Glenn Danzig

A Renaissance man for the skull-and-crossbones set, the 52-year-old singer-songwriter -- first for the "horror punk" Misfits, then for goth/blues/metal outfits Samhain and Danzig -- is also a photographer, classical composer and the owner of a record label and an adult-comic publishing imprint. We chatted him up on the eve of a Danzig mini-tour, including a Halloween gig at the Greek. -- Michael Flaherty theguide@latimes.com -- DO YOU BRING A LITTLE EXTRA TO L.A. SHOWS?

MUSIC Glenn Danzig is one of the most iconic names in punk and goth music, and he finally brings all of his ensembles (including Samhain, Danzig and, yes, a reunion with his legendary Misfits) into one workhorse night. You'll never see so many mono-bang haircuts in one place again. Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, 8808 Irvine Center Drive, Irvine. 7:15 p.m. Sat. $13.13-$69.50. livenation.com.

MUSIC Glenn Danzig is one of the most iconic names in punk and goth music, and he finally brings all of his ensembles (including Samhain, Danzig and, yes, a reunion with his legendary Misfits) into one workhorse night. You'll never see so many mono-bang haircuts in one place again. Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, 8808 Irvine Center Drive, Irvine. 7:15 p.m. Sat. $13.13-$69.50. livenation.com.

A Renaissance man for the skull-and-crossbones set, the 52-year-old singer-songwriter -- first for the "horror punk" Misfits, then for goth/blues/metal outfits Samhain and Danzig -- is also a photographer, classical composer and the owner of a record label and an adult-comic publishing imprint. We chatted him up on the eve of a Danzig mini-tour, including a Halloween gig at the Greek. -- Michael Flaherty theguide@latimes.com -- DO YOU BRING A LITTLE EXTRA TO L.A. SHOWS?

Knocking on the heavy wooden door of Glenn Danzig's Los Feliz-area house, you half expect Lurch to answer. The wrought-iron-fenced front yard is a patch of dead weeds, and the braces propping up earthquake-damaged beams make the place a cross between the Addams Family mansion and the House of Usher.

* * * Danzig, "Thrall--Demonsweatlive," Def American. Despite his demons 'n' doom stance, Glenn Danzig and his band consistently produce energetic, heavy-grooving songs. Proof positive is this seven-song EP, a strong collection of the quartet's best material. "Mother," "Am I Demon" and even a Leiber-Stoller song are powerfully rendered, led by the buffed-out denizen of the dark's throaty, bluesy growl. Evil hasn't been so appealing in ages.

With its combination of punk energy, sophisticated thrash-like time changes and exotic Doors introspection, Danzig is a strikingly original band that may help redefine the course of hard rock. Though the East Coast group has yet to make a dent on the national charts, the turn-away crowd at the Country Club on Friday indicated that the band is attracting a following in the metal world. Danzig is the brainchild of Glenn Danzig, formerly of another visionary group, the punkish Misfits.

The music on Danzig's albums, as well as most of leader Glenn Danzig's material with the Misfits, has been very enjoyable escapism, but when he expresses dismay that his band isn't considered a success by the media, I think he's taking himself a little too seriously ("He's No Walk in the Park," by Steve Hochman, Oct. 9). The reason he isn't more widely publicized is probably because, in most of his recent lyrics and interviews, he doesn't have much to say beyond repeating the usual cliches about hating the world, being a vaguely mysterious rebel and getting hassled by the meanies.

Danzig borrowed from so many of rock's pioneers during its Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre show on Saturday that it seemed to be trying to re-create the history of rock 'n' roll in a single evening. Glenn Danzig, leader of the L.A.-based metal group, punctuated the thundering riffs churned out by his three bandmates with Elvis-like pelvic thrusts. Taking a page from punk godfather Iggy Pop's book, Danzig leaned dangerously into the frantic crowd in the slam pit.

Overkill is a vital tradition in hard rock. Boring is never good. So the fully committed hard-rock star will stop at nothing to prevail: noise, demons, muscles, long hair and clothes an extra-dark shade of vampire black. Glenn Danzig has mastered it all. At the Wiltern LG on Wednesday, the singer arrived as a pale barbarian rock dude stomping across the stage mucho-macho-like, pounding a microphone hard against his chest.

Glenn Danzig returned to Irvine Meadows on Monday night to rule as the amphitheater's dark lord of Halloween for the second time. Danzig and his band, also called Danzig, had a rewarding night of trick-or-treating the first time through: Four live tracks recorded at Irvine on Halloween, 1992, helped propel the subsequent EP, "Thrall-Demonsweatlive," past the gold sales mark earlier this year, giving the band its biggest success since it came on the hard-rock scene in 1988.

The music on Danzig's albums, as well as most of leader Glenn Danzig's material with the Misfits, has been very enjoyable escapism, but when he expresses dismay that his band isn't considered a success by the media, I think he's taking himself a little too seriously ("He's No Walk in the Park," by Steve Hochman, Oct. 9). The reason he isn't more widely publicized is probably because, in most of his recent lyrics and interviews, he doesn't have much to say beyond repeating the usual cliches about hating the world, being a vaguely mysterious rebel and getting hassled by the meanies.

Knocking on the heavy wooden door of Glenn Danzig's Los Feliz-area house, you half expect Lurch to answer. The wrought-iron-fenced front yard is a patch of dead weeds, and the braces propping up earthquake-damaged beams make the place a cross between the Addams Family mansion and the House of Usher.

* * * Danzig, "Thrall--Demonsweatlive," Def American. Despite his demons 'n' doom stance, Glenn Danzig and his band consistently produce energetic, heavy-grooving songs. Proof positive is this seven-song EP, a strong collection of the quartet's best material. "Mother," "Am I Demon" and even a Leiber-Stoller song are powerfully rendered, led by the buffed-out denizen of the dark's throaty, bluesy growl. Evil hasn't been so appealing in ages.

Glenn Danzig returned to Irvine Meadows on Monday night to rule as the amphitheater's dark lord of Halloween for the second time. Danzig and his band, also called Danzig, had a rewarding night of trick-or-treating the first time through: Four live tracks recorded at Irvine on Halloween, 1992, helped propel the subsequent EP, "Thrall-Demonsweatlive," past the gold sales mark earlier this year, giving the band its biggest success since it came on the hard-rock scene in 1988.

Overkill is a vital tradition in hard rock. Boring is never good. So the fully committed hard-rock star will stop at nothing to prevail: noise, demons, muscles, long hair and clothes an extra-dark shade of vampire black. Glenn Danzig has mastered it all. At the Wiltern LG on Wednesday, the singer arrived as a pale barbarian rock dude stomping across the stage mucho-macho-like, pounding a microphone hard against his chest.

Danzig borrowed from so many of rock's pioneers during its Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre show on Saturday that it seemed to be trying to re-create the history of rock 'n' roll in a single evening. Glenn Danzig, leader of the L.A.-based metal group, punctuated the thundering riffs churned out by his three bandmates with Elvis-like pelvic thrusts. Taking a page from punk godfather Iggy Pop's book, Danzig leaned dangerously into the frantic crowd in the slam pit.

With its combination of punk energy, sophisticated thrash-like time changes and exotic Doors introspection, Danzig is a strikingly original band that may help redefine the course of hard rock. Though the East Coast group has yet to make a dent on the national charts, the turn-away crowd at the Country Club on Friday indicated that the band is attracting a following in the metal world. Danzig is the brainchild of Glenn Danzig, formerly of another visionary group, the punkish Misfits.