Glenn Danzig Talks Covers LP ‘Skeletons,’ Reflects on Early Punk Days
The singer says his favorite Elvis recordings include the King’s comeback LP From Elvis in Memphis and the late-Fifties records featuring guitarist Scotty Moore. He even likes the gems in Presley’s extensive soundtrack recordings. “I remember trying to bum money to go see him at Madison Square Garden, and I just couldn’t get enough money,” he says. “At the time, it was $25 for a ticket, which was a lot back then. Concerts were about $8 or $9, so it was more than double to see Elvis and I just couldn’t raise the money in time.”
In recent years, Danzig has been embarking on “Legacy Tours,” wherein he plays songs from Misfits and his mid-Eighties goth-punk group Samhain along with Danzig solo tunes. It’s exemplified in his Danzig Legacy video, which aesthetically mimicked Presley’s 1968 comeback special, and finds him playing in the round with Victor, former Misfit Doyle and former Samhain bassist Steve Zing. But the singer says nostalgia has not affected his process. “I’m able to be objective and keep my perspective,” he says. The film, which premiered as an exclusive on Vimeo, will get a proper physical release in the near future.
Now he’s looking forward to putting out new records and doing a proper Danzig tour, which kicks off in Ponoma, California on July 11th. “I’ll play some of the cover songs and some of the old songs people want to hear and maybe play a couple of new tracks,” he says. “If I can make people forget whatever they’re dealing with for an hour and a half, two hours every night, that’s nice.”
The only other bit of Danzig news is that the singer turns 60 this week. So how does Glenn Danzig celebrate his birthday? “I don’t,” he says with a laugh. “It’s just another day to me. Does it change anything? No. I just do what I do.”