Compared with previous Marilyn Manson tours, this one was certainly the most low-key. The hype that has previously surrounded a coming Manson show was surprisingly absent this time around – there was no controversy and no huge dramatic lead up to the event…in fact, many people didn’t even realise the man was even in the country.

Thankfully, it was this lack of build-up that helped make this particular show so great. Rather than being an overblown arena spectacular held in a soulless entertainment complex – filled to the rafters with people who were only there so that they could to say that they were there – it was more like a rock show should be.

Thebarton Theatre was, without doubt, the best venue for this show. The old fashioned charm of this fantastic venue was very fitting for the mostly goth crowd that were in attendance. After the support act, The Spazzys, (who received a very lukewarm response from the crowd), the venue started to fill up with smoke from behind a curtain which was lowered from the front of the stage, slowlt setting the mood as a smoky haze engulfed the old hall.

Manson hit the stage and was greeted by a very excitable crowd and It became clear from the start that Marilyn Manson is a god-like icon to his fans. It was hard not to get excited by his presence and there was a definite buzz in the air for the whole performance, which was still over the top and the show was as dramatic as it’s always been for a Manson gig – from the carving knife attached to the microphone, the big screen images behind the band, the boxing ring, all the dramatics were all still there.

Before the show, I suspected that the nights set would consist predominantly of material from the new album Eat Me, Drink Me, but I was pleased to discover that the set was jam packed with classics from the entire Marilyn Manson back catalogue. It was these songs that seemed to charge up the crowd the most. The Eurythmics cover Sweet Dreams, which was Manson’s first hit in Australia, and the set closer The Beautiful People from the album Antichrist Superstar were the stand out songs of the night. It all seemed to fly by in a blur but when the lights came on and the theatre emptied out onto the streets, I was left with the genuine impression that Marilyn Manson has certainly earned the right to take Alice Cooper’s crown as the king of shock rock for the new generation.

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