Probably one of the most controversial musicians in the heavy metal scene, Marilyn Manson is under the spotlight of the media since his musical career began as he finds something to surprise his audience every time possible.
Brian Hugh Warner, known professionally as Marilyn Manson, rose to fame in the 1990s being the lead singer of the band of the same name. He co-founded the band of which he is the only constant member with Daisy Berkowitz in 1989 and formed his stage name by combining the two contrasting cultural icons who are Marilyn Monroe and Charles Manson.
Marilyn Manson is known for his controversial stage personality and his disturbing performances on the stage as well as his scandalous personal life. For instance, there is a well-known urban legend involving Marilyn Manson removing one of his ribs to perform oral sex on himself. He has also indirectly involved in the 1999 Columbine High School massacre as the two murderers behind the tragic mass shooting mentioned Marilyn Manson and his band as their musical heroes.
Apart from that, he associated himself with LaVey’s Church of Satan, ate a bible on the stage, urinated on the crowd during one of his shows, sexually assaulted a security guard, and was recently accused of sexual abuse towards his partners.
Additionally, during one of his performances at the Ozzfest Meets Knotfest festival on November 5, 2017, controversial musician Marilyn Manson wielded a prop gun on which a microphone was attached, and pointed it towards the panicked crowd pretending to be spraying bullets. This was known as his first concert after he was badly injured while on a concert where he was crushed under a huge prop gun. That day, he broke his leg while trying to climb on the giant gun props, and was singing ‘Sweet Dreams’ before the incident.
Why Marilyn Manson Pointed A Gun At The Audience?
During his scandalous performance at the Ozzfest Meets Knotfest festival, Marilyn Manson appeared on the stage in a wheelchair due to his leg injury. He was pushed out in a wheelchair while holding a fake gun, singing through a microphone attached to the gun’s scope. The song he was singing was ‘We Know Where You Fucking Live,’ and this was the same day when Texas mass shootings occurred during which 26 people were killed.
According to San Bernardino Sun, the event happened as follows:
“He was wheeled out in an actual wheelchair by one of the men in scrubs, only this time he was wielding an obviously fake semi-automatic shotgun with a bright orange cap on the tip. His microphone was also rigged to the gun and he sang into it as the band launched into ‘We Know Where You (Expletive) Live’ off of his new album, ‘Heaven Upside Down.’ As he delivered the song, he pointed the gun at the audience, letting the drums serve as the rapid-fire.
Coming on the eve of a mass shooting at a church in Texas, Manson could have had a bit more tact, but it’s Manson. He has always aimed for the shock value or to be provocative and though some that were in the crowd thought it was ‘lame,’ the stunt didn’t seem to truly bother anyone else, especially with the handful of San Bernardino Sheriffs standing on either side of the stage.”
Although there was not so much outrage during the show, Manson has later issued a statement on his performance which might be resulted from a possible public backlash. He said that his performance was an act of theater in a time period where mass shootings happen almost daily and were an attempt to show how easily accessible semi-automatic weapons are. Manson then apologized to anyone who was affected by the misuse of real guns, saying that his performance was not meant to be disrespectful towards them.
Marilyn Manson’s statement was:
“In an era where mass shootings have become a nearly daily occurrence, this was an act of theater in an attempt to make a statement about how easily accessible semi-automatic weapons are and how seeing them has become normalized. My art has always been a reaction to popular culture and my way to make people think about the horrible things that happen in this world.
My performance was not meant to be disrespectful or show any insensitivity. The prop microphone I used on stage was handed to me with the approval of a police officer. My empathy goes out to anyone who has been affected by the irresponsible and reprehensible misuse of real guns.”
You can see the performance involving Marilyn Manson pointing a gun towards the crowd below.
