At his Holmdel, New Jersey concert on August 5, Marilyn Manson appeared to comment on his ongoing legal troubles.
The singer told the crowd before starting his performance of ‘Disposable Teens’:
“The last time they tried to kill me I made a record called ‘Holy Wood.'”
Manson’s album ‘Holy Wood’ came out after the Columbine High School shooting, and he faced backlash because the shooters were fans of his music. After the 1999 shooting, Manson’s career suffered. Manson, who was touring at the time, canceled all remaining North American shows to show respect for the victims.
What Did Manson Say About The Columbine Case?
Later, in 2015, at Grey’s music seminar during the Cannes Lions Festival, the shock rocker talked about his long and troubled relationship with the media. He said:
“I think that having an avatar doesn’t make you have an identity and having a persona online doesn’t make you a personality either. So, when everyone could be famous, to me, it’s not a challenge; it makes it even easier. It just makes the best rise to the top. If everyone could make music, they’d make better music. If everyone could be famous, and be naked, or whatever they wanna do, to get that fame…”
Then, he addressed the Columbine incident:
“It really goes back to the very beginning [and the origins of] the name Marilyn Manson… [and the fact that] you could become famous for being a murderer, the same as a movie star. It goes to the Columbine situation. And a lot of people, I don’t know if they know that… when Columbine happened, it really shut down my career entirely to the extent that casinos, gambling establishments refused to book my shows.”
Marilyn added:
“And, strangely enough, I think it’s almost unprecedented that… not only did I not do anything, they were not fans of mine. But I sat and watched it live on TV, and they said, initially, that they were wearing Marilyn Manson makeup and t-shirts. And then you find out later that they weren’t. But once the wheels started spinning, Fox News started going…”
Manson’s comeback show was on August 2, as Five Finger Death Punch started their tour with Slaughter to Prevail. He also released a new single, ‘As Sick As the Secrets Within,’ earlier that day. At his first show since early 2020, Manson introduced his new backing band. The band includes returning members drummer Gil Sharone and guitarist Tyler Bates, plus new but familiar faces: bassist Piggy D. from Rob Zombie and Reba Meyers from Code Orange.
You can watch his statement on the concert below.
