Festival
Why the Misfits's Riot Fest 2016 Reunion Matters
Festival founder Riot Mike tells us why the Misfits's surprise Riot Fest reunion is so essential.
Riot Fest
© Courtesy of Western Publicity
The original lineup of the Misfits — including Glenn Danzig, Jerry Only and Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein — is coming back from the dead to headline Riot Fest 2016, in both Chicago and Denver.
The classic horror punk band whose skull logo appears all over the world and whose short but perfect discography continues to inspire and entertain and terrify, split in 1983. A version of the Misfits kept going, but the founding members parted ways.
Until now. (Well, not now, but soon: Riot Fest Denver happens September 2—4, and Riot Fest Chicago is September 16—18.)
"We all know the songs by heart. We own everything created by them. We own shirts and patches and records and everything. They mean a lot to a lot of people and there’s only a small percentage of people who’ve ever seen the original Misfits play. To hear those songs live, the way they’re intended to be heard, is a once in a lifetime thing."
This will be their first official show since way back then. It will also be their biggest show ever, in front of thousands and thousands of people at both installations of Riot Fest 2016, a big change from the small punk clubs they played 33 years ago.
The return of the OG Misfits is an important event, and one that will surely go down as one of the great accomplishments of Riot Fest, the festival that started in Chicago in 2005 and has quickly grown and arguably become the best North American music festival for people who like rock music. Big reunions have become a big thing for Riot Fest, as the Replacements reunited to perform at the festival in 2013.
So we talked to fest founder and Misfits diehard Mike Petryshyn, aka Riot Mike, about the second coming of one of the greatest bands of all time. Here's what he had to say.
What was your first encounter with the Misfits?
I went in reverse order. When I was in middle school, my friend in biology gave me “Danzig I.” From there, I got into Danzig. Then I got into Samhain in high school, and then I started getting into the Misfits.
I took the same path. I got into Danzig when “Thrall: Demonsweatlive” came out and then gradually discovered the Misfits.
Yeah, that was the album that got “Mother” back on the charts. I think that was in ’93. There was that great video too. Danzig was one of the few metal bands I was into when I was young, but it was more bluesy than metal, I guess, but with howling vocals. I can more clearly see the line now from Misfits to Samhain to Glenn’s solo stuff.
When I listen to the early Misfits stuff now, it still sounds completely unique.
Nobody sounds like them. Back when they were making that music, they had no idea of the huge impact they’d have on punk rock and hardcore, metal and goth, and industrial and rock. There’s nothing like the Misfits, and a lot of that has to do with them just being kids and making whatever they wanted to make. They created their own image and it attracted listeners from all sorts of genres. They tend to be aligned with punk rock, but they were a genre-defining band and they crossed so many different scenes.
One of the things I loved and still love about them is how they seem so evil and tough and cool, but they’re actually nerds.
There are different periods with them, and you definitely see maturation from “Earth A.D.” to “Static Age.” There are common themes — classic horror movies, B movies and all that — but if you listen to other songs, like the one about the Marilyn Monroe conspiracy, they had range and depth. There’s something great about the lyrics they wrote, too, and you have to remember that Glenn was really young when he wrote them.
“Bullet” is the best song ever written about a political assassination.
Yeah. They’re brilliant. This is what happens with the greatest bands of all time; when they come out and do their thing, they leave an imprint. We’re still talking about this band 40 years after they started, and that’s a testament to how important they are.
Why do you think it’s important that they reunite to play Riot Fest?
For the fans. There’s nothing more to do it. We all know the songs by heart. We own everything created by them. We own shirts and patches and records and everything. They have one of the most iconic, recognizable logos of all time. They mean a lot to a lot of people and there’s only a small percentage of people who’ve ever seen the original Misfits play. We’re talking about miniscule numbers. To hear those songs live, the way they’re intended to be heard, is a once in a lifetime thing. They broke up October 29, 1983, I think in Detroit. This will be the first time they’ve been on stage together since then.
Do you know if they plan to play one of their records in its entirety?
I don’t know what they’re gonna play. But every song of theirs is a hit. They never charted or anything, but most Misfits songs in our world are hits. “Skulls,” “Hatebreeders,” “Halloween,” “Astro Zombies,” there are so many songs that we all know by heart. And, like I said earlier, “Earth A.D.” sounds so much different than “Static Age.” Even though they were only together for like 5 years, you can hear maturation in their sound. It was natural. Good bands do that. The Clash did it. Joy Division did it. Misfits did it. They left a footprint. And nobody thought this would ever happen, that they’d get back together again.
It’s interesting to think that the Riot Fest shows will be their biggest shows ever. They must’ve been playing such small clubs and basements back in the ‘80s.
If they played a 2,000 capacity room now it’d be their biggest show ever. They only played small punk rock venues, for a couple hundred people, tops. I don’t think they ever played Metro in Chicago, or anything like that. Small punk rock clubs, because it was still illegitimate music back then.
We’re beyond excited. This is a once in a lifetime show for us. That Glenn, Jerry and Doyle chose Riot Fest as their platform for this, and to play for their fans, is something I’ll talk about when I’m 80 years old. I’ll take this to my grave.
That’s an appropriate way to put it considering we’re talking about the Misfits: Taking it to your grave.
Think about how amazing they’re going to sound. This band is so important to so many people. People are gonna be flying in from all over the world. I’m a massive fan, and I know the fans at Riot Fest are going to love it so much. A special, special thing is going to happen.