The Freaks on Parade Tour 2023 made a stop at Tinley Park with a packed lineup of Rob Zombie, Alice Cooper, Ministry, and Filter.
The Freaks on Parade Tour is always one with an impressive lineup, and this summer’s is no exception. With so many bands on the agenda, it was an early start to the evening with Filter being first to take to the stage not long after 6 PM. Usually when a show starts that early, the crowd is usually a little thinner on the ground at the beginning of the show. That was not the case here as people were eager to kick their holiday weekend off in style.
Filter’s 30-minute set comprised of just six songs, but they still managed to begin the show in the right way. Filter just recently released their first album in seven years and included the songs “The Drowning,” “For The Beaten,” and “Obliteration” in their set. They rounded out their set with “Hey Man Nice Shot” which had the audience singing along in full participation.
Next up for the evening were industrial metal icons, Ministry. You know you’re surely in for a great night ahead if Ministry is classed as one of the openers. They began their 45-minute set with “Thieves” before launching into three songs in a row from The Land of Rape and Honey, “The Missing,” “Deity,” and “Stigmata.” Al Jourgensen proved he was ever the frontman as he paced the stage from left to right and back again, locking eyes with various members of the audience and drawing them into the performance.Their set covered songs from the 80s and 90s before jumping ahead to round out their performance with “Goddamn White Trash” from their future release Hopiumforthemasses, which is set for release in 2024.
Next up needs no introduction at all – Alice Cooper. You always know what you’re going to get from an Alice Cooper show, and we love him for that! The shock rocker is known for his theatrics and stage performance and we’d all be devastated if it ever went away. Whether it be the larger-than-life Frankenstein’s monster staggering around the stage, Cooper being beheaded by a guillotine, or singing while being restrained in a straitjacket – it’s exactly what the audience wants to see and craves in between fixes.Cooper was joined by his all-star band which included Nita Strauss back in the fold, along with Tommy Henriksen, Ryan Roxie, and Glen Sobel. For reasons that were not disclosed, Chuck Garric was not on bass for the evening but instead, Cooper’s Hollywood Vampires’ bandmate Chris Wyse was standing in.
The set included the songs “No More Mr Nice Guy,” “I’m Eighteen,” “Feed My Frankenstein,” and “Billion Dollar Babies.” The set was rounded out by a performance of “Elected.” This was truly a masterclass in how to put on a show. Cooper proved once again that he is a pioneer in the genre and takes some topping.
After the evening they’d already had, attendees of the Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre could have quite happily called it a night and headed home having had one hell of a night. But wait, there was more still to come in the form of Rob Zombie. A black curtain covered the stage in anticipation of the final act of the evening. As the curtain dropped, the stage sprung to life with screens covering the majority of it. Zombie could be seen standing high up on top of a podium as they began the set with “The Triumph of King Freak (A Crypt of Preservation and Superstition).” Ginger Fish was also elevated up at the back of the stage with his drum kit, while Piggy D and Mike Riggs were up front and interacting with the audience.This is the first tour with Mike Riggs back in the band as guitarist after John 5 left the lineup last year to join Motley Crue. Riggs is no stranger to Zombie or his fans, having previously been part of the band. However, it has been an absence of 20 years, and it will take a little getting used to not seeing John 5 in that position. While his playing was flawless, it might just take a little time for people to get used to seeing him rather than his predecessor.
While Alice Cooper’s set is heavy on the theatrics, Zombie’s set leans more towards the multimedia visual arts as the screens flash up various music videos and horror movie clips. It was certainly a feast for both the eyes and the ears. At times, there was so much going on, you didn’t know which part of the stage to look at. There were fireballs shooting up around the stage, huge demon babies, and devil statues to name just a little of the spectacle.
The 14-song set included “Dead City Radio and the New Gods of Supertown,” “Feel So Numb,” and “Thunder Kiss ’65,” rounding the evening out with “Dragula.” As the crowd filtered out of the amphitheater, it would be fair to say the holiday weekend was kicked off in style.
The Freaks on Parade Tour continues until September 24th when it will wrap in Phoenix. This is a lineup you do not want to miss, so check out the remaining tour dates now.ROB ZOMBIE
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ALICE COOPER
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MINISTRY
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