Danzig is never short of fans clamoring to see them and with this being the only California date on this tour, it should be no surprise that it was a sold-out show.
Right off the bat, the mood was set by the dark lighting subtly highlighting the multiple skulls decorating the stage. The fans were high energy in anticipation, and the merch lines were insane. Shoppers waited in lines throughout the opening bands in hopes of scoring the coveted Danzig merch that was selling out quickly.
The Pennsylvania hard rockers of Crobot opened the show with front-man Brandon Yeagley emerging from a giant dinosaur egg. Wearing gold pants, no shirt, and an open, gold sequin jacket, he put on a theatrical and animated performance that was incredibly fun to watch. Chris Bishop, Dan Ryan, and Tim Peugh were all great musicians and the crowd responded well to them.
CROBOT LIVE | PHOTO by Tiny Toyland
Cradle of Filth has been around for decades and the rockers from England proved why they remain popular among metal fans. Dani Filth fronts the band and looks like King Diamond, donning crazy stage makeup. The very heavy and hard music courtesy of Martin “Marthus” Škaroupka, Daniel Firth, Marek “Ashok” Šmerda, and Zoe Marie Federoff had the crowd headbanging along.
CRADLE OF FILTH LIVE | PHOTO by Tiny Toyland
Los Angeles’ Tiger Army is always enjoyable. Their music style brought a blend of fans; half the crowd being rockabilly and the other half metal and punk rock.
TIGER ARMY LIVE | PHOTO by Tiny Toyland
I really enjoy the stand-up bass, and it feels like their music takes you back in time, making you feel like you’re at a concert in the 1950s. Nick 13, Djordje Stijepovic, and Mike Fasano were an excellent mood lifter and brought a fun vibe to the crowd. The crowd truly enjoyed “Cupid’s Victim,” “Outlaw Heart,” “Rose of the Devil’s Garden,” and “Never Die.”
It was finally time for the headliners and the excitement was electrifying! As soon as Danzig took the stage, the crowd went insane! Almost every person had their phone over their head, recording the moment.
DANZIG LIVE | PHOTO by Tiny Toyland
They kicked off their set by playing 1990’s “Lucifuge” in its entirety: from “Long Way Back From Hell” to “Killer Wolf” all the way through to “Pain in the World.” After the album playthrough, they gave fans some of their favorites including “How the Gods Kill,” “Dirty Black Summer,” and of course, “Mother.”
Glenn Danzig still has amazing vocals and everyone in the arena was enjoying it immensely. They put on phenomenal rock show and I think everyone went home happy. Danzig is rounded out by Johnny Kelly, Steve Zing, and Tommy Victor.
DANZIG LIVE | PHOTO by Tiny Toyland
Days after the show, Glenn told Revolver this tour could be his last, but said it is possible there could be occasional Danzig or Misfits shows. One of those Misfits shows is Chicago’s Riot Fest in September, but who knows… musicians have been known to change their minds and “un”retire!
