There are very few bands that to this day maintain, capture and preach the spirit of rock n roll like Wednesday 13 does. It’s hard to believe that it has been twenty-two years since I first heard and saw the Murderdolls.
In 2002 these guys were just what I was looking for something with attitude, image, humour, big guitars and killer songs. Their perfect mix of goth, punk, glam, horror and hard rock really struck a nerve. In many ways they saved rock n roll for me. While I liked what was happening at the time there really wasn’t anyone like Murderdolls. Sure, there were bands like Powerman 5000 who were the lighter side of that whole industrial genre that almost oversaturated itself; here was something different.
It was seeing the clip of ‘Dead in Hollywood’ that acted as my first sensory overload experience of the band, from there, from there it became my mission to track down the debut album ‘Beyond the Valley Of The Murderdolls’ to discover what they were really about.
While the media touted the Murderdolls as Joey Jordison’s “other” band and having had Marilyn Manson cameo in the first clip as obvious marketing tools; there was something truly unique about this band. They needed no claim to fame for me. It was just a collection of damn good punk rock songs with a pop sensibility with catchy as hell choruses and loud guitars. Rock n roll felt dangerous, yet fun again.
Looking back, it was the Murderdolls who actually gave me my appreciation of Slipknot. It’s strange recalling that I had failed to find a connection with Slipknot at that time, I knew who they were, had heard a bit of them. I just didn’t engage with them until 2004’s “Vol.3”. Having said that I had discovered there was pre-Murderdolls Wednesday 13. Which of course was Wednesday’s Frankenstein Drag Queens From Planet 13 where the earliest versions of what became ‘Beyond The Valley Of The Murderdolls’ songs came to be.
Fast forward to 2010 and it had taken eight years to release and record the first real Murderdolls album with Jordison contributing a lot more this time. The sophomore album “Women and Children Last” was a more finely refined version of that first outing. While touring with Slipknot Jordison was writing while on the road with Slipknot. Wednesday 13 was writing and performing as band and released three amazing studio albums during the Murderdolls hiatus. He also started two other projects Burbon Crow and Gunfire 76 as side projects away from Wednesday 13. For me there is another level of magic in the “Women and Children Last” album, it’s slightly more polished production had the same angst and attitude as the debut. Unfortunately, it also saw the band split in 2011 with rumours of new music and a reunion around 2017.
Jordison sadly passed away in 2021 and the Murderdolls would never be again. Tonight Wednesday 13 and his band saluted everything Murderdolls. The set equal parts debut and sophomore album along with B-sides it was the ultimate tribute to that band. It was a celebration in memory of his band mates Joey Jordison and Ben Graves who had died in 2018.
Fast forward to January of 2023 where I finally get to see Wednesday 13 live. Everything I had hoped for was exceeded. Wednesday 13 completely wiped the floor with every other band on the bill and there were some great performances that night. Could they back that up or even build on it? The answer to that question is revealed below.
Death of Art opened up tonight’s show with their own special brand of dark electronic, semi-industrial, gothic hard rock. The bands set was an at times a theatrical based journey. Led by vocalist by Erin Blackie whose voice and use of props captivated a near full Max Watts. Having not heard of these guys before they engaged me in their performance not only visually but musically as well. Based upon this performance that are definitely a band I’m keen on checking out again. Their fourty minute slot appeared to be well received by all.
As the intro tape ran and band members took their places on stage there was an anticipating energy that I haven’t experienced in a room the size of Max Watts. It was electric, intense and fun. The 1,2,3 punch of ‘Chapel of Blood’, ‘Death Valley Superstars’ and one of my favourite Murderdolls songs ‘19766’ whipped the audience to a frenzy. Wednesday’s ability to connect with just a glance is a testament to how much he loves doing this.
As the dust began to settle Wednesday clearly blown away by the crowd’s response to the opening onslaught, thanking everyone for coming out and selling the show out. Stating that the heatwave that was today was uncomfortable for a guy like him he jokingly exclaimed, “Look at me when the sun hits me; I’m like a prism”. Wednesday continued praising Melbourne as being better and louder than Brisbane and Sydney the last two nights questions us all if we could be even louder.
There is a charm in Wednesday’s stage presence and banter. His engagement, humour and story-telling are second to none. His stage raps and stories are second to none, his ability to command his audience to do as he asks is effortless. Visually he is always moving and engaging. His band play their part in all of this so well, engaging in ways that take nothing from their frontman’s presence. Musically they are tight, so incredibly tight. If nothing else those Murderdolls albums are punchy, deliberate and incredibly tight in their recording. This band of Mike Dupke (Drums), Roman Surman (Lead Guitar), Jack Tankersly (Rhythm Guitars) and Troy Dobbler (Bass) recreate these records with some extra punch but all of the precision of the studio recordings. You just know how happy and proud Jordison would be of W13 today if he was able to see and hear this show. Live it is crisp, powerful, polished yet raw and so on point.
With a kind of reckless abandon W13 and co just refused to take their foot off the accelerator. ‘Slit My Wrist’, ‘Love at First Bite’ and ‘She Was A Teenage Zombie’ had fists in the air, voices loud and proud and the whole room moving. During the breakdown section of ‘Slit My Wrist’ W13 addresses the audience again, “You know you already kicked Brisbane and Sydney’s ass. You know you are the best place in Australia right. You know it, I know it, let make it fucking loud. Are you ready?” And damn the audience were loud. In a true testament to how engaged the 850 plus crowd were “Thank you so much for kicking our ass, and you are loud. You know the words better than me,” proclaimed W13 at the end of ‘She Was a Teenage Zombie’.
Of the stories told between songs this was one of my favourites. “So 21 years ago this whole thing started. I was working at this wonderful corporation called k-mart. True story and I got a call from Joey Joridison that changed my life forever. A lot of crazy shit was happening, we put out a record, went out on tour that went all around the world and we even ended up here in Australia at the Big Day Out festival. Who was at that motherfucker?” The crowd erupts as W13 continues, “You’re are old like me”, “We went out on tour. On what we thought would be the greatest tour opening up for Iron Maiden. Sounds pretty cool, I thought the same thing. Six weeks across Europe not in arenas but in stadiums. What could go wrong?” EVERYTHING sneered W13. Iron Maiden liked us, their kids liked us but their 80 000 strong audience, they fucking hated us, it was all guys, all dudes and they didn’t like guys wearing fishnets and lipstick. They were like fuck these guys. I would fuck with them; hey Iron Maiden audience, do you guys like songs about necrophilia? They would give us the middle finger. I was like yeah whatever and go this one is called ‘Graverobbing USA’”
Audience participation, raise your motherfucking fist in the air everybody and say “Hey hey, Hey, Hey, Hey !!!” was the order for ‘Die My Bride’ as every fist in Max Watts pumped the air. This is just the quality of frontman W13 is; he commands and we listened. It would have been rude not too.
“Fuck yeah Melbourne you are awesome, makes some noise for yourselves. When I wrote that song in my parents bedroom I was like 18, hearing you guys sing it back to me is very cool. Take that mom and dad. Go get a job, get a normal job. No you get a job …. They did and brought me a guitar so thanks to my mom and dad. Make some noise for Mom & Dad 13”.
My favourite W13 tale of the night comes from the introduction of ‘Bloodstained Love Story’. “Let’s go back into the time machine. Thirteen years ago, to the second Murderdolls album “Women and Children Last”. Now that title was a parody on the Van Halen album “Women and Children First”. Just so you know; my ex-wife didn’t think so, she said that title is about me isn’t it? Yeah”, W13 says smirking.
“There is some cool stuff on that album. We went around the world again, we did the Soundwave Festival where you might have seen us. We had a very special guest come and play with us on that record. Mick Mars from Motley Crue came over and played guitar on the record. Pretty cool story about that, we were trying to work on this lead and Joey and I say this needs like a Motley Crue kind of lead. Our manager goes fucking call him up ya dummies. I don’t have his number and our manager says I do… ring … Hey Mick you wanna play on the Murderdolls album? Cool be here tomorrow …click … it was that simple. We were like he ain’t gonna show up. And he did show up. He showed up like a fucking rockstar. Top hat, leather pants, six inch platforms and a hot chick carrying his guitar. I was like damn I like the way that guy rolls. That’s how I wanna roll when I’m a little bit older. We took him into the studio and he started playing along. Roman Surman, Joey and I are sitting there watching, he showed up, we got the guy that wrote Shout at The Devil playing on our album., how much cooler can it get? So Mick is playing and all of a sudden he rips his finger open and is bleeding all over his guitar; he doesn’t stop and Joey goes’ fuck he is bleeding on our album. Keep recording. It just so happened to be the solo for this song Blood Stained Valentine”.
Melbourne it’s getting hot in here, it’s time to summon the devil, raise your horns and ‘Drug Me To Hell’ became another sing along, the band simply showed no signs of slowing down. The energy exchanged in this room was electric.
Tonight, there was a drum solo in the set. Yep, it’s commonly mused at as being the point in the show where people opt to take advantage of to visit the bar or bathroom. If you did, you made a huge mistake Mike Dupke the latest addition to the band delivered a fun, engaging solo which in the truest sense of W13 showmanship had Max Watts eating out of his hands. The solo spot was engaging as Dupke showed of how agile a drummer he is, based in rock solid rhythms he hooked you in. Possessing frontman style engagement with the crowd his solo was perfect in execution and length. “Make some noise for the new guy on drums Mr Mike Dupke”, Wednesday commanded. Given the context of tonight you know Jordison would have been smiling down on Dupke.
‘People Hate Me’ became a sing along with Melbourne leading the way, showing Wednesday that they knew the words better than him. It’s hard to not get drawn into the feelgood vibes, the love being shown for this set of songs.
This show never showed any signs of slowing until W13 introduced ‘Nowhere’ where he took the opportunity to pay tribute to his friend and bandmate Joey Jordison. This was the last single to be released by Murderdolls and in some ways the ending of the video clip told us all that this would be the end of the band as they drove off a cliff as corpses. Chilling when you think about it.
‘Summertime Suicide’ closed out tonight’s set and left Melbourne begging for more. The band exited the stage to a round of cheers, screams and foot stomping that summoned the band back to the stage.
“We’re not done with you yet” snarled Wednesday “I went and put on my encore hat”, “That means we are going to play one more song, or if you are really loud then I think we can maybe play two songs; and if you are really, really motherfucking loud we will play three more songs”. “I think three songs is the answer. You know it’s a nice day for a ‘White Wedding’” as they tore through the bands amazing version of the Billy Idol hit.
‘I Love To Say Fuck’ is one of those anthems all be it a B-side from the debut album that has become a deeply loved song by not only this guy, but fans of the band. There was something that struck me about the song when I first heard it way back when. It’s embodies the power, attitude and fun of music. For me it’s one of those songs that can just pull me out of a mood, this is the power of rock n roll. Of course the now famous middle finger umbrella had to make its appearance as Wednesday flashed it, we all chanted and sang on cue flipping our middle fingers. Needless to say, my already wide smile got a little bigger.
Tonight ended where it all began for me with ‘Dead in Hollywood’. Melbourne, you were loud enough to raise the dead last night. When you think of all of the great and memorable frontmen that have graced us in rock music, those larger-than life characters like Alice Cooper, Gene Simmons, Dee Snider, Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie, Paul Stanley, Sebastian Bach and others of that kind, there are reminders of all of them in Wednesday, yet he has his own personality and should be recognised as one of the greats.
As a band W13 are razor sharp players, technically able, amazing performers and tight.The band were on point and delivered a performance that will be hard to beat by anyone this year. This was a gig that will stay with me for quite some time and certainly be used as a measure for other shows. It’s rare that you find a band that just continues to deliver stellar performances year in and out.
In Wednesday’s parting words he said they will be back next year. I urge you even if what W13 do isn’t your thing to go and check out these guys. If you leave the show without a smile of your face then you need to get your vitals checked.
Setlist: Chapel Of Blood, Death Valley Superstars, 197666, Slit My Wrist, Love At First Fright, She Was a Teenage Zombie, Graverobbing USA, Die My Bride, Blood Stained Valentine, Pieces Of You, Drug Me to Hell, People Hate Me, Welcome To the Strange, Dawn Of the Dead, Nowhere, Summertime Suicide
Encore: White Wedding, I Love to Say Fuck, Dead In Hollywood
With thanks to Maric Media and ThePhoenix.au for the media access.
Photos by Shot by Slaidins Photography
