It all began with a door opening and an unconscious patient being wheeled out on a stretcher. Then the alarms started and King Diamond awakened, shortly his fellow inmates and his backing band joined him on the immersive decrepit asylum set.
From there it was theatrical set pieces, such as a possessed doll that Diamond stabbed with a knife and a nun who pored sacramental wine. A King Diamond show has as much in common with a Slayer show as it does with a broadway level musical. A musical drenched in darkness and evil, so the perfect Christmas gift for your grandparents.
Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats opened the show along with Idle Hands, both put on compelling sets of straight-ahead rock music. Idle Hands opted for a stripped-down live set, whereas Uncle Acid went with a montage of psychedelic, blood-splattered horror imagery. This pairing of bands worked well and made for an entertaining night of loud guitars and bombastic drums.
