The BIG DAY OUT Sydney 23rd Janurary 1999.

Review by The Reverend.

Introduction.

We arrived @ the BDO @ about 12pm, and Manson wasnt playing till 8pm so we basically stuffed around and listened to other bands. I was on the rail for Soulfly @ 2:30pm or so and I had to get pulled out due to the violent nature of the mosh (I almost passed out!). I also took a tab of acid, so maybe thats why I can't remember the Beautiful People, just the start and end of it!

I got on the rail for Manson's stage at about 5pm, more than ready for the 3 hour wait, and besides, the tower of speakers next to me were playing music from the nearby stage (these 2 main stages alternated with the bands). Whist Manaic Street Preachers played their stuff on the left stage, about 100 people waited on the right side patiently as the sets rolled on.

At 6pm, Powderfinger came on to a most unresponsive crowd (everyone wanted them to hurry up so we could see Korn and Marilyn Manson) and finished their set early due to the lack of interest from everyone except the drunks and older people.

7pm saw Korn appear on the left stage, and they rocked pretty hard, not being a big fan I only recognised a few songs, but they really pumped me up for Manson, who I knew was gonna rock. As Korn played their set, we saw them set up the Manson stage. They installed these special lights that rotated and could produce any colour and they rock (especially when you're on drugs!) and they also put up the white screen that Manson casts shadows on at the start. John 5 came out and tested his guitar and I nearly lost my hearing to a 4ft goth girl who couldn't help but try and pierce my ear drum. I must say that I was surrounded by rather stupid fans. No one saw Twiggy's base on the rack (the white one) and no one noticed the Antichrist Superstar black things that hang over the wall (like in Dead to the World video). As they set up the stage I recognised a few of Manson's roadies as I had seen and talked to @ HMV on Wednesday. They had these really cool Omega passes to indicate that they were with Manson.

As 8pm approached, this guy next to me (who was bootlegging the concert) kept yelling out for picks and this girl beside him was crying because she was sooo excited and so some roadies threw out some of Twiggy's picks and a couple of John 5's.

The Concert.

I was on the barricade inbetween Marilyn's mike stand and John 5, and I have this huge bruise accross my chest to prove it. It was amazing! As Manson struck the poses up against the screen, the whole stadium (30 000 or so people) screamed. Then the screen came up and they thundered into the Reflecting God. Below is the set list as I remember it. It is definetly the complete listing of the set, but I'm not exactly sure about the order.

1. The Reflecting God - What can I say? This song rocked, although the number of chicks screaming made it hard to hear. The strobes in this song were amazing!

I should say now that John 5 is a LOT better than Zim Zum and has much more stage personality. It should also be said that Manson does too much for the cameras (like sticking the microphone down his pants, etc.)

2. Great Big White World - This song was slightly harder than it was on Mechanical Animals and rocked the house! Everyone was singing including myself as Manson paraded around the stage.

3. Mechanical Animals - Again, this song was harder than the album version (as most songs are), and the lights were spectacular.

4. Cake and Sodomy - This song sees Manson doing that crab-fuck position with the microphone down his pants. He also showed us his dick, which for the guys in the audience, was more than we needed to see.

5. Lunchbox - At the start of this song he asked the mosh pit to show him our middle fingers which we obliged to, and then he called out 'How about those pussies in the Pavillions?!?' to all the people in the stands, with many people turning around and sticking their fingers up at them. John 5 played it just like Daisy did!! It was awesome, Manson started off by saying 'Can all the kiddies please sing this song: Next motherfucker...'. When Manson said motherfucker, he was standing directly in front of me and he pointed at me, then signalled for me to like get up and fight him. I have too much respect for the guy (and his bodyguards) to do anything like that, so I just stuck my finger up at him.

6. Rock 'n' Roll Nigger- This song kicked ass! Before it he asked us how many 'Rock 'n' Roll' niggers were out tonite!'

In between Rock 'n' Roll Nigger and the Dope Show, there was that rock tune that other reviewers have mentioned that was played by John 5, Twiggy and Ginger. It is sooo catchy!

7. The Dope Show - For this song, Manson had changed into his red corset and stockings and sang this just like at the Video Music Awards. He also said the drugs were made 'right here in Sydney'! He also rubbed the mic stand on his ass...

8. Sweet Dreams - This was a song that everyone liked, Manson fan or not. John 5 played it perfectly!

9. I Don't Like the Drugs (But the Drugs Like Me) - Marilyn started off with the whole preacher thing:

'There is a war on drugs! Don't surrender!'

'If Jesus Christ can do drugs, then why the fuck can't we?!?'

'I know Hollywood can spell, but can Sydney? Give me a D! Give me a R! Give me a U! Give me a G! And give me a mother-fucking S! What does that spell?!? DRUGS!'

That huge ass sign came up as well, I knew it was big, but I didn't know it was that big! This song was played pretty hard.

10. I Wanna Disappear - This song absolutley rocked. Only Ive forgotten where it happened in the set.

11. Antichrist Superstar - I watched John 5 put his helmet on for this one and as they brought the podium up to the front of the stage, I knew we were in for a treat. Noone around me knew what was happening, but I knew Antichrist Superstar was coming!! The whole crowd did the Nazi style salute for this (I asked a friend who was up in the stands and he said it was f*cking creepy!). John 5 and Twiggy also acted like robots. Marilyn tore up the bible as per usual and threw it into the crowd.

This was the song I was waiting for and that stupid tab of acid zombified me for it!! Goddamn! I can only kind of remember it, but everyone said it rocked.

12. The Beautiful People - I remember the start and the end of this song, the lights had gone dark from Antichrist Superstar and all of a sudden, we heard 'I've got one more fucking question for you mother-fuckers! How does it feel to be one of the Beautiful People?!?' The crowd went nuts! One thing I do remember of the Beautiful People was that John 5's guitar was stuffed as the notes didnt sound right. Also at the end, Manson trashed the drumkit with Ginger's help. Ginger also threw his stand up and it came back down and smashed into his back... OUCH!

Now just a few quick comments on the band and the stage show.

Marilyn Manson - Totally dominated the show. He moved around the stage alot and was very sexual. One disapointment though was that he played alot more for the TV Cameras than the crowd. Changed clothes three times during the show. The first time was from the black fishnet bodystocking with G-string and boots into the red corset and stockings just before the Dope Show. The second time was just before Antichrist Superstar where he changed into the black suit with the red shirt and black tie. Finally, after Antichrist Superstar, he took off the shirt to reveal a black corset.

Twiggy Ramirez - Kept a fairly minimal stage presence, and from other people's reports, was looking pretty stoned. He was wearing the usual purple dress with the purple gloves.

John 5 - This man seriously kicks Zim Zum's ass. He falls just short of Marilyn in stage personality... He was wearing gold glittery flares with a gold glittery crop top. He had blond hair and a pink box with a black outline around his left eye. He actually played a note, and then threw his guitar up into the air, caught it, and kept playing! He also did that head shake thing many times during the concert as well as jumping around.

M. W. Gacy - Madonna was his usual crazy self, moving his keyboard around heaps and generally mucking around. He had a blue spikey looking suit on with his boots and he had a blue light around his neck. Just before Antichrist Superstar, he threw his keyboard just after attacking it with his elbows...

Ginger Fish - What can I say? He is a drummer... =) A damned awesome one at that though! I couldnt see what he was wearing except that his top seemed to shimmer...

The Lighting and Sound - 5/5 AMAZING!!!! My ears are still ringing, but it was the best concert I have ever been to!!!! The strobes and other lighting were unreal and the sound was unreal!

All in all, an unreal concert... would of been better without drugs... =)