Report

King Diamond Put On A Stunning Performance On Day 2 Of Fun Fun Fun Fest

Austin was buzzing with chatter about King Diamond ever since Fun Fun Fun Fest announced he would be on this year’s bill. This performance marked the end of his “Halloween 2014” tour so many of these fans had followed his shows on You-Tube, social media and in various ‘zines. Friends on social media recalled their experience with KD in Houston and Dallas. His stage set up was no secret as was his sound, but this didn’t make it any less exciting. Watching a You-Tube video is no where near as satisfying as hearing him live in person. One could make a cursory glance through the audience and find fans with black-and-white painted faces, inverted crosses and other symbols worn by the King.

A sheet covered the stage while hands put King’s props into place. The top sheet fell revealing inverted crosses on the top corners of the stage with the sign of Baphomet in the middle. It was a glorious site when all the covers fell revealing an iron gate, and a stair ways on both sides of the stage leading to a hallway. King used the same blood-stained pillars I had seen him use the last time I saw a King Diamond concert in 2000 on the “House of God” tour. The bulk of his props were original used and then shelved after a European tour in 1989.

His voice sounded the best I have heard in four previous Mercyful Fate and King Diamond concerts. Due to his heart surgery, King was forced to quit smoking. Ending this habit not only saved his life but also his voice. King opened with the ghostly narration and Phantom of the Opera-like spooky organ of “The Candle.” After this haunting track he launched into “Sleepless Nights” and hit song “Welcome Home.” Grandma made her first appearance here but returned for other songs from “Them” and “Conspiracy” such as “Tea,” and “Cremation.” The Doctor, Priest and King Diamond forced her into a coffin during “Cremation.” King created some type of fireball in his hands and lit the coffin on fire. When they removed the lid, Grandma consisted of only burnt remains.

“Cremation” was part of the first encore. The band also played “Halloween” and then came out for an encore of “Abigail” material. Here they played “The Family Ghost” and “Black Horsemen.” King Diamond’s actress played the part of Mariam. She held a fake baby and was knocked down the stairs. An actress (not sure if this was the same actress) played a marionette on “The Puppet Master” and a witch during the Mercyful Fate track “Come to the Sabbath” (they also played the MF song “Evil). King Diamond played songs from throughout his career including “The Eye” and “Never Ending Hill” from “Give Me Your Soul…Please” and album that the crowd had not heard live due to King injuring his back shortly after its release. The band left the stage while the instrumental "Insanity" played in the PA.

King Diamond suffered a back injury and then went under the knife for a heart surgery. He cancelled a tour with Kreator in 2008. For many of his fans on hand this was their first time with the King and it was an amazing one. His stage set up was the most elaborate of any that I’ve seen. Ozzy and Iron Maiden are the only artists I’ve seen (Ozzy on film) rival King in stage props. Also, King’s band was tight. Mike Wead and Andy LaRocque traded off leads and melodies in a dynamite fashion. KD’s guitars and theatrics are strong enough to lure in the staunches critics of his vocals. He’s working on a new material. He comes around for another tour, YOU MUST go see him!

While King Diamond headlined day 2 and the bulk of the crowd at the Black Stage were there to see him, there were other qualities that played earlier in the day. Electro industrialist Gary Numen played on the Blue Stage. Here was another artist who emerged in the late ’70 and still playing hard and heavy. I had read that he influenced Nine Inch Nails, and it was easy to see that in his performance. I was mostly familiar with his song “Cars” because Fear Factor covered it, but didn’t realize how dark and heavy his music is, especially his latest album “Splinter (Songs from a Broken Mind.” Numen’s band consisted of a guitarist, bassist and keyboardist, but Numen often strapped on a guitar and stepped on a peddle to create spacey sounds.

Sick of It All brought the streets of Queens, New York to Austin, Texas. Part of the second wave of hardcore, the band was pure electricity on stage. Guitarist Pete Koller, brother to vocalist Lou Koller, constantly switched places with bassist Craig Setari and played his guitar like a bunny rabbit, hopping here and there. The band played a special set of their entire “Blood, Sweat and No Tears” and “Scratch The Surface” album. The former material was more crossover aligned while “Scratch The Surface” boasted more groove.

Both albums got the crowd moving. Lou divided up the crowd into fans of King Diamond and fans of Mercyful Fate. He said only two things to remember, if somebody falls, help them back up and if you get hurt, don’t sue Sick Of It All. When the band launched into the title track from “Scratch the Surface” a massive wall-of-death pit came together. The group mentioned their new album “Last Act of Defiance,” but couldn’t play the material due to their contract. They did a song called “Step Down” and members of Gorilla Biscuits joined them for the chorus. Gorilla Biscuits is another NYC hardcore band that played the fest. I will address them on my day 3 report.