Original Misfits Lineup to Reunite For Riotfest 2017: Festival Confirms Reunion via Official Press Release
They said it would never happen. They’ve hated each other for years. They even had a Hot Topic lawsuit.
But today Riotfest confirmed that the original Misfits lineup, featuring frontman Glenn Danzig, bassist Jerry Only and guitarist Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein will reunite for both the Chicago and Denver Riotfest’s this summer. It will be the first time they all shared the same stage since 1983, when Danzig walked off the stage during a Halloween gig in Detroit.
The reunion has been something discussed, obsessed and ruminated over by fans for decades, with numerous rumors and tales of near reconciliations. Von Frankenstein, the peacemaker between Only and Danzig discussed as much back in 2008:
“We were actually going to do a Misfits reunion with Glenn. But Jerry put a fuckin’ monkey wrench in it. [In] 2002, we had meetings … And [Jerry] kind of fucked it up, him and his manager. We were going to do a record, do a tour and everything. So let all the Misfits fans put that in their pipe and smoke it”.
Only also discussed the matter in ’14 interview with Loudwire:
“The thing is, I have an obligation to our fans. A lot of our fans are young and the thing is, we’re a very positive organization. We may have a lot of scary s–t, but we’re working out, we take care of mom, we’ve got jobs. It’s no bullshit. We work for what we’re doing. If we bring Glenn back in and he’s going to bring that dark, that real black stuff to the table, I don’t want that.”
He added, “All the money in the world ain’t gonna make me sell out my fans. What I feel is that, I’d rather be where I am and be happy and be a positive influence than to be the richest man in the world and miserable and be a scumbag to the kids that follow us. I’m not doing that. I told Doyle that. I told him, ‘Hey look, if Glenn wants to come be a team player and leave that s–t at home, we’re good.’ That’s the name of the game.”
Danzig has always been taciturn about the possibilities, but it now appears as if all things are possible in this crazy world.
Below is the official press release confirming the reunion details.
THE ORIGINAL MISFITS REUNITE!
Original Members – Glenn Danzig and Jerry Only
with long-time guitarist Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein
Set to Share Stage For the First Time Since 1983 as the
Original Misfits Headline Riot Fest in Denver & Chicago
And they said it would never happen. Never!!
However, this September, Original Singer/Songwriter Glenn Danzig, Original Bassist Jerry Only and long-time Guitarist Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein – for the “First Time in Over 30-Years” – will be stepping onto stage together as “The Original MISFITS” to headline Riot Fest & Rodeo in Denver, CO (September 2-4, 2016) and Riot Fest & Carnival in Chicago, IL (September 16-18, 2016).
From the time of their first gig in 1977, the MISFITS and their iconic imagery went on to become one of the most crucially influential, genre-defying bands to ever emerge from North America, the MISFITS significance extends well beyond the narrowed path of punk rock & hardcore. Although not cognizant of how significant they would become, what the MISFITS achieved in their initial six-year window deconstructed and redefined rock music.
All the while, the MISFITS with Danzig’s unmistakeable voice, Only’s ferocious bass sound and the bands anthemic songs, melody-induced choruses and authentically bruising musicianship, cemented their importance with all ensuing generations, whether in arena-filled metal shows or in a sweaty 400-cap club in Tucson. And for the ‘First Time in over Three Decades’, legions of diehard fans from around the world will have the opportunity to hear the Original Band that created thousands of bands in their wake.
To get tickets for Riotfest, click here to go the official website. The full roster for the festival will be announced next week.
