Marilyn Manson: Master of Controversy
Metal Edge, August 1997
Love him or hate him, it's hard to ignore him. The ever controversial Marilyn Manson has taken shock rock to a new level and thrill happy youth along for the ride while pudhing the buttons of an outraged Establishment that blames him for the deterioration of society's moral fabric. Is he the Devil incarnate or just the latest in a long line of out-there entertainers who've enthralled kids and pissed off parents? Probably a bit of both. He's also inteligent, articulate, and possessed of a twisted but engaging sense of humor, as I found out when I talked to him about, among other things, his role as a pop culture phenomenon who's become the poster child for free speech.
Metal Edge: Where are you today?
Manson: In the trenches of the war against fascist Christian America, in Biloxi, Mississippi. I wouldn'd be surprised if at any moment a bomb came through my window!
M.E.: Uh-Oh. Are there a lot of protesters?
Manson: Oh, there's more then that! It's just gotten to the point where I feel like I'm the only one fighting for rock music in general, because these people are just trying to take away my right...to take away everyones right...to not only hear what they want but to day and do what they're entitled to under the first amendment. It's become a full-on revolution for me here.
M.E: This hasn't been the first time that this has gone on all through the tour, has it?
Manson: Yeah, but it's gotten a lot worse here in the south.
M.E: Are you going to be able to play?
Manson: The show is going on tommorrow, but there was a show that was just cancelled in South Carolina, so we're pursuing legal retribution against the state of South Carolina.
M.E: How many shows have you had to cancel on this tour?
Manson: Just that one.
M.E: It's tough trying to stand up isn't it?
Manson: Oh, it's part of bein' me!
M.E: How was you reception in Japan and Australia?
Manson: It's just great that people who are outside of the United States have a greater understanding and appreciation for what we do, because they look at the world, and Western civilization, like I do; from an outside point of veiw.
M.E: They're more open minded?
Manson: I think they have the distance from American culture to understand it more than Americans do, because Americans are too close to it to see how victimized they are by television and religion. The audiences there were very responsive and very supportive.
M.E: After you current headlining tour, you're on some of the Ozzfest dates. How many?
Manson: I think it's nine shows, but I can't say for sure.
M.E: Are you a fan of Ozzy's?
Manson: Black Sabbath was on of the first bands that I ever really got into, and I think Ozzy is there along with everyone else that people know who have inspired me: Bowie, Alice Cooper..... So, it's great, it's kind of like the old school coming together with the new school, because I know Ozzy's gone through a lot of the same things that Im going through right now. So it should be really interesting.
M.E: What have you got planned for your headlining shows and for the shows your doing with Ozzy, thats different from the shows from your last tour in America?
Manson: The stage is just a lot bigger, it's lot more representative of the album and what I want it to express, and we're playing a lot of songs that we have never played live before, including the two that we gave to soundtracks: "The suck for your solution" and "Apple of Sodom". And the band that I have preforming right before us, Rasputina, three girls that play chello, they're also incorporated into my show.
M.E: Will you be able to do a full set with Ozzy?
Manson: It's more or less a full show.
M.E: When the Ozz Fest is over, will you be touring on your own again?
Manson: We have to go t Europe-the Reading Festival-and then we're going to return and we're going to do another tour through America probably in the fall when we release our final singal from this album.
M.E: What single will be next?
Manson: We're doing a video for "Dried up, Tied up, and Dead to the world".
M.E: What have you got planned for it? How are you going to top yourself now that you have to do something more shocking?
Manson: I've got to do something that surprises people, and now I think people have an expectation for what I do, and have a preconceived idea of what the next Marilyn Manson video will look like. They should expect the very opposite of what the're expecting, so this will be something very different, very....very elegant and beautiful and something that is what most people wouldn't like to see me as.
M.E: You seem to polarize people. We get a lot of mail, pro and con, and people seem to really love you, or hate you. Does that bother you? Do you mind being hated by half the people?
Manson: I think it's flattering. I think it taked just as much energy to write a letter that says "I hate Marilyn Manson" as it does to write a letter that says "I love 'em". So it's affected them, and I think that those are the same people that are going to love us next year anyway, so I forgive them ahead of time!
M.E: Thats very magnanimous of you! What about being a role model? Do you wear that burden easily or not, as far as being this anti-hero role model for individuality?
Manson: I've always said that everyone wears a crown, but someone has to stand and be king. I think I'm really the voice that is speaking for everyone, and I think that everyone who is a fan or a friend is really part of everything that I do, so it's one big machine. I think people will be surprised what a big machine can accomplish when it puts its mind to something.
M.E: When we talked a few months ago, you mentioned a new EP that you had in the works. Do you have any more detail for me?
Manson: Nothing more than what I said before, except ther are a fe remixes that we just released for "The beautiful people" and "Tourniquet". They're more for clubs, I guess. And I'm continuing to take time to collaborate with other artists, and some of those collaborations might appear on the EP that will be out in the fall.
M.E: Are you still working with Billy Corgan and Tricky?
Manson: Yes, and I also plan to work with Diamanda Galas, and Rasputina. Some remixes for L7.
M.E: When are you going to find time to do this, when your always on tour?
Manson: I'm always working because it's not really work to me. Its what I enjoy doing.
M.E: Are you still working with Trent?
Manson: No
M.E: So he's not going to collaborate with you in the future?
Manson: Not that I know of. I think he's got his hands full because he needs to make a new record and I'm not sure if he's started that yet. And I think ours is a working relationship that we've both probably grown out of. We were very proud of what we've done together, but you cant stay in the same thing for too long.
M.E: What about more soundtracks? Anything else in the pipeline?
Manson: I'm doing something for Spawn.
M.E: Do you know what the song is yet?
Manson: No, it not quite official yet.
M.E: Are you thinking about the next full length record?
Manson: Yes, I've already been writing material, particularly while we were overseas. A lot of the other cultures has a big impact on me. The spirituality of the Japanese people and the people of Spain....Theres a lot more things that I have to look into about religion, because America has left a very dirty taste in my mouth when it comed to the idea of god. But its more open when it comes to these other cultures, and I think "God" is a part of all of us. It doesn't necessarily have to be Christianity's idea of god, something we worship and fear. It can be understanding yourself better. There's a lot more insight into my personality that I can bring forth on the next record that is not nessasarily so bombastic, that may be more.....naked..
