Photos and review by: Kyle Brown
Edited by: Morgan Kohler
Pine Knob Music Theatre welcomed Hard Rock’s Five Finger Death Punch Wednesday evening for their Summer/Fall Tour with Marilyn Manson, Slaughter To Prevail and The Funeral Portrait.
Slaughter To Prevail absolutely smashed their set at Pine Knob. Lead vocalist Alex Terrible has one of those voices that’s hard to forget once you hear it. The Russian juggernaut may sound better live than in studio! While the rest of his band mates wore masks, Terrible was the only one without.



The short, 30-minute set came after The Funeral Portrait, who I unfortunately missed as they played before I was able to make it into the venue.
When the song “Viking” came on, the crowd in attendance seemingly went nuts. It was definitely a crowd favorite for the set and you could tell the band fed off that energy. All in all, the crowd in attendance to see them were happy with the setlist and made sure to let the band know as they walked off the stage.
Marilyn Manson is back touring after a near five-year hiatus. Newcomers and longtime fans were pretty eager to hear what Manson had planned. Manson’s stage presence seemed like he never took a day off, commanding the stage with his fellow band members and getting the crowd to do as he said.
The set began with “We Know Where You F*cking Live,” and continued with songs like “This is the New Sh*t,” “Say10” and “mOBSCENE”. Each song, the crowd seemed to get more and more engaged. Fans were treated to a setlist that covered many hits and highlights of the past albums, including the classics of “The Dope Show” and “Disposable Teens.”

“As Sick as the Secrets Within” was the tenth song of the set, which is also a newly released song. Those who were diehard fans of the band sang along in joy, while the others took in a masterpiece of a song that had contained a raw emotion with melodies that could haunt your dreams.
Manson’s set continued with a cover of “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This),” and the anthem “The Beautiful People” ended his night. Both songs received equal applause, showing Manson and his band the appreciation they had for not only being there but also performing songs that resonated with so many people.
The set was everything I had envisioned it to be. A dark undertone of songs that were filled with provocative lyrics, perfectly encapsulating what Manson is as an artist, musician and creator. It was clear at the end—he could step away for 10 years, and people would still come out to watch, enjoy and sing along when he graced the stage again. That is what you want in an artist and band: a fan base that encompasses loyalty and stands by you.


Five Finger Death Punch, or FFDP for short, know exactly how to get a crowd going and keep them rocking on their feet all night long. The set began with a thrilling drum solo that led to each member slowly walking onto the stage. Every member received a louder ovation than the next, with lead singer Ivan Moody receiving a deafening applause. Moody went on to say, “Michigan, are you ready to have some fun!?” After hearing the reaction, he replied, “Then Scream!”
“Welcome to the Circus” opened immediately after and members of the band raced all over the stage. Moody began tossing guitar pics into the crowd, even going as far as ripping off a chain from his pants and tossing it into the crowd.
“Lift Me Up” and “Trouble” were played before crowd favorites “Wash it All Away” and “Jekyll and Hyde.” Each song, Moody would seemingly change outfits and put on new characters to perform as.


What really blew me away were the stage antics and presence of all the members. Each one, who was actually able to move around, would point and wave at the crowd, receiving huge smiles from both the band and the fans. They were also phenomenal to the media members. Posing for the cameras on many occasions. It was like they knew exactly how to have a great time and still provide music that was on key vocally and instrumentally.
A cover of “House of the Rising Sun” gave a haunting echo between Moody and the audience. The echo seemed even more haunting since the venue was an amphitheater, where it seemed 10 times louder than it would normally.
The light show party went on as the band breezed through songs like “Wrong Side of Heaven,” “Got Your Six,” an acapella of “Far From Home” and “IOU”.
Ending the night was an encore performance of “Under and Over It” and “The Bleeding.”


It was no wonder the venue looked like it was sold out. FFDP know what the crowd wants. Not only do they give it to them, but they put it into overdrive. Vocally, Moody was on point. The drums and guitars were in unison, not one too loud or too low. The powerful performance of the band showed exactly why they are a multi-platinum hard-rock band. For five years in a row, they’ve been at least in the top three of Billboard’s Hard Rock charts, with a record setting ten rock billboard mainstream number one airplays in a row. They also have 28 top 10 hit singles, 15 of those going number one. Basically, go see FFDP when you have a chance. They will not disappoint you.