4 February 2024 – Max Watts, Melbourne – words & pictures Nicole Smith-Walker
The Melbourne show on Australian shores for Wednesday 13 performing Murderdolls was on Sunday night, 4th of February, at Max Watts and it so happened to be the hottest day of the year!
Female-fronted Melbournians Death of Art, opened for the crowd full of ghoulscouts, young and old. An engaging fusion of operatic, electronic, rock and moody set. Vocalist Erin fused her vocals with full body rhythmic dancing with lights, rope and material through the stage smoke. Also some baphomet horns made an appearance.
Death of Arts – Max Watts – photos by Nicole Smith-Walker
Death of Arts set juxtaposed that of Wednesday 13. Their self described lyrics are about overcoming self-sabotage and empowerment, while Murderdolls lyrics are influenced by all things glam rock, macabre, horror, fun and everything in-your-face loud.
Murderdolls brought punk and rock n’ roll, hairspray, lipstick, corpse paint and fishnets back in the early 2000s.
“21 years years of the fucking Murderdolls and we are doing it in honour and tribute of my fucking brothers Ben Graves and Joey Jordison” shouted Joseph Poole (Wednesday 13)
Frontman of Wednesday 13 (same stage name) and the Murderdolls shared anecdotes of funny and memorable moments of the Murderdolls history, including the time the band did a Stadium tour with Iron Maiden in Europe. And apparently all the crowds hated them.
Wednesday 13 – Max Watts – photos by Nicole Smith-Walker
He also shared the time they invited Mick Mars to record on their second album Women and Children Last and in which they did not initially expect him to turn up, but alas he did and in full Mick Mars get-up, top hat and all, and as he played his guitar, his fingers bled. Joey said “We have Mick Mars bleeding on our album!!!”
The whole night was a trip down memory lane, the crowd was a sweaty mess, and some of the patrons almost fainted from the heat but smiles the whole night.
The band brought back the black and red get-ups, and Wednesday 13 pulled many faces that rivaled Jim Carey or the Joker and the non-stop hits that included- ‘I love to say Fuck’, ‘Love at First Fright’, ‘Die My Bride’, ‘197666’, ‘Slit My Wrist’, ‘She Was a Teenage Zombie’, ‘Grave Robbing U.S.A’, ‘Blood Stained Valentine’, a cover of Billy Idols ‘White Wedding’, ‘Dead In Hollywood’ and ‘Nowhere’.
For me it brought back the memories of discovering the Murderdolls and Frankenstein Drag Queens from Planet 13 in my early years of a high school, all because Joey was my favourite musician. As a little 15-16 year old ghoulscout/maggot, I met Joey during the Subliminal Verses album era in 2005 during the time Slipknot performed at Big Day Out and then met Wednesday 13 the same year after the release of their first album. I’ve been lucky enough to see both perform live a few times and the Murderdolls at Soundwave in 2011.
The loss of Joey in 2021 and Ben in in 2018 still pulls at the heartstrings, but Sunday night was a beautiful show to honour to both of them and the 21st anniversary of the Murderdolls. Also the younger fans had their opportunity to hear these songs live for the first time, which I am sure they will treasure forever.
The last two shows of the Australian tour include Adelaide, February 6 at the Lions Arts Factory and Perth, February 7 at the Rosemount Hotel. Don’t miss it!
