Rob Zombie Show Review and John 5 Talks About His Favorite Horror Movies and Touring

The darkness ascends quietly like a phantom upon the southern NY town of Binghamton, the dead leaves are falling, and there is a slight spine tingling chill in the air. It’s October! Is there a better way to usher in in the Halloween season than with the man who makes all your heavy metal horror dreams come true? Yes folks, that’s right Rob Zombie’s nightmarish heavy metal and mayhem show made a stop at the Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena (formerly Broome County Arena) last week.

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Fans of all ages were lined up at the venue getting into the spirit of the season. Some were dressed as ghouls and other grotesque creatures; there was even a very impressive Captain Spaulding walking amongst the concert goers! If you’re a fan of Rob Zombie, I hope you know who Captain Spaulding is.

The show opened with Rob Zombie’s drummer DJ Ginger Fish donned in a creepy skull mask showing off his DJ skills. DJ Ginger Fish spun some high energy mixes that included Rammstein, Pantera and even a mix of 50s Doo Wop. Even though he was struggling to keep his mask on the entire time, he still spun a very intense set that the crowd was into.
The lights go out, the smoke begins to roll out onto the stage that is adorned with classic Universal horror movie monster backdrops; 1000s of fans are chanting ZOMBIE! One by one the band quietly creeps onto the stage; John 5 looks terrifying in an LED lit gas mask that I can best describe as a robotic human fly; bassist Piggy D is sporting his Dracula look; Ginger Fish looks ready to dominate the drums; Rob Zombie slinks to center stage, his face hidden beneath a pile of hat and hair. The crowd erupts in a massive mosh pit with bodies flying in the air as Zombie and crew tore into their hit “More Human Than Human.”

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Without hesitating they ripped right into “Superbeast” and “Never Gonna Stop (The Red, Red Kroovy).” The band delivered a super high energy set and even played a few covers including “Am I Evil” by Diamondhead and in the words of Rob Zombie, “Since we’re in NY, f@ck it let’s do it,” the band caught concert goers by surprise by unleashing a killer version of the Ramones’ anthem “Blitzkrieg Bop.”
The band took their bows, said thanks and left fans crazed and excited from their explosive performance! Overall, Rob Zombie and crew never disappoints!

Also prior to the show I had the honor and privilege to sit down and talk with guitarist extraordinaire John 5. John 5 was very welcoming, funny and sincere. We chatted about what inspires him as a musician, touring and his favorite horror movies. Check out the interview and enjoy!

Photos by John Armstrong and Chris Besaw

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