Marilyn Manson at Bournemouth International Centre (31.10.2025) with Dead Posey supporting.
A bit of a surprise, Marilyn Manson turning up on the doorstep for Halloween.
As soon as the date was announced the protesting posts started. The Brighton gig had its licence withdrawn in light of unresolved and unproven allegations against Marilyn Manson. I wondered where the stirring would get to in Bournemouth but everything carried on after some initial noise. I went anyway and wondered about my principles.
I have seen him once before at Reading Festival in 2001. It was at the height of Manson hysteria. As a live experience it was disturbing, exciting and almost terrifying. Fake blood, whips, crucifixes lifted from the stage, screams, sounds and Manson in various raging characters.
I recall during Disposable Teens, with that chanting chorus, that feeling of being totally absorbed by a sea of bodies overwhelmed by the experience, verging on cult worship. I often refer to it as the most scary performance I’ve ever seen. So I’m back, this time in a rear balcony seats at the Bournemouth BIC. Turns out those seats are just fine for the right act.. a powerful one.
I was here just a week or so ago for Adam Ant and the audience could not have been more different. It helped massively that it was standing downstairs and that the audience members were 20+ years younger, and it was Halloween, making for some great outfits – who could tell the difference between goth and fancy dress enthusiast?
I was very impressed with goth rockers, LA based, three piece, Dead Posey, supporting tonight. All over the stage and in the crowd, lead singer Danyell Souza is the focus – at times crawling across the stage.
I can’t pretend to know Manson material but I have the headlines etched on my brain – Disposable Teens; Dope Show; This is the New Shit; Beautiful People. He does them all.
The entrance he makes is dramatic and crowd is at high hysteria level. Controversial… yes, but this is a big showman. This is the One Assination Under God tour and the title track of that album opens the performance, not that there were that many from that LP – I checked, four.
“The more people hate me, the stronger we get!” balls Manson gratefully and angrily, with the first song over.
His antics on stage are a little calmer and less prop based than 25 years back but he is still hugely visual. Voice still powerful and with range. A real showman putting on a real big rock show.
The cover of the Eurythmics’ Sweet Dreams is a Manson fan favourite but it was amazing just how passionately it was received. The poppiest number in the set and crowd are going bonkers. Security keep returning to the balcony edge to discourage falling off. They have a job on but keep control.
The performance is very impressive, whether or not you are deterred by the personality. Bringing this big goth rock show to Bournemouth on Halloween is a winner. I see nothing but enthusiasm, and hysteria in some cases, in front of me. I am happy to view from up here for this one as a curious observer.
One of the two encores he returns with is If I was Your Vampire, with ‘snow’ falling down on Manson and his big fedora type hat, in a tube of light. This has been high impact, unforgettable and perhaps guilty, pleasure.
The setlist in in full: setlistfm.
Gigs with Ivan 