8) Metallica and Lady Gaga Perform at the Grammys together … but it doesn’t go well
Even though Lady Gaga has been vocal about her love of metal, and Metallica are no strangers to odd collaborations, the two joining forces for a national television performance would be surprising enough. Sadly, the most shocking thing about their performance on the Grammys wasn’t the fact that they ended up playing a song off Hardwired … to Self-Destruct. While some fans were more excited than others for the performance initially, everyone agreed afterwards it was disappointing. But it wasn’t Metallica or Lady Gaga’s fault, as their performance of “Moth Into Flame” was plagued by microphone issues. Metallica eventually shared footage from rehearsals to give fans a sense of what could’ve been, but it doesn’t make up for the shock (or at least disappointment) of seeing Metallica and metal music as a whole get the short end of the stick on the Grammys.
– ZS
7) Gene Simmons finally facing the music after a year of ridiculousness
It’s difficult for Gene Simmons to surprise us anymore. We’d be happy with leaving KISS selling air in empty plastic bags as one of the most shocking moments in metal for 2017. Obviously, it would have been included for hilarity purposes. Others would have been happy seeing Simmons and Ace Frehley reunited on stage for the first time in sixteen years. However, this is Gene Simmons.
The metal world was stunned the day the KISS bassist/frontman attempted to trademark the devil horns, which everyone knows, were not created by him. The late Ronnie James Dio is more entitled to trademark and he probably wouldn’t have done such a thing if he were still alive. However, his widow Wendy was disgusted by the attempt. Luckily, Simmons came to his senses and abandoned the idea.
However, as the #metoo movement continues to take sexual harrassers to task, Simmons is starting to be called out for behavior that he’s taken for granted his whole life. He was banned from Fox News for life due to his erratic behavior, and was also accused of sexual assault by at least two women, followed by being sued by another accuser. Of course, he denied everything. Simmons hedonistic and self-admittedly sexist behavior has been celebrated for the bulk of his career. However, like an aging uncle that has to be reminded that you can’t call African Americans “colored” anymore, it’s time for him to come to terms with the fact that maybe he isn’t god’s gift to women.
– ZZ
6) Josh Homme gets “lost in performance,” kicks a woman
Queens of the Stone Age are one of the best live rock bands playing out right now. However, that’s sadly beside the point now after an incident that took place at a radio station festival a few weeks back. While he claimed he was “lost in performance” during a show, he gleefully kicked a photographer’s camera. Basic physics suggests that if a 6’4″ person kicks a camera while a woman is shooting, it might hit her in the face. Basic odds suggest that someone else captured it on video, which happened. While he’s since apologized, the damage is done, and his other behavior that night (talking shit about the headliner, kicking lighting equipment perhaps causing a security guard to seek medical treatment) seems to have tarnished his reputation.
-BT
5) Marilyn Manson prop turned upside down
Towards the beginning of 2017, Marilyn Manson teased us about his new album and we were under the impression Say10 would be released on Valentine’s Day. However, the record ended up being pushed to roughly eight months later, and had a title change. His tenth studio effort Heaven Upside Down is arguably one of his best in years including the aggressive single, “We Know Where You Fucking Live.”
The shock rocker embarked on a North American trek about one week prior to the album’s release and, unfortunately, things did, in fact, turn upside down. It all started on the second night of the tour, when he allegedly sprained his ankle by falling off stage while performing his classic hit “The Beautiful People” at Pittsburgh’s AE Live. On the following evening, September 30th, at New York City’s Hammerstein Ballroom, while the Antichrist Superstar was roughly 45 minutes into his set singing to another classic track, “Sweet Dreams,” a prop of two giant guns collapsed on top of him.
The show came to a halt, leaving many fans concerned about his well being, aside from his former keyboardist. Manson was carried out on a stretcher and the tour ended up being rescheduled to early next year. Manson did have his mind-blowing return to the stage when he performed in a wheelchair at Ozzfest Meets Knotfest while pointing a fake machine gun to the crowd.
Now, if that wasn’t startling enough, let’s not forget what happened while Manson was recovering from his injuries. The rocker’s now former longtime bassist Twiggy Ramirez was accused of rape by former Jack off Jill vocalist Jessicka Addams. These detailed and violent claims were severe that Manson ended up firing Ramirez and has since recruited Juan Alderete (The Mars Volta) as a replacement. Meanwhile, founding guitarist Scott Putesky, known as Daisy Berkowitz died after a long battle with stage four colon cancer.
– ZZ
