When I first heard about the Freaks On Parade Tour I knew it was a can’t miss kind of show. I had been wanting to cover Rob Zombie for quite a long time and now here was the chance to see him along with Mudvayne, Static-X and Powerman 5000. I was starting to become concerned when the day before the show arrived, and I hadn’t received the approval. Not to worry, when evening arrived so did the approval. Now it was time to get ready for the trip to Tampa.
The bands of heavy rain didn’t slow my drive time and when I arrived at the Mid Florida Credit Union Amphitheater the tailgating had already begun. By some miracle I was able to hit the merch table early and then got ready for Powerman 5000. As I headed to the pit, I knew it was going to be crowded, but it was great to be able to shoot with so many friends. The band came out swinging and it was Spider One, younger brother of Rob Zombie, leading the charge.
The set kicked off with 2017’s “Footsteps And Voices.” These fits were a whirlwind of perpetual motion. Bassist Murv3 couldn’t stop smiling and drummer DJ Rattan’s green hair flew about wildly as he laid down the beats. The band crushed my favorite, “Bombshell” and when they closed out the set with “When Worlds Collide,” the place went nuts. No doubt about it, Powerman 5000 definitely brought the power tonight.
Powerman 5000:
Spider One: Lead Vocals
DJ Rattan: Drums, Percussion
Murv3: Bass
Taylor Haycraft: Rhythm Guitar
Dan Schiz: Lead Guitar
Setlist:
1.Footsteps And Voices
2.Nobody’s Real
3.Invade,Destroy,Repeat
4.Hey That’s Right!
5.Bombshell
6.Supernova Goes Pop
7.When Worlds Collide
Up next was a band that not only knows how to rock, but they do it with an air of mystery about them. After forming in 1994, Static-X went on a roller coaster ride through the music world that included numerous albums, hugely successful tours, lineup changes and ultimately the death of lead singer and founding member Wayne Static.
Fast forward to today and the band was back in business with the mysterious Xer0 at the helm. Xer0 was dressed in all black and was wearing a very ominous looking mask that bore a strong resemblance to Wayne Static. The band’s high energy, 7-song set included 6 songs from their 1999 album Wisconsin Death Trip. Guitarist Koichi Fukuyama played to the crowd and was constantly on the move. The final song of the set was their anthem, “Push It.” The performance was great, but I couldn’t help feel that a unified identity was missing. It was as if all four members could’ve come from different bands.
Static-X:
Ken Jay: Drums
Koichi Fukuda: Guitars
Xer0: Vocals, Guitars
Tony Campos: Bass
Setlist:
1.Bled For Days
2.Wisconsin Death Trip
3.Sweat Of The Bud
4.Love Dump
5.Cold
6.I’m With Stupid
7.Push It
As 8:00 p.m. arrived, it was time for Mudvayne. I had been seeing recent live photos of the band and to say I was anxious to shoot them would be an understatement. The black curtain with their logo dropped and the stage exploded with red flashing lights. As “Dig” began playing, vocalist Chad Gray wasted no time in climbing down from the stage and going into the crowd. After serenading the pit dwellers, Gray returned to the stage.
A shirtless Ryan Martinie was fired up and his fiery pink hair and black face paint glistened from sweat and the flashing lights. Guitarist Greg Tribbett was rocking a black derby and steampunk goggles that perfectly complimented his red and black face paint.
Songs like “Determined” had the pit slamming as drummer Matthew McDonough was tearing it up. During “Not Falling” Gray fell from an equipment case and into the pit. An injured Gray didn’t miss a beat and quickly returned to the stage. Mudvayne was outstanding and they are definitely a band that you must see live.
Mudvayne:
Greg Tribbett – Guitars, Backing Vocals
Matthew McDonough – Drums, Synthesizer
Chad Gray – Lead Vocals
Ryan Martinie – Bass
Touring members
Marcus Rafferty – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Setlist:
1.Dig
2.Under My Skin
3.-1
4.Severed
5.Death Blooms
6.Internal primates Forever
7.Determined
8.Not Falling
9.Nothing To Gein
10.Dull Boy
11.World So Cold
12.Happy?
I was literally pacing back and forth as I waited for 9:40 p.m. to arrive. I had been waiting a long time to cover Rob Zombie and now it was finally going to happen. I had repeatedly heard that he was a difficult shoot due to the crazy lighting, but I was amped up to make it happen.
After the house lights went down the Leave It To Beaver theme began to play as actor Tony Dow’s (Wally) picture was displayed on the big screen. It was a touching tribute to the late actor. After “Expanding The Head Of Zed” the entire stage glowed red as the big screen displayed “The Demons Hate You.” As the band took the stage, Rob Zombie appeared atop a huge platform.
“The Triumph Of King Freak” was an awesome choice to kick things off. Rob quickly lost his hat as sprinted down from his sinister perch. I had covered John 5 before, so I knew that he was going to going to display his guitar wizardry in full force and I was 100% correct.
One of my favorites, “Superbeast,” electrified the crowd as did “Living Dead Girl” and “Scum Of The Earth.” Bassist Piggy D stalked the crowd while wearing a long-fanged monster mask. Drummer Ginger Fish was hard to spot behind his kit, but I managed to get a couple of snaps and he was actually smiling. The set was made up of so many great songs including White Zombie’s “More Human Than Human” and “Thunder Kiss ‘65.”
A Rob Zombie show wouldn’t be complete without giant monsters, a lurking devil, and a blistering guitar solo from John 5. It was no surprise that “Dragula” would be the encore for this fantastic show. Rob Zombie and crew delivered everything I expected and more. All in all, this was one of the most entertaining concerts I’ve covered to date. The Freaks On Parade Tour is a can’t miss opportunity of a lifetime. There are almost a month of dates left so do yourself a favor and get out there and catch one of those shows before it’s too late.
Rob Zombie:
Rob Zombie: Lead Vocals
John 5: Guitars, Backing Vocals
Piggy D: Bass, Backing Vocals
Ginger Fish: Drums, Percussion
Setlist:
Tribute To Tony Dow
Intro” Expanding The Head Of Zed”
1.The Triumph Of King Freak (A Crypt Of Preservation And Superstition)
2.Superbeast
3.Meet The Creeper
4.Shake Your Ass-Smoke Your Grass
5.Living Dead Girl
6.More Human Than Human
7.Scum Of The Earth
8.Dead City Radio And The New Gods Of Supertown
9.Never Gonna Stop (The Red, Red, Kroovy)
10.Well Everybody’s F**king In A UFO
11.House Of A 1000 Corpses
12.Guitar Solo
13.Thunder Kiss ’65
14.Shadow Of The Cemetery Man
Munsters Movie Trailer
15.Dragula
Follow Powerman 5000 Online:
Follow Static-X Online:
Follow Mudvayne Online:
Follow Rob Zombie Online:
I’ve had a love for photography since I was young. Whether it was a Polaroid or a Kodak 110, I was always the kid with the camera. My love of music goes back even further. Nothing beats being at a show when those lights go down and the crowd goes nuts.
