MARILYN MANSON INTERVIEWED BY HERALD SUN - July 30th 2009

Marilyn Manson has been interviewed by the Australian newspaper the Herald Sun, Manson returns to Australia this October.

Marilyn Manson back on the road

Cameron Adams
July 30, 2009 12:00am

MARILYN Manson, rock's ultimate villain, fought the grim reaper and won. He explains why he's happy being an ironic ambassador for the world.

What are your memories of Australia?

There was a misconception for me and for some Australian fans back in the day, touring with Hole on the Big Day Out (in 1999). I made the mistake of wearing red sequins in front of a very sunbaked and drunken crowd. I won't do that again. But that's what I had to do, that's where my heart was at at the time, glam rock.

So more bottle-dodging for you?

Despite my dislike of sports, I have quick reflexes. And I'm very dangerous. I can hit something from a far distance. But I prefer to just sing and hurt people emotionally with what I'm saying. I refrain from physical violence.

How are your American shows with Slayer going?

A lot of angry heavy-metal guy fans that may not have considered Marilyn Manson get exposed to us and they walk away with a different opinion. I'm not sure what the girls we bring to the shows walk away with. Sometimes with venereal diseases I've heard, but that's not my fault.

Twiggy Ramirez is back in the band now.

Nice segue, from venereal diseases to Twiggy. Yes, he's back playing guitar. The void left in our lives from being apart for so long became evident when we started working together again. We are the villain in rock and roll, there is a lack of that. It doesn't mean we're the bad guy, it just means we're the person who bothers to say something different to what everyone else is saying.

There has been no real villain in your wake.

People only notice train wrecks or disasters -- people getting arrested. I grew up being inspired by Jim Morrison, John Lennon, Lou Reed, David Bowie, Marc Bolan, Alice Cooper -- people not only doing things to be controversial but also making changes in the world. I've always been a sceptic that one person or a song can change the world. But then look at George Bush -- he's one person who f---ed a lot of things in the world up. So I started looking at things differently making this record. I voted for the first time.

For?

The President. Of course. I didn't get a new interest in politics, I just thought maybe besides being this ironic ambassador for common sense in America, the voice of reason to some people, maybe there is room to take responsibility as an artist in a world where now everyone has the ability to be a photographer or a filmmaker or a blogger or a garage band . . . That could have made me have a distaste for the world. Instead it made me feel like the playing field is levelled, now it counts what you do and how you do it. It made me want to do it more. I simplified my scope at how to write songs and say things.

How did you do that?

I wrote songs and I played them for the people closest to me. If I can play a song for a girl and it makes her fall in love with me, want to have sex with me, that's the most difficult part; the rest of the world should be easier. People think this record (The High End of Low) is more human, so apparently I was not human before now.

Is America less bothered by this record?

There was a big controversy initially with the record label. They said, "We can't have the song Pretty as a Swastika, the record is so good we don't want to alienate people with an offensive song". I said, "Do you think it isn't ironic? I'm not saying 'Pretty as Hitler', it's something with depth to it that may be considered songwriting". Then I realised the reasoning behind it. So I agreed to change it on the CD case only to say Pretty as a $ because they make all their decisions based on money and not art.

Were you a Michael Jackson fan?

I like some of the stuff he did. If I had to pick one song I watched on MTV as a kid it wasn't Thriller. Thriller bothered me. The werewolf transformation make-up was not done as properly as The Howling. I remember Dirty Diana, in junior high school, I sang a parody of it, I recorded it on cassette tape -- Dirty Pyjamas.

That's very Weird Al Yankovic of you.

At the time my mother told me Weird Al Yankovic was my cousin. She also told me Ozzy Osbourne was in our back yard once. She used to tell me a lot of weird things. She's in a special place right now. Still healthy but she's not allowed to associate with the public. So my future and my hereditary mental illness is assured.

Did you see Trent Reznor, the man who discovered you, called you a "doped-up clown", and said you're squandering your talent with alcohol and drugs?

A doped-up clown sounds kinda fun. It sounds like something you'd send to a kid's party and be really upset you've hired the wrong person. Which is kinda me. Lipstick, drunk sometimes . . . Since I've known Trent he's always let his jealousy and bitterness for other people get in the way. I'm not talking about me -- I sat back and watched him be jealous of Kurt Cobain and Billy Corgan and a lot of other musicians in the past. I just don't find the time to do that. I stopped thinking about him a while back, but I know that every day I have a song played that money will go to him, forever.

As long as I have a record deal it will be attached to him financially. In the words of his own song, you shouldn't bite the hand that feeds you -- you should take that hand and punch yourself in the face.

You did some songs with Lady Gaga. Is it true you offered to give her a gynaecological exam?

I didn't offer that exactly. I suggested it in a sarcastic manner. I'm taken now by another woman.

It's good to see you're loved up. After your split with Evan Rachel Wood, people were worried you were close to self-destructing.

When you're being worried about, you never know. People don't want to tell you you're worrisome. I did see the grim reaper outside the door a few times and thought it was a pizza-delivery guy. But I realised there were more exciting things to do in life than take a dirt nap.

The High End of Low (Universal) out now. Marilyn Manson, Festival Hall, Oct 10-11, $89.90, Ticketmaster.

NEW BLOG POSTED ON OFFICIAL MYSPACE - July 26th 2009

Marilyn Manson has posted a new blog on his MySpace today, Manson has also put out a bulletin and uploaded a new photo of himself from his phone.
The blog post and bulletin are available below.

BLOG:
soon to be buried in a shallow grave

Current mood: amused

I can, but do not need to defend myself And the absurd accusations that the average press has clinged onto. If we need a nude photo of me to prove that I am far different than the soon-to-be-murdered-in-their-home press has decided to fabricate, that is easy. But if one more "journalist" makes a cavalier statement about me and my band, I will personally or with my fans help, greet them at their home and discover just how much they believe in their freedom of speech. I dare you all to write one more thing that you won't say to my face. Because I will make you say it. In that manner. That is a threat. Mm

BULLETIN:
a call for war

Unless I say that someone is my friend or an accepted and respected 'writer' , I advise that all so-called writers be greeted at home and confronted with their opinions. Do not be afraid to express yourself. In all ways imagined
M

NEW TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED FOR THE US & CANADA - July 22nd 2009

The official Marilyn Manson website and Ticketmaster have listed new tour dates for the US and Canada.

Aug 21 - The Joint - Las Vegas, Nevada

Aug 22 - House of Blues - San Diego, California

Aug 24 - The Grove - Anaheim, California

Aug 25 - The Fox Theatre - Pomona, California

Aug 26 - Ventura Theatre - Ventura, California *

Aug 28 - The WarfieldSan - Francisco, California *

Aug 29 - Grand Sierra Resort and CasinoReno, Nevada *

Sep 01 - Wilma Theatre - Missoula, Montana

Sep 03 - Knitting Factory - Spokane, Washington

Sep 08 - Save On Foods Centre - Victoria, British Columbia

Sep 10 - Southern Alberta Jubilee Aud. - Calgary, Alberta

Sep 11 - Shaw Conference Centre - Edmonton, Alberta

Sep 13 - MTS Centre - Winnipeg, Manitoba

Sep 17 - Air Canada Centre - Toronto, Ontario*

* Dates listed on Ticketmaster.com

 

TWIGGY SPEAKS WITH NRV-TV - July 11th 2009

Twiggy recently sat down with French Rock web TV show NRV-TV and gave a relaxed video interview.

He speaks about his interpretation of the album's title The High End Of Low: "How dark and how much more fucked up things get"; the things he feel has made him a better performer and musician, how the production of HEOL saw a more 'fluid' - "what was working was to be ore organic"approach and easy translation to on stage performance.

He also speaks about what it was like to be reunited with Manson.

 

MARILYN MANSON FINDS PEACE - July 9th 2009

In a new interview with the San Francisco Examiner Manson speaks about how a new love has been the catalyst to see him steering away from drugs and drink:

Marilyn Manson finds peace By: Tom Lanham Special to The Examiner

Moving on: Following his breakup with Evan Rachel Wood, Marilyn Manson is in a seemingly stable relationship with another actress, Stoya. (Courtesy photo)
SAN FRANCISCO —
Heartbreak, for your average composer, is usually good for a tearjerker or two.
But not for shock-rocker Marilyn Manson, who employed an entire album — his latest, "The High End of Low" — to catalog a debilitating breakup with actress Evan Rachel Wood, a relationship that ended with a battery of 158 self-inflicted cuts, one for every unanswered call he placed to her.
Lyrically, it’s grim, in dirges like "Leave a Scar," "Unkillable Monster" and "I Have To Look Up Just To See Hell."
But musically, the record — which re-teams the makeup-splashed showman with his old guitarist foil Twiggy Ramirez — is as glam-punk thumping as his 1998 classic "Mechanical Animals." So torture, it seems, certainly becomes this artist.
But 158 incisions’ worth? "Yeah, it’s true," says the 40-year-old, who appears in Mountain View on Saturday.
"But they weren’t the type of wounds I’ve imposed on myself in the past, because, well, a razor blade is a very fine instrument, and it makes very small, precise cuts," he says. "But I really don’t think that was bad. It was me making a point at the time, reminding myself of the stupidity of waiting on someone, a reminder that I’d made a mistake. So I’m glad that I did it, and I learned from the experience."
But before his goth-girl fans start shedding tears on his behalf, Manson would like to make a few upbeat points. His side career as a watercolorist is doing fine, thanks, as is his own brand of Swiss-made absinthe, Mansinthe, which won a Gold Medal at San Francisco’s World Spirits Competition last year.
He’s slated to star in an upcoming feature by his filmmaking hero, Alejandro Jodorowsky, and just last week his French-director chum Gaspar Noe filmed an MTV segment featuring Manson and his new gal pal, adult-film actress Stoya, a woman he’s come to see as his salvation.
Listen closely to "High," this notoriously hard partier invites, and you can hear him leaving his carnal phase behind with Stoya, whom he became obsessed with — then admittedly stalked — on the Internet.
"And now I’ve strangely curbed my behavior," he says. "I’ve met a girl who’s managed to make me lose interest in drugs and alcohol, so now I’m driven by romance, love, by the concept of wanting to live, wanting to be better as a person."
Such serenity is worth fighting for. He says, "I’ve gotten to a spiritual place, and it’s really centered on the importance of what I love. And I will beat down, kill and destroy anything that messes with that."
Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival With Marilyn Manson and Slayer
Where: Shoreline Amphitheatre, One Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View
When: 2:15 p.m. Saturday
Tickets: $24.25 to $63.05
Contact: www.livenation.com

MANSON ADDS NEW IMAGES TO MYSPACE - July 8th 2009

Marilyn Manson has added seven new images to his official myspace page.

The Album:- viewmorepics

Shit that you can't buy:- viewmorepics

Unseen:-

 

Slayer talk about working with Manson again - July 7th 2009

Kerry King mentions Manson and Twiggy and touring and working together as part of an interview he was conducting. I liked what he said so thought I would share:

This summer's Mayhem Festival will mark the second time that Slayer and Marilyn Manson have co-headlined a tour together.

"I had fun when we toured with Manson two years ago," said King.

"Manson's a friend of mine and Twiggy's [Ramirez] back in the band, so it can only be that much better. We'll probably play two new songs, 'Psychopathy Red' being one of them - not sure what the other one will be. And, I'm curious to see Manson's set, I love watching him play because there's always something going on. It's going to be a great summer tour, a lot of fun for everyone."

MANSON IN METAL HAMMER - July 7th 2009

Marilyn Manson: “Money Is For Rolling Up To Snort Cocaine”
jamesgill

A Hammer mole was recently present at a Marilyn Manson press day, and described how he arrived drunk with a ‘prostitute’ who he demanded lift her skirt to be photographed by him on his phone before trying to write on the hotel wall…

After Manson finally settled down he said the following things amongst others [it must be added that he apparently sobered up miraculously for his following interview... weird] :

MM: “I just got interviewed by the gay guy”
Interviewer: “Alan Carr?”
MM: “Yeah, he did love me too much.”

I: “Now Obama is president and everything is going hunk-dorilly…”
MM: “Is that a word hunky-dorrily?”
I: “It is now. Is there anything left to rebel against.”
MM: “Yes there is. You have to rebel against the normal usage of pubic hair. So this what I did last week, or several days ago here you go you have to be patient it’s worth the wait.” [Shows picture of girl's pubic hair shaved into a swastika on mobile phone]. “That’s what I did last week, that’s how I rebel.”
MM: “Twatstika”
I: “If you had to pick one thing that made you happy in life what would it be.”
MM: “Drugs”

I: “you have a passion for art. Are you still painting.”
MM: “Yes”
I: “What have you painted recently.”
Mm: “Women, canvas, sperm.”
I: “Sperm”
MM: “Yeah, sperm canvas.”

MM: “I don’t care about money. Do you know what money’s for? It’s for rolling up to snort cocaine.”

I: “If you had to wrap yourself in cling film for the rest of your life or only eat mayonnaise for the rest of your life, which would you choose?”
MM: “Well I tried to make a condom once out of tin foil and a rubber band but it doesn’t work because girls when they bite tin foil it hurts your teeth and then I have to knock their teeth out and it’s a whole ruckus. …Not mayonnaise but girls don’t like it some get a rash. I’m allergic to tits I break out in erections.”

I: “If you could play one character in a film what would it be.”
MM: “Adolf Hitchcock. It’s like a combo.”
I: “Like Hitler in a Hitchcock film kind of thing”
Mm: “Yeah because it has a cock in it.”

Manson also recently emailed Hammer directly about his non-attendence at the Golden Gods Awards where he had been due to collect an award, saying: “I would of melted the award into a shank. So I could shank the fuck out of every goddamn fucking journalist in the entire continent of the UK except for Metal Hammer… MM”

Read the rest of the letter and see what else went on at the Golden God Awards in the latest edition of Hammer, on sale now.

 

Twiggy interview in Rock One - July 4th 2009

Twiggy has been interviewed by France's Rock One magazine in their magazine which hit the store shelves on July 3rd.

Forum member Ezekhiel has kindly translated and posted the interview for us.

ROCK ONE Nb 56 (July 2009) By Noemy Langlais

MARILYN MANSON The Rise And Fall Of Twiggy Stardust

Marilyn Manson is back with Twiggy Ramirez, his old troublemaker partner. From this explosive duo, “The High End Of Low”, the album of redemption, was born. While in Paris, Twiggy, who nowadays officiates as the guitarist of the band, answers our questions.

A few days after our phone interview with Marilyn Manson, we had an appointment with Twiggy (who now prefers not to use his Ramirez moniker) in a suite of a luxurious Parisian hotel. Unlike Marilyn Manson, the guitarist is a more reserved and on the defensive kind of man. Talking about music is not something natural for him, and even less when it comes to more personal subjects. He will kindly answer all our questions though, despite the tiredness due to jet-lag and previous night party. “I’m happy to be back, play music, be here in France and get into troubles”, he jokes. He goes on : “can you tell me which day and time it is ?”. This meeting keeps its promises !

About him returning to MM
Twiggy Ramirez : I was tired to play that kind of music and above all I wanted to explore new things. My heart wasn’t in it anymore. We parted ways just to find ourselves again. I knew it was now time for me to come back, as I knew back in the days that it was better for me to leave. All happened quite naturally. We had a chance meeting in an hotel hall and we talked. After that we exchanged e-mails on a regular basis and got back in touch by phone. Then he finally asked me if I would be interested in working on the next album and I accepted.

Marilyn Manson : there were times in our lives during which we would have needed each other as old friends but we weren’t there for each other. The fact is that I betrayed myself in the past. It’s easier for me to express my feelings to strangers than to people close to me, so that it may be difficult for them to understand me.

About his relationship with MM
Twiggy Ramirez : we lost touch for about for years. Since that we became closer than ever and it’s a lot easier to work together because we now understand how each other operates. I believe that we are more focused on what we have to do. He says that he considers me as his little brother, because he is older that I am, but I think we should rather reverse the roles (laughs). But I think that we take care of each other like some brothers could do.

About the making of “The High End Of Low”
Twiggy Ramirez : I wasn’t under pressure to write this record, I just had fun and things came naturally. Nowadays it is a lot easier for me to write music. In the past I was struggling a lot more. Now it’s more flowing. You cannot force creativity, in my opinion things have to come out by themselves. We didn’t set ourselves any directives. We started to write thinking it would inevitably lead us somewhere. From all the songs I wrote, we kept the fifteen ones that fitted the album the most. To make it simple, I wrote all the music in three months about a year and a half ago, Manson wrote the lyrics and Chris Vrenna did the programming. Sometimes I have just fragments of songs and Chris compiles them into a single song.

Marilyn Manson : During the writing period which went from November until my birthday in January, I was at the lowest. This record starts with a feeling of despair, of confusion, and then goes into a feeling of anger tied to the loss of something. Then it becomes sarcastic, trying to hide my embarrassment and not understanding what I could do to change things. The songs on the album are in the exact order in which they were written, in the same order that the events happened in my life. On my birthday, I realized that I couldn’t love like I did in the past anymore. I don’t want to repeat the mistakes done during the first songs of the album, I don’t want to do them again out of kindness, love temptation, hope or weakness. I am not the same romantic person that thought we could be like Romeo and Juliet. It was just stupid. I told myself that I couldn’t engage myself in such a story, giving up my wings and trying to become more adult or moral. In a ways this record symbolizes redemption, a story that introduces a new modern era.

About the musical direction of the new record
Twiggy Ramirez : I don’t think that “The High End Of Low” is close to “Antichrist Superstar”, or to any other Marilyn Manson albums. It is just a natural progression of what may have happened after “Holy Wood”. I don’t know why people persuaded themselves that this album would be close to “Antichrist Superstar”, but it may be due to the fact that we’re working together again. Anyway it wasn’t our intention at all to create something similar. This one’s got less riffs, before we had up to ten guitar parts, and now you just have one or two. Here it’s mainly songs with a progression.

About his musical influences
Twiggy Ramirez : when I’m writing songs I don’t want to be influenced by bad memories but only by the music I love. I can understand that Marilyn Manson uses his personal experiences to write the lyrics, but for the music it’s not necessary. I’m doing music for fun and because I like composing, so I don’t want it to be something unhappy and dark.

Marilyn Manson :I have seen movies like “The Love Machine” that I can relate to. It’s like the album is some kind of film making where a woman would try to seduce a serial killer. I have a room in which I’m painting. It inspired me much because it ‘is a place where I live with my thoughts written on the walls. And those who come to my room must see them and face that dark side. This record is literally positive because humiliation becomes so self destructive and frustrating that you end up to find yourself again. I chose my own transformation.

About “Four Rusted Horses”
Twiggy Ramirez : that was an old song written for Goon Moon that I had in stores, and the day I started to wonder what I would write I told myself that this one could fit Marilyn Manson well. “Arma-Goddamn-Motherfuckin-Geddon” was also written before my return to Marilyn Manson. I must have written it seven years ago. Music is all about collaboration and those songs where tied with MM, that’s why I’ve consciously decided not to use them for Goon Moon.

About Goon Moon
Twiggy Ramirez : as for now I’m only focused on this album and the following tour. But I hope to record a new Goon Moon album once the “High End Of Low” period will be over. It’s my wish anyway. Honestly I think I can easily manage being in both bands, so I’m not at all worried about Goon Moon’s future.

About the new bass player
Twiggy Ramirez : his name is Andy Gerold, he’s from Billy Howerdel’s (A Perfect Circle guitarist) new band Ashes Divide. I’d never heard of him before he joined us but he was recommended to us. Despite the fact that Chris played drums on the album, Ginger will play drums live. So Chris will be playing keyboards. As for me, I’ve always played all guitar and bass parts on the previous albums that I’ve worked on. But when Marilyn Manson asked me to play guitar this time I immediately accepted because it’s my favourite instrument.

About his new look
Twiggy Ramirez : when you grow older, your tastes change, you try new things. I won’t dress up in a funny way anymore for sure, because I’ve changed. I’m too old to wear dress now ! On stage I will wear some more elegant and sober clothes.

Three last words
Twiggy Ramirez : MM is crazy, smart and drunk, and I’m just like him !