Glenn Danzig comes to Niagara Falls next Thursday—US side only, thank you

Heavy metal powerhouse Danzig closes out their 25th anniversary tour this month, highlighting favorites from Danzig’s career as well as classics from singer and bandleader Glenn Danzig’s legendary punk band, the Misfits. The Misfits portion of the set is supported by the guitar work of hulking Misfits’ guitarist Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein, making the shows a reunion of sorts and perhaps the last chance for fans to see Doyle and Danzig play together, as the singer says he plans to stop touring for the foreseeable future.

Glenn Danzig spoke with Artvoice about giving fans one more shot at indulging in his earliest works, as well as the challenges faced by a metal band crossing the Canadian border. “The 25th Anniversary of Danzig with Doyle” tour comes to the Rapids Theatre in Niagara Falls on October 17, with supporting acts Butcher Babies, Texas Hippie Coalition and A Pale Horse Named Death.

AV: Can you describe what Doyle’s presence brings to the live show?

Glenn Danzig: Since this is going to be my last tour, we figured we’d bring [Doyle] out, and it’s the 25th anniversary. He wanted to do it and it works out great. You know, you get to see Doyle and me do a bunch of old Misfits tracks. You get to see Danzig, the old songs, and you get to see Doyle and me just tear up the stage. Everyone usually goes home very happy.

AV: How do you go about selecting the bands you bring on tour?

Danzig: Sometimes I just think this band is good and I would like for the people to hear them. And, they might not necessarily be a band that a lot of people had heard about, but I think that it’s a band that deserves a chance to be heard at least. You know, I remember with Danzig and Samhain, and even the Misfits, no one ever gave us an opening slot opportunity. It happened very rarely.

AV: You’ve recently recorded an album of covers. What do you think makes a cover worth recording?

Danzig: For me, I don’t want to do a cover unless I can give it my own stamp. I don’t like when people do a cover of a song and they don’t really change it. People do it exactly the same and it’s not going to work because it’s going to be judged against the original a million times and it’s “Oh, I like the original better.”

AV: The idea of you working on a blues project with Jerry Cantrell of Alice and Chains has been tossed around for awhile.

Danzig: You know, Jerry Cantrell and I have run into each other a bunch of times in Europe. Maybe it will actually happen someday. Maybe him and I will both be off the road and not working on a record so we will finally get it done.

AV: There are a lot of weird places to visit in Niagara Falls. Will you get a chance to see the Criminals Hall of Fame in Niagara Falls? It has wax figures of people like John Wayne Gacy and stuff like that.

Danzig: Yeah, no one’s ever told me about that. Where is that? Is that in Buffalo or Niagara Falls?

AV: That’s actually on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, so you have to bring your passport.

Danzig: Nah, nah, nah. It’s really hard for me to get across the border. This last August we went up [to Canada] and, of course, me and a few others in our crew got pulled aside and we almost didn’t get in. I’ve been denied before.

AV: Canada is serious about bands crossing their borders.

Danzig: A lot of times they will just ask you for money after they deny you from coming in and sometimes they will just send you away, which has happened to Danzig lots of times. They just say, “Nope, you can’t come up.”

AV: Why wouldn’t they want to promote business by having bands come up there?

Danzig: I have no idea, and, you know what, we don’t go up there that much anymore, and I imagine that’s why a lot of other bands don’t go up there that much anymore.

AV: At least some Canadians have the opportunity to come see you in Niagara Falls if they just come across the border.

Danzig: Yeah, so anybody who is from over the border, if they are allowed to come into the States, then come down to the show.

AV: Any parting words for your fans in the Buffalo area?

Danzig: I’ll see you there. I probably won’t be back for a year or two, if even then, so come out and have a good time.