Well, that didn't take long. Earlier today, we reported that Marilyn Manson returned to the stage yesterday at Knotfest, in San Bernadino, his first appearance since breaking his leg. The most notable moment during Manson's return was the very beginning, when he was wheeled out carrying a prop semi-automatic weapon and pointing it at the gun and shooting.
When I originally wrote the story, I was unsure if Manson was aware of the mass shooting that happened earlier in the day in a Texas church killing almost 30 people and injuring many more. San Bernadino itself was the sight of a terrorist shoot out in 2015. Turns out Manson knew exactly what he was doing, and was making a political statement with his actions. Speaking to Variety, he offered this statement:
“In an era where mass shootings have become a nearly daily occurrence, this was an act of theater in an attempt to make a statement about how easily accessible semi-automatic weapons are and how seeing them has become normalized. My art has always been a reaction to popular culture and my way to make people think about the horrible things that happen in this world. My performance was not meant to be disrespectful or show any insensitivity. The prop microphone I used on stage was handed to me with the approval of a police officer. My empathy goes out to anyone who has been affected by the irresponsible and reprehensible misuse of REAL guns.”
Manson is an artist and obviously never needs to explain himself, but I am glad he did so in this case. In an era where there are so many edge-lords, doing controversial things for no reason other than to be controversial, it's nice to see Manson at least had good intent behind his publicity stunt. I'm curious why he waited until after the controversy started brewing to say something and not just acknowledge it from the stage last night?
Watch video from his performance here.
Here are Marilyn Manson's upcoming rescheduled show dates:
Jan. 10 – Phoenix, Ariz. @ Van Buren
Jan. 12 – Las Vegas, Nev. @ House of Blues
Jan. 13 – Las Vegas, Nev. @ House of Blues
Jan. 16 – Oakland, Calif. @ Fox Theatre
Jan. 19 – Salt Lake City, Utah @ The Complex
Jan. 20 – Denver, Colo. @ Fillmore
Jan. 23 – San Antonio, Texas @ Aztec Theatre
Jan. 24 – Houston, Texas @ House of Blues
Jan. 26 – Springfield, Mo. @ Shrine Mosque
Jan. 27 – Tulsa, Okla. @ Brady Theatre
Jan. 28 – Kansas City, Mo. @ Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland
Jan. 30 – Des Moines, Iowa @ 7 Flags Event Center
Jan. 31 – Minneapolis, Minn. @ The Myth
Feb. 02 – Madison, Wis. @ The Orpheum
Feb. 03 – Milwaukee, Wis. @ Eagles Ballroom
Feb. 06 – Chicago, Ill. @ Riviera Theatre
Feb. 07 – Grand Rapids, Mich. @ 20 Monroe
Feb. 09 – Buffalo, N.Y. @ Rapids Theatre
Feb. 11 – Toronto, Ontario @ Rebel
Feb. 12 – Boston, Mass. @ House of Blues
Feb. 13 – Baltimore, Md. @ Rams Head Live
Feb. 15 – Huntington, N.Y. @ Paramount Theatre
Feb. 16 – Sayreville, N.J. @ Starland Ballroom
