The freaks only come out at night
As Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor blared through the speakers, the excitement simmered and Rob Zombie made his return to Castle Donington, sixteen years after last playing there with his band White Zombie. With Alice Cooper having closed the second stage on the previous night, expectations were high for Rob Zombie's stage show. When Rob Zombie had brought his band to Birmingham O2 Academy earlier in the year, only limited parts of the stage setup were brought into the club room due to the inferior size of the venue doors. There were no restrictions this time. Rob Zombie brought his entire stage show and was not going to disappoint.
Iconic drummer Joey Jordison may well have since parted ways, but his departure facilitated the reunion of former Marilyn Manson drummer Ginger Fish with guitarist John 5. With bassist Piggy D completing the line up, the quartet took to the stage to commence the Zombie party. The entire ensemble possessed such a striking stage presence, with each member boasting a larger-than-life persona. Before the four-piece even arrived, an intimidating armoured statue established its dominance in the centre of the stage, flames eventually towering from the reverse side of its neck. Stumbling figures often graced the stage, wandering aimlessly as part of the deathly theatrical concept.
Rampaging through hits such as 'Superbeast', 'Demonoid Phenomenon' and 'Never Gonna Stop,' the band absorbed the energy emitted by the crowd and responded by upping the intensity levels ever higher. Material from the most recent album 'Hellbilly Deluxe 2' such as 'Sick Bubblegum' and 'Mars Needs Women' did not quite possess such an equal degree of ferociousness, but were contrastingly beefier, chant-centric songs that were still well received by the audience. The pure exhilaration and pace occasionally seemed too much for the vocalist, forcing him to omit certain lyrics. However, with the support of thousands of excitable backing singers to hand, this caused no problems whatsoever. Appreciating the success of his past endeavours and the loyalty of his British fans, the group propelled into two White Zombie songs, 'Super-Charger Heaven' and 'Thunder Kiss '65,' before leaving the stage. Returning for a single song encore, the Union-Jack-clad band members sunk their teeth into 'Dragula;' the fiery performance culminating with a frenzy of confetti and pyrotechnics.
Many festival goers were forced to retire to their tents or homes due to the unrelenting rain on the final day of the festival. However for many, the appearance of Rob Zombie alone constituted reason to brave the elements and see this renowned live act. In this world, there is no one that puts on a Zombie party like Rob Zombie does. Should you be offered an invitation to this incredible experience, make sure that you take it!