There is something both grotesque and yet very boyish about Marilyn Manson, the same shock rocker who took the time to sing, “This is Halloween” a tribute to the fantasy film The Nightmare Before Christmas. He is a shock rocker from hell who still takes the time to laugh at the absurdity of his own performance art. (Though you’ll rarely see him laughing in public and breaking character)

In fact, Brian Hugh Warner, a.k.a. Marilyn Manson, started out as a music journalist. It was only when he invented his Goth character Marilyn Manson (by combining two iconic American images: Marilyn Monroe and Charles Manson) that he found his niche audience. Eventually, Manson received mainstream attention (and more than a little controversy) for his outrageous clothing, his hardcore lyrics and his outrageous live concerts.

Since his less-than-Satanic beginnings, (the original band name was “Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids”!) Manson has achieved great strides in the music industry with such popular albums as Smells Like Children and Antichrist Superstar. Three of the band’s albums have gone platinum and three more have gone gold. In between awesome concerts, Manson has been up to some rather bizarre shenanigans. He launched his own Mansinthe line of Swiss absinthe, and found time to date all sorts of beautiful actresses, including Evan Rachel Wood. Manson proved he was an old romantic at heart, by proposing to Wood during a Paris stage performance. So, it didn’t work out, but come on, a proposal in Paris is as touchy-feely romantic as a guy can get!

One of the most peculiar statements Manson has made is that he wants to de-emphasize music and explore a filmmaking career. He once told the press, “I just don’t think the world is worth putting music into right now. I no longer want to make art that other people–particularly record companies–are turning into a product. I just want to make art.”

Not that we want to burst Marilyn Manson’s bubble. As far as we’re concerned, he’s still a black magic-practicing maniac and a bad influence on your children (because that’s what sells!). So believe all the urban legends, you know, the ones that suggest Manson buys human skeletons and human skin masks, that he collects Nazi memorabilia, and that’s he’s just evil personified.

So if you’re evil and you know it clap your hands…and come see Marilyn Manson’s shock rock, glam metal show in person!