bass: Steve Zing
Drums: Johnny Kelly
[SAMHAIN]
Vocals: Glenn Danzig
Guitar: Tommy Victor
Bass: London May/Steve Zing
Drums: Steve Zing/London May
[MISFITS]
Vocals: Glenn Danzig
Guitar: Doyle
Guitar: Tommy Victor
Bass: Steve Zing
Drums: Johnny Kelly