Since Marilyn Manson returned to the stage in the summer of 2024 with the One Assassination Under God tour, pulsating illuminated upside-down double crosses have been a consistent part of the stage design. The double cross itself is nothing new in Manson's work. It has been part of his imagery for many years and became particularly prominent again after the Heaven Upside Down era. What is new since 2024 is the way the symbol has been incorporated into the lighting of the performance. Rather than functioning simply as a static emblem, the crosses now pulsate and change as part of the stage itself, becoming one of the most noticeable elements of every concert. Manson's return to the stage has also involved bringing back many features and images from earlier periods of his career, which has naturally given the performances a nostalgic quality for longtime fans. What interests me for this analysis, however, is what has actually been added during this new period that has not be...
In a new interview with Radioactive MikeZ, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM program "Wired In The Empire", Matt Montgomery (a.k.a. Piggy D.) was asked how he landed the gig as the bassist in Marilyn Manson's band. The 49-year-old musician, who had previously played with Rob Zombie, responded: "Referral. It's a small, small community. Yeah, the timing worked out. Things are meant to be. I guess that's the universe working the way it should.
"It's been really cool to be along for the ride for this rebirth," Matt added. "And the band is killer, and we have a great time, and the shows have been rad. And, yeah, I can't say or feel any better about it."
When MikeZ noted that it must be "great" working with a newly sober Manson, Montgomery concurred. "Yeah, he's amazing," he said. "His focus is sharp and he is an inspiration to people; he really is. And I'm proud to stand next to him, because I think he's representing hard. And as somebody that's been in and out of sobriety over the years, it's amazing to see somebody turn their life around. It's always an amazing story. It doesn't matter who they are. It's always an amazing story. The miracle is never lost on me. You put a microphone in front of it, you can do some good. And it's cool."
Matt also talked about another addition to Manson's band, guitarist Reba Meyers, who has previously played with the Grammy-nominated act CODE ORANGE. He said: "It's great to have a female voice doing the female vocal parts. It's really cool. And she adds so much color and texture to the songs. Yeah, she's awesome. She's a joy."
Asked if the Manson setlist pretty much "writes itself" nowadays, Matt said: "I wouldn't say it writes itself. There's a new [Manson] record [out, 'One Assassination Under God - Chapter 1'], and [Manson's cover of Phil Collins's seminal song] 'In The Air Tonight' just came out. So there's an agenda, obviously, 'cause there's a want to play this new material, but there's also songs you probably should play. And then there's been some interesting curveballs. On the last tour, we did 'Long Hard Road Out Of Hell' [from the soundtrack to the 1997 motion picture 'Spawn'], which was a nice addition. So it's cool. It's cool. There's a wealth of material to pull from, if you wanna get weird and do weird stuff. He knows what he's doing. And personally, what do I love? I love the hard stuff. But that's just because it makes me think it's 1996 again, which was a good time — nostalgic for different reasons. But I enjoy all of it, honestly. It's all very musical and fun stuff to play, and I'm honored to be able to play it."
"It's been really cool to be along for the ride for this rebirth," Matt added. "And the band is killer, and we have a great time, and the shows have been rad. And, yeah, I can't say or feel any better about it."
When MikeZ noted that it must be "great" working with a newly sober Manson, Montgomery concurred. "Yeah, he's amazing," he said. "His focus is sharp and he is an inspiration to people; he really is. And I'm proud to stand next to him, because I think he's representing hard. And as somebody that's been in and out of sobriety over the years, it's amazing to see somebody turn their life around. It's always an amazing story. It doesn't matter who they are. It's always an amazing story. The miracle is never lost on me. You put a microphone in front of it, you can do some good. And it's cool."
Matt also talked about another addition to Manson's band, guitarist Reba Meyers, who has previously played with the Grammy-nominated act CODE ORANGE. He said: "It's great to have a female voice doing the female vocal parts. It's really cool. And she adds so much color and texture to the songs. Yeah, she's awesome. She's a joy."
Asked if the Manson setlist pretty much "writes itself" nowadays, Matt said: "I wouldn't say it writes itself. There's a new [Manson] record [out, 'One Assassination Under God - Chapter 1'], and [Manson's cover of Phil Collins's seminal song] 'In The Air Tonight' just came out. So there's an agenda, obviously, 'cause there's a want to play this new material, but there's also songs you probably should play. And then there's been some interesting curveballs. On the last tour, we did 'Long Hard Road Out Of Hell' [from the soundtrack to the 1997 motion picture 'Spawn'], which was a nice addition. So it's cool. It's cool. There's a wealth of material to pull from, if you wanna get weird and do weird stuff. He knows what he's doing. And personally, what do I love? I love the hard stuff. But that's just because it makes me think it's 1996 again, which was a good time — nostalgic for different reasons. But I enjoy all of it, honestly. It's all very musical and fun stuff to play, and I'm honored to be able to play it."
(Excerpt from Blabbermouth.net)