Marilyn Manson, Wolverhampton Civic Hall - review
He broke his leg in two places little more than two months ago, yet metal messiah Marilyn Manson put on a phenomenal show in Wolverhampton on his Heaven Upside Down tour filled with passion, talent and awesome hits.
Zooming on to the stage in a gothically-decorated electric wheelchair, fans could not be sure just what to expect last night - but the 48-year-old icon most certainly did not disappoint, giving what I considered to be one of his greatest performances yet.
It wasn't just the legendary frontman who impressed either, as the entire five-piece put on a tremendous show, with a consistently clean and powerful sound. As fans will be painfully aware, the band has undergone some serious changes of late with the departure of guitarist Twiggy Ramirez back in October, but the highly-talented line-up's performance was excellent and thrilling nonetheless; the four musicians completely in-sync, playing with passion and great skill.
Despite the accident which saw Manson break his fibula at the end of September, the huge 3D guns which fell on him still took centre stage behind the black-clad icon as he opened his outstanding set with 2017 number Revelation #12.
"God damn, Wolverhampton," bellowed Manson.
"And Birmingham adjacent... Why don't we just say m***********g Marilyn Manson fans?
"Let's go old school with The New S**t."
And with that, the controversial icon launched into a hit-filled party; much to the delight of his hundreds of fans who packed-out the sold-out city centre show. Beloved favourites such as Mobscene, The Dope Show, Sweet Dreams and Disposable Teens came thick and fast, as the audience jumped and sang along to every word.
"I may be a bit crippled, but I wouldn't miss this for the world," added Marilyn. This sentiment was clear to the adoring audience, as the star gave his everything, standing for the vast majority of the set - even if it meant resting his plastered leg on a speaker or leaning on other band members.
Marilyn also played a little on being injured in his usual tongue-in-cheek manner, with surgeons in scrubs and masks standing either side of the icon for much of the set. He even donned a patient gown at one point as he performed from a surgical bed.
Fans were also treated to an excellent, gritty and sensual rendition of Marilyn's latest controversial release Kill4Me, as fans below chanted 'kill, kill, kill'.
"I love you guys, thank you," uttered the star, before walking off stage to 'end' the show - resulting in fans stomping their feet and crying out for more.
"I've got another song - is that what you want?" the icon said wryly, stepping back on to the stage in a black military-style hat, before launching into 1996 hit The Beautiful People.
With so many stars being incredibly quick to cancel shows due to aches, pains, sore throats and the like, Marilyn Manson proved why he retains such legendary status 28 years after he first began. A true icon, devoted to his fans - and every bit a superior, world-class rock star.
