When I was thirteen years old roughly I heard my first Misfits song, and if I remember correctly it was "Skulls." I remember being equally intrigued and terrified by the dark yet upbeat music. That began my exploration into the kings of Horror Punk and from then on I was hooked. So when I saw that The Original Misfits were headlining Riot Fest I knew I couldn't miss it.
With me being from Toronto I was waiting for them to announce a Toronto date for the Riot Fest, but unfortunately the time never came and I was crushed. So as the weeks went by and the Riot Fest dates grew closer I spent my nights watching old Misfits videos, eating ice cream and crying. Finally the Denver date came and after seeing all the amazing footage from the concert I knew I some how had to go see them. So two days before the Chicago festival began me and my buddy decided to go. We booked our hotel and drove 9 1/2 hours one way. The significant dent in my wallet and the fact that my butt was numb from the drive for about three days was completely worth it. The Misfits absolutely slaughtered the festival.
The Misfits opened up with "Death Comes Ripping" I didn't have a great view for this song since Im not super tall and for some reason every Misfits fan is like seven feet tall. But from what I did see they were going wild. Doyle was pounding his guitar in heavy down strokes and Danzig stared down the crowd as he belted out the words to the tens of thousands of adoring fans that had come to see them play.
The next song I want to highlight is called "Mommy Can I Go Out And Kill Tonight" which is another one of my favourite songs from the Danzig era of The Misfits. Before the song even started the crowd knew what was about to happen. Even Jerry and Doyle's angry monster persona had been momentarily cracked as they smiled while Danzig yelled out the infamous intro to the disturbingly beautiful song. "Mommy? Mommy?" as soon as the crowd heard the words Mommy it went wild Beer cans were flying, people were yelling and heads were banging. The Misfits used this as an opportunity to go absolutely crazy on stage as the guitars were shredding away and Jerry and Doyle ran back and forth. Their stage presence was absolutely amazing and they showed no lapse of energy. They just kept jack hammering away at us with all their might.
Of course a Misfits show isn't complete without "We Are 138" which has become not only an anthem for the Punk scene but also for the Heavy Metal scene. As you'd be hard pressed to find somebody who hadn't heard this legendary song. The stage was absolute anarchy during this song as 138 was flashed at irregular intervals on the screen and an epic light show shot out into the crowd illuminating the band in green light and adding that extra ounce of ghoul to the show.
The next song I love that they played was "Who Killed Marilyn" which Danzig introduced as a song that showcases his hate for John F Kennedy and pretty much the entire Kennedy clan. Danzig ripped into this song and it seemed three decades of rage towards the Kennedy's had built up and he was letting it out right then and there. The band went wild as their heads banged and the screen flashed an array of skulls and reapers, it was absolute pandamonium in the best way imaginable. As I screamed along to the lyrics I looked around and for all the angry and disturbing lyrics, all I saw was a sea of smiling people all in a state of bliss as they saw something that they never thought they would have the opportunity to witness.
The last song Im going to mention is one of the most well known that The Misfits have and its called "Last Caress" between the disturbing lyrics and up beat fifties style dance music it is easily one of my favourite songs to listen to. This was the last song of their standard set and there is no better way to end a set then with that song. The vocals were golden and sounded as good as album quality and not to mention the absolute intensity that Doyle and Jerry brought. The way those two hammer their guitar and bass is just insane to watch, especially Doyle, it literally looks like the guy is punching his guitar strings at certain points. Its a wonder how his strings hold up and how the Vegan Monster developed such a unique style of guitar playing.
Overall The Misfits put on a a fantastic show and its no wonder that over three decades later their music is still loved around the world. Between their chaotic stage presence, unique music and terrifying look its no mystery why this band has survived the changing music trends without compromising. I would definitely see them again if they ever decide to tour (which I hope they do) and would recommend their music to anyone who somehow hasn't heard it yet.
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