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Marilyn Manson

Jan 10, 2008 2:59 PM, By Jeff Perlah

The Wizard of Odd

What kind of music has influenced you over the years?

Especially when I started the band, I liked industrial music, the kind of industrial dance music of bands like Ministry and Nitzer Ebb. And I think there's a little bit of rap influence, but not in an obvious way, just in a rhythmic way. I like rhythms a lot. Rhythms are very good.

Your industrial-dance music influences certainly showed on Antichrist Superstar [which was coproduced by Nine Inch Nails' main man, Trent Reznor].

Yeah, absolutely. All of that music coming out at the end of the '80s that was real European sounding was an influence, even though Ministry was American. It's got real rigid, regimented marching rhythms. It's angry, almost fascist sounding. So I think it was a good influence to draw from, when it came to trying to take a Nietzsche-like story like Antichrist and tell a musical story about transformation.

What do you mean by transformation?

I used the analogy of a worm into a butterfly. Trying to become a stronger individual, someone who believes in himself after being told he's wrong all his life. I think that's kind of a common thread everyone can relate to.

What's different about the way you perform your music live and the way you approach it in the studio?

It's more precise in the studio. But it would be interesting to record something in the studio with the raw energy onstage.

How much does the band typically rehearse before a tour?

At the beginning of a cycle, when you're playing songs for the first time and things like that, there's definitely a lot of rehearsing going on, and I'm very strict and particular that everything be played right and the best way possible. Once that's in shape, then there's room to be raw, and room for improvisation. But it has to be perfect first; otherwise, everything will fall apart.

The first time you're completely decked out and performing with stage props is in front of a live audience?

Yes.

So you have to trust that it's all going to work.

Yes. It goes back to the confidence thing: you have to really carry it through, and if something isn't working, then you have to make it work that time. Your mic stand falls apart, then you use it to beat someone. If something's not operating, set it on fire. [Laughs.] That way you can turn something bad into entertainment. [Laughs.] So I guess that all the people that I've fired from my crew for doing things wrong should be given credit for my more outrageous destructive performances, because when something goes wrong is when I really kind of go off the deep end and enjoy the most, anyway. [Laughs.] Maybe they did it to me on purpose! [Laughs.]

How has new music technology affected how you perform live?

When I started using in-ear monitors, it changed my whole way of singing — made it much easier, much stronger, much better. Made me feel like when I'm singing in the studio. And I used to not like wireless microphones and I've started using those all the time now, too.

Why didn't you like to go wireless?

I was always afraid I might lose it in the crowd because I'm throwing things around. And I've done it a couple times. With my hand covered in sweat, I would raise my arm up with the microphone to the crowd, and it just went flying. Of course no one gave it back. These kinds of simple technologies have changed the way I perform. Being able to go anywhere onstage and hear myself, and not be trapped in that little area in front of my monitors on the floor — stupid little things like that make such a difference. But I wish I could sit out front and hear exactly what a show sounds like. Because when you listen to it on a tape, it's not gonna be the same.

What do you like to hear most in your monitor mix besides your voice?

Bass guitar is really important, because it's usually playing the root notes, which I sing off of. And the drums.

Is bass important because of the musical relationship you share with your bassist, Twiggy Ramirez?

Yes. We often write off of each other, so the bass is often gonna be the first instrument that I sing to. And it's the easiest thing to hear onstage for tone and pitch. With guitar, the frequencies are sometimes too high, and if everything's ringing, including your ears, you're not gonna be able to sing adequately.

Even though you wear in-ears, is hearing yourself on stage still ever a problem?

There are always problems, but I haven't had mix problems in a long time, because I think we got into a system where it's the same thing every day, and it ends up sounding perfect. If you're bringing your own system with you, there's no wild cards. But it'll be interesting on Ozzfest, when you have so many bands and you're not playing on your own stage. You can get into a real cluster fuck.

Do you think it is important for a musician to listen to a variety of styles of music?

I suppose so. I never like to call myself a musician. I've always hated that term.

What about artist?

Artist, yeah, but that sounds pretentious. And I don't mind sounding pretentious if it means saying I'm an artist, because I'm proud that what I do is art, not just music.

So what is your stage “look” these days?

On Ozzfest, the outfit I wear most is the black military uniform, and of course, I always like to wear my corset — that's actually conveniently where I put the battery pack for my headset.

Does your archbishop attire mock the fact that you've been banned in England?

They've tried to ban us many times, but never succeeded. In fact, we had quite a good sold-out show there in Wembley Arena — 14,000 people. Which was cool. The outfit is actually the one I wore in the “Disposable Teens” video, but it was more to really just evoke the God part of the Guns, God, and Government element. And it's interesting you noticed that it was an archbishop, because so many people think it's the Pope off the bat. All of those outfits have such a strong symbolism to 'em; they're just perfect archetypes.

Are your theatrics influenced by '70s acts like David Bowie and Alice Cooper?

Of course, Ziggy Stardust — era Bowie. I was always a fan of Alice Cooper as a kid, but I never thought his live performances were as cool as everyone else did. He just kind of sat there a lot. But I always loved the imagery that was surrounding it. I did think the band was really cool. On the first couple of records, their whole look was great, and his too, of course. Also Pink Floyd, for their grand visual elements.

How do you relax before a gig?

I don't like to have anybody in my dressing room right before a gig. If there's excessive talking, or a lot of people around, it really makes me uneasy and distracts me. Girlfriends are okay backstage, but not during the hour before I go on, because then I'm thinking about those things when I'm on stage and I don't want to be thinking about those things.

I really prefer to just sit with just the band, and we watch a video before we get ready. We'll often watch the same movie over and over again every day, so it's almost like a ritual in a sense. It's like, “Okay, when this part of the movie comes on, we know we gotta go brush our teeth.” It becomes regimented. I think that makes me feel at ease.

Have your parents seen you perform?

A lot, yes. I know it's strange to other people. It's strange to me that they're so into it. They're like big fans.