Kings of the macabre invaded Camden, NJ on Sunday night. The Freaks On Parade Tour with Rob Zombie, Alice Cooper, Ministry and Filter brought a caravan of creeps to Freedom Mortgage Pavilion for a night of campy gore and full-blast rock n’ roll. Jacky Bam Bam, Brent Porche and Radio Sara were all in the house with our MMR family.
Rob Zombie’s set was soaked in bloody technicolor, with scenes from his horror movies and retro lettering flashing behind him as he kicked his fringe flares high. His longtime guitarist John 5 was absent, having joined Motley Crue full time last year. His guitar work was missed on stage, but Zombie’s current lineup – Mike Riggs on guitar, Rob “Blasko” NicholsonĀ on bass, and Ginger Fish behind the kit – scratched the sinister urge.
Everything that Zombie – or any metal musician – has learned about shock rock, he learned from the legendary Alice Cooper. Ol’ Black Eyes treated us to a delightfully gruesome set of songs that spanned his fifty five year career. We saw all sides of Cooper: the ringleader, the politician, the snake charmer, and more. Backed by an ensemble of three guitarists (Ryan Roxie, Nita Strauss, Tommy Hendriksen), Chuck Garric on bass, Glen Sobel on drums, plus a cast of characters on stage (some of whom met a messy demise) Cooper proved once again why he’s the king of Halloween.
Industrial stalwarts Ministry have been touring with Zombie and Cooper for years, and their heavy synth songs were a perfect fit on the Freaks on Parade bill. Filter opened the night; after a lengthy gap between released, the band put out their eighth studio album The Algorithm last summer.
Concert shots below are courtesy of Bill Raymond at Digital Noise Mag. Get more gigs on MMR’s official Concert Calendar.
Rob Zombie, Alice Cooper, Ministry & Filter at Freedom Mortgage Pavilion – 9/8/24
