"I am the Swiss!": 'That Metal Show' returns

A list of my five favorite moments in the show's glorious history
By Peter Lindblad

The hosts of 'That Metal Show' Jim
Florentine, Eddie Trunk and
Don Jamieson

It was one of those magical, unscripted moments of television.

During a segment of "Stump The Trunk" on VH1 Classic's "That Metal Show," this lovably goofy metal fan in a flag of Switzerland t-shirt enthusiastically declared, "I am the Swiss!" when asked by host Jim Florentine where he was from.

Everybody chuckled. I still do every time I think of of my favorite Swiss.

And when news today broke of "That Metal Show" returning to the air in February for its 14th season, having started in 2008, memories of episodes past came flooding back.

The new season starts Saturday, Feb. 21, with a new broadcast time of 9 p.m. Eastern Time. It'll be repeated at 11 ET. There will 12 episodes, all of them shot at Metropolis Studios in New York City on Tuesday nights for broadcast the following Saturday.

To be part of the audience, tickets are available through Gotham Casting at http://gothamcasting.com/gothamrsvp/. So far, nothing has been announced regarding guests. That'll come in due time. Meanwhile, how about a look back at some of my favorite moments in TMS history?

Marilyn Manson makes everyone blush: Ostensibly there to share his love of absinthe and talk about his sexual exploits, shock-rocker Marilyn Manson seemed bombed out of his gourd when stating that he'd been "clean and sober ... for the last five minutes." While sipping from his own stash, a product he called Mansinthe, Manson discussed among other things – in a conversation that can only be described as "rambling" – reverse erectile dysfunction, embracing deviance, and a threesome he once had, and everybody had a good nervous laugh about it. It smelled like this wasn't exactly a show for children, and it was uncomfortable. Then Manson went on "Talking Dead" and did it all over again.

Brian Johnson tastes "Lemmy's plums": Was there ever a funnier guest on TMS than the AC/DC singer? The three hosts almost did a collective spit take when, in critiquing new wines from the Motorhead vineyard, Johnson was questioned about whether he could detect notes of plum or other such flavors and responded by saying, in a deadpan voice with perfect timing, "I can taste Lemmy's plums." Then there was that lurid tale of some masked intruder with a rubber glove going around tour buses sticking his finger where the sun never, ever shines and then, in dramatic fashion, saying, "You know you love it!" And we all shook with jolly laughter all night long.

"Ego ramp": Full confession ... I never knew they called that long, slim stage extension that runs straight into the middle of a concert crowd – perfect for rock-star posing – an "ego ramp" until Heart appeared on TMS. Ann Wilson came off a little catty towards Def Leppard, didn't she, talking about the pop-metal band's extravagant stage show? The implication being that Def Leppard was, perhaps, a little shallow and desperate for audience validation. And then there was the little jibe about Leppard's backstage "health room with cigarettes and full bar." Evidently, Wilson made similar disparaging comments in the book "Kicking and Screaming: A Story of Heart, Soul and Rock and Roll." Vivian Campbell was not amused, expressing his disappointment on the Def Leppard website in the aftermath. And there was poor Lita Ford, coming on later with Heart and trying ever so hard to smooth the waters just a bit. It was textbook rock 'n' roll diplomacy.

"I am the Swiss": Eddie Trunk may hate it, but the "Stump The Trunk" segment is absolute comic gold – unpredictable, sometimes embarrassing and one of these days, I swear Trunk's head is literally going to explode on air. The " ... Swiss" guy is my favorite. And what about Gregg Guiffria's twin brother? Oh, those flowing locks of long, white hair. Somewhere there's a unicorn missing its mane. Remember when Clutch's Neil Fallon was on, and that woman got Trunk on some obscure question – who cares what the answer was – and she stuck her hand into the "Box of Junk" and pulled out Clutch's Earth Rocker album? The forlorn look on her face was priceless, and a bemused Fallon, being Fallon, remarked, "She looks over the moon." Zing! That Fallon is one droll bastard.

In Living Colour: There was hardly anybody in the audience for Living Colour's appearance, and yet, up into the stands went Corey Glover, handing out high fives to everybody within reach as Vernon Reid grabbed him down so they could get on with the rest of the show. The day of the taping a huge snowstorm brought New York City and basically the entire East Coast to a standstill. Some girl drove all the way from Pennsylvania or some such place, and if memory serves, her car broke down or something and her boyfriend called TMS to make sure she was all right. God, if that isn't metal, I don't know what is. Anyway, Reid and Glover proceeded to bicker like an "old married couple" – their words, not mine – and hilarity ensued, but when Glover talked about seeing James Brown perform at the Apollo, everyone was riveted. I'm thinking of joining their cult of personality, or at least reading the literature.

Metal Evolution - "Shock Rock"

Metal Evolution - "Shock Rock"
Sam Dunn
VH1 Classic


All Access Review: A

Along with his similarly desensitized boyhood chums, a teenaged Sam Dunn took great delight in poring over the violent, gore-splattered imagery that bled all over the lyrics of death metal titans like Cannibal Corpse. The heavy metal-obsessed filmmaker waxes nostalgic for such warped innocence in his acclaimed documentary “A Headbanger’s Journey.” As someone with a strong stomach for such horrific scenes of human depravity and sick fantasies, it takes something truly frightening and unsettlingly dark to scare Dunn out of his wits. Des Moines, Iowa, mental ward escapees Slipknot had that effect on him.

On his way to the Midwest to interview Slipknot co-founder Shawn Crahan, otherwise known as Clown, during “Shock Rock,” the latest installment of his “Metal Evolution” series on VH-1, Dunn reveals how “terrified” of Slipknot he was the first time he saw them live. Intensely chaotic onstage, with an angry, relentlessly bleak nihilistic streak lyrically, Slipknot’s grotesque masks and matching uniforms, hellish growls, aggressive, multi-dimensional percussion and borderline psychotic stage shows make KISS seem cuddly by comparison. In fact, Monte Conner, A&R guy at Roadrunner Records, a regular on “Metal Evolution,” recounts how Clown would inhale deeply while holding a decomposing crow to his nose and breathe in all the evil and blackness that bird represented before shows. The stench often made him vomit, according to Conner, and sometimes, he would throw up in his mask and continue wearing it while playing whole concerts with that awful smelling spew in his face. Holy God, how do you top that?

The answer is … well, probably, you don’t. Although circus performer Danny Vomit, also interviewed for “Shock Rock” to provide commentary on how freak shows may have influenced shock-rock theatrics, cautions that somewhere some kid is dreaming up something even more appalling, it’s hard to imagine anything more assaulting to the senses than Slipknot or Marilyn Manson. Even the godfather of the genre, Alice Cooper, admits in the most recent episode of “Metal Evolution” that it’s probably impossible to shock anybody these days, and Rob Zombie concurs. And now that people are so anaesthetized to violence that we’ve gotten to the point where “Faces of Death” passes for entertainment, what’s left? Forget trying to shock people, says Cooper. That’s pretty impossible now. It all comes down to providing them an imaginative show, according to Cooper, who equates his own elaborately bloody stage show these days with Cirque du Soleil.

Dunn pretty much leaves it at that in what is quite possibly the best episode of the “Metal Evolution” series. “Shock Rock” has it all – controversy, a fascinating history, lively debate, and unflinching social commentary. There’s the gutsy Little Richard, strutting his gender-bending fashion sense and blatant homosexuality in the Deep South of the late 1950s, which earns the undying respect of one Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead. Next up is the campy horror show of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, complete with still shots of him arising from his coffin and vintage clips of him performing “I Put a Spell on You.” Perhaps more surprising, however, is how much crazy, manic footage there is of The Crazy World of Arthur Brown doing “Fire,” and Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickenson admitting to copping much of his onstage persona from Arthur, who emerged from the psychedelic safe house of Paris in the ‘60s with wild ideas about confrontational performance art and challenging music – all of which Brown, with a red stripe of makeup running across his face, discusses in great detail with Dunn. That connection that Dunn establishes between Brown and heavy metal is a fascinating one and Dunn displays a deft touch in making it. There’s nothing heavy-handed about his storytelling technique; he’s a natural when it comes to interviewing, and the editing work that he and partner Scott McFadyen, who co-directs and co-produces “Metal Evolution,” keeps everything flowing naturally.

Not forgotten in the story of “Shock Rock” are Alice Cooper and KISS, of course. The infamous chicken incident is dissected with Alice, who goes on to regale Dunn with rehashed tales of how the band was banned in certain countries and how the “bad” publicity they received actually served to increase the band’s popularity – all with the help of former band mates Dennis Dunaway and Neal Smith. Whole books have been written about KISS’s makeup and the genesis of the band’s outrageous stage craft. Somehow, Dunn manages to squeeze all the essential information about KISS, as it relates to the subject at hand, while segueing into KISS’s gradual morphing from every parent’s nightmare into a somewhat more innocuous, family-oriented act that saw children arriving at shows made up as their favorite KISS character. While Criss bemoans the increasing commercialism that enveloped KISS, Frehley talks about having to tone down the sexual congress he used to perform with his guitar every night and reluctantly back off on his cursing. This is where things take a turn for the really, really weird.

With KISS having become sort of a kid-friendly cartoon, a shock-rock void developed. Nobody was testing the boundaries of good taste and social convention. Then along came Marilyn Manson. Taking on conservative Christian values with a fierce intelligence and a brutally tortured, gothic aesthetic that seemed to bring to life the inner workings of a serial killer’s scrambled mind, Manson and his deranged crew put on a stage show that was like some fascist S&M rally in a dystopian nightmare. When things got too real, though, as they did when responsibility for the Columbine massacre was placed squarely on Manson’s shoulders, this sinister creature went on MTV and took umbrage with the media for its ghoulish, uncaring coverage of the tragedy and the grief and sadness of those it affected the most. Interestingly, Manson’s one-time co-conspirator, Daisy Berkowitz, criticized Manson’s reaction, basically calling him out for being soft. That, combined with the bizarre, intensely personal stories of Clown and Slipknot, makes the second half of “Shock Rock” the most compelling television produced so far by Dunn.

“Shock Rock” alternates from lighthearted kitsch to serious debate on its effects on society and whether rock music could ever produce anything that could be considering “shocking” ever again. Again, it must be difficult to keep this train on the tracks, to maintain focus on the role “shock rock” plays in the evolution of heavy metal. And yet, Dunn does it, even while occasionally detouring into ancillary subject matter that would threaten to derail less talented filmmakers. Over and over, Dunn and McFadyen stitch together interviews, vintage live footage, still photography and any other ephemera he can get his hands to effortlessly tell a story that deserves this kind of exhaustive study. The world of heavy metal owes him a debt of gratitude.

Peter Lindblad

Metal Evolution - Shock Rock

Watch the Full Episode - Here and Now! 

Marilyn Manson's "Grey Daisy" Original Artwork Hits the Auction Block

Marilyn Manson is known for many things: his music, his controversial persona and his artwork. He is less known for his painting, though, to which he has been devoting himself for many years, sometimes exclusively and over long periods of time and without making music. His watercolors are very emotional and gentle in a formal way, which stands in sharp contrast to the themes and motifs they deal with: grief, loss, despair, self-alienation enhanced by pain, but also self-discovery through agony.

The "Grey Daisy" was unveiled in Manson's first art exhibit, The Golden Age of Grotesque, held September of 2002 in Los Angeles. Among the invited guests on the opening night were Red Hot Chili Peppers' bassist Flea with singer Tobey Torres, Korn drummer David Silveria, Dave Navarro, Johnny Ramone, Charles Fleischer, Carrie and Chris Vrenna, Puddle of Mudd guitarist Paul Phillips, Nicolas Cage with Lisa Marie Presley, Andy Dick and Crispin Glover. Ozzy Osbourne's son Jack was there with his MTV camera crew in tow.

Manson sold several of his paintings the first night, notably the "Harlequin Jack and the Absinthe Bunny" which was purchased by Jack Osbourne. Red Hot Chili Peppers' bassist Flea picked up "Elizabeth Short as Snow White" and the "Grey Daisy" was acquired by a private collector.

Since his first show, Manson's paintings have become increasingly popular and highly desirable by contemporary art collectors around world. In 2007, Manson's original "Die Deutsche Kampferin" was purchased by a private collector for $105,000. Phillips du Pury & Company auction house sold one of Manson's originals in an auction late last year, yielding a realized price of nearly $50,000.00.

In a MTV news feature Manson had this to say about the Grey Daisy. "Someone said, 'why don't you ever paint something nice like a flower?' so I painted one, but I ended up using only the dirty water from another painting. If I wasn't me, I would probably want this one. The "Grey Daisy" was Manson's first "nice" painting.

In 2006, following the untimely death of legend Dimebag Darrell Abbott, curator Curse Mackey commissioned Marilyn Manson as well as over 50 other musicians to contribute custom hand-painted Dean ML guitars to create a touring art exhibition tentatively titled, Six String Masterpieces which toured alongside American music festivals Ozzfest and Family Values. Manson's contribution was a watercolor-esque stained Dean ML that paid homage to Manson's painting "Grey Daisy" painted in acrylics. This piece was sold at auction for $6,250.00 with the proceeds going to support the Little Kids Rock organization.

The "Grey Daisy" is widely recognized as one of Manson's most documented original artworks. This piece of contemporary art will certainly appeal not only to far reaching Marilyn Manson art fans, but to the contemporary art collectors as well.

The "Grey Daisy" is currently showcased in "The Gods 'n Metal Monsters Auction", which also features the personal collections Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot, Ozzy, Whitesnake, Dio), Kip Winger (Winger), Scott Rockenfield (Queensryche), Graham Bonnet (Rainbow, Michael Schenker Group, Alcatrazz, Impellitteri), Bobby Rondinelli (Black Sabbath, Aerosmith), John 5 (Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson) and Walter O'Brien (Concrete Management, Co-Founder), just to name a few. "When we designed the hard rock and heavy metal themed auction, we really tried to build an event that was not only unique but give fans and collectors access to pieces of rock history that were equally rare and one of kind and we have definitely achieved that goal," says van Gool.

The auction will showcase over 500 exceptionally rare pieces of rock memorabilia,  including over 50 gold and platinum records awards, an awesome selection of artist used guitars, stage props, drums, artist stage worn apparel, master recordings, rare concert posters and original photos, promo vinyl and loads more!

The entire auction catalog can be view online at Backstage Auctions. Bidding opens up on Sunday, October 31st and the auction will close on November 7th, 2020. 

Backstage Auctions Announces All Star Line Up for the Rock Gods and Metal Monsters Auction

The auction will showcase over 400 exceptionally  rare  pieces of rock memorabilia, featuring members of such legendary groups as Pantera, Ministry, Quiet Riot, Dio, White Zombie, Whitesnake, Alcatrazz, Queensryche, Ozzy and more, direct from the private collections of notable rock and metal icons from the past 3 decades.

Houston, TX - October 5, 2010 – Backstage Auctions is proud to present the "Rock Gods and Metal Monsters Auction", an unprecedented hard rock and heavy metal online auction event. "Almost every item being offered in the auction is "iconic memorabilia" and is easily identifiable to a specific artist or band," explains Backstage Auctions founder Jacques van Gool.

Fully Signed by Pantera Members
Dimebag Darrell Washburn

The auction, which is scheduled to go live on Halloween, features amazing pieces direct from the private collections of Al Jourgensen, Rudy Sarzo, Graham Bonnet, Scott Rockenfield, Kip Winger and John 5, just to name a few. "When we designed the hard rock and heavy metal themed auction, we really tried to build an event that was not only unique but give fans and collectors access to pieces of rock history that were equally rare and one of kind and we have definitely achieved that goal," says Jacques. The auction catalog features over 50 Gold and Platinum records awards, guitars, stage props, artist stage worn apparel, master recordings, rare concert posters, original artwork, photos and the list goes on and on.

"It's not an every day event that you can stand behind and grab on to Al Jourgensen's infamous "skull and bones" microphone stand which he used extensively on many Ministry shows and rehearsals. The historical relevance of that one piece in the rock community is well documented," says Jacques.

Equally impressive is the private collection of Concrete Management co-founder, Walter O'Brien which features a jaw dropping collection of RIAA record awards presented to him while managing Pantera and White Zombie. On a more personal level, Sarzo and Bonnet have both offered up vintage "rocker apparel" that they wore on stage, during photo shoots and really cool music videos.

Ministry's Marshall Amp & Case
C-U-LATOUR 2008

The auction wouldn't be complete without a few guitars, drum kits, stage props and handwritten lyrics. Amazing pieces that Scott Rockenfield of Queensryche, John 5 of Rob Zombie and Kip Winger have pulled out of their personal collections are sure to get quite a bit of activity during the auction.

"While this is a stellar line-up of artists, we are still adding headliners to the event, which is exciting.  It will be interesting to see who makes the final cut," says van Gool.  

The event, aptly titled the “Rock Gods and Metal Monsters Auction”, is a not-to-miss opportunity for fans and collectors around the world to own an authentic piece of one of the most significant genres of music history. 

The auction, which will be held on-line at www.backstageauctions.com starts on October 31, 2010 and will run through November 7, 2010. A special preview of the entire auction catalog will be available to view beginning Sunday, October 24. 

Auction Registration: VIP All Access

Additional Photos: 

Walter O'Brien: Pantera Records Awards

Rudy Sarzo: Concert worn Shirt,  Dio

Scott Rockenfield / Queensryche: Drum Kit

John 5 / Rob Zombie: Broken Guitar and Personal Ankle/Foot Cast 

Graham Bonnet: Jail Shirt for the Alcatrazz "Island in the Sun Video"

Grey Daisy Original Watercolor by Marilyn Manson

For additional information: Backstage Press & Media