Rob Zombie Brings the Freaks on Parade Tour to Mansfield, MA – July 30, 2022

Embarking on his first major U.S. tour since before the pandemic, Rob Zombie hit the road for the Freaks on Parade tour. Joining him on this track are fellow freaks Powerman 5000, Static-X, and the newly reunited Mudvayne.

Powerman 5000

It’s not a surprise when you first learn that Powerman 5000 frontman Spider One is the younger brother of Rob Zombie. There’s a similar type of gimmick between their bands, just with a different spin. If Rob Zombie‘s gimmick is old horror movies, Powerman 5000’s is old sci-fi movies. They never made it quite as big as zombie, but their 1999 album, Tonight the Stars Revolt went platinum, while spawning three hits. Of course all three of those hits were played tonight, closing their show the way that album begins, with “Supernova Goes Pop” leading right into “When Worlds Collide.”

Over the last 20 years, I’ve almost seen Powerman 5000 several times, but it just never worked out. It was quite a treat to see them tonight, and from the first notes of “Nobody’s Real,” I knew this was going to be a fun set. The bands’ driving drumbeat throughout their songs got the crowd pumped up early for a great night of music. 

Originating from Haverhill, Massachusetts, this show was close as the band was going to get to a hometown show on the tour, and you could tell that Spider was happy to be back in Massachusetts.

Static-X

Static-X went through a couple of line of changes over the years, up until front man Wayne Static passed in 2014. His final lineup contained no other original members of the band, just musicians from his solo project. In 2018, The original members who played on their debut Wisconsin Death Trip album announced that they were reuniting to carry-on the name of Static-X. Handling vocals on this tour is an unidentified vocalist named Xer0, wearing a mask that, from a distance, you could think that was Wayne brought back from the dead. 

Xer0’s identity has never been officially confirmed, but all signs have poured pointed to it being dope singer Edsel Dope, though he himself denies it. I’ve got to say, the gimmick with the mask feels rather morbid, but the band insists Wayne’s family has given it their blessing, and that it would fit with his sense of humor.

Whether you like the way they are handling the front man, there’s no denying they had a strong setlist. Their set was made up entirely of songs off of Wisconsin Death Trip, plus the song “Cold,” best known from the Queen of the Damned Soundtrack. From the first note of “Bled For Days,” through the last note of “Push It,” their half hour set gave fans a great throwback to the early 2000’s.

Mudvayne

In 2006, Mudvayne front man Chad Gray and guitarist Greg Tribbett formed the supergroup Hellyeah with Nothingface guitarist Tom Maxwell, and former Pantera drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott. Over the next few years, Mudvayne’s appearances would be sporadic, as the members split their time between these two bands. In 2010, Mudvayne went on hiatus, and nothing was heard from them for over a decade. In 2021, the band reunited to play a couple of appearances at various Danny Wimmer festivals. Not satisfied with just those few shows, metal fans were filled with excitement when the Freaks on Parade tour was announced, giving fans around the country their first chance to see Mudvayne in over 10 years!

The band opened their show with their debut hit, “Dig.” They had a heavy focus on their debut album, giving the old-school fans what they really wanted to hear. In the later years of Mudvayne’s original run, they often performed without makeup, but they are now back in their full glory, leaving many wondering why they ever left to begin with.

Rob Zombie

Before Rob Zombie even hits the stage, you know that this horror movie aficionado and director is going to let that vibe shine through tonight. A massive riser waits for him on the stage, with the word ZOMBIE across the top of it, while microphone stands spanning each end of the stage are shaped like Nosferatu. After an intro track plays, Zombie appears on top of the riser, while guitarist John 5 and bassist Piggy D hold things down at ground level.

After opening with “The Triumph of King Freak,” Zombie kicked into what is almost always his second song of the night, “Superbeast,” off of 1998’s Hellbilly Deluxe. Sticking with that album, he went right into “Meet the Creeper,” giving old school Rob Zombie fans a treat.

Of course he has fans that are even older school than the first Rob Zombie album, so his White Zombie hits “More human than Human” and “Thunderkiss ‘65” were definitely big highlights for long time fans. Obviously, like Rob‘s brother Spider, he is also from Massachusetts, and as a special treat for their hometown crowd, Spider One came out and join the band for a cover of the classic Beatles song, “Helter Skelter.”

Near the end of the night, Rob called out people in the audience who were leaving early, saying “those people trying to beat the traffic aren’t from Massachusetts… Enjoy Rhode Island!” Those fans that did stick around untill the end got to see the trailer for Zombies’ next movie, which is a remake of the campy horror TV show The Munsters, before he ended the night with his big hit, “Dragula.”

Time after time, Rob Zombie continues to show that he is a performer like no other, and he put together the perfect group of freaks to take out on parade this summer, delighting generations of metal fans. Tonight‘s lineup had the perfect amount of nostalgia for fans who maybe have still yet to see a show since before the pandemic began, and it’s a tour that is definitely worth checking out!