Justin Nuoffer
CONCERT REVIEW + PHOTOS
King Diamond
11/8/24 – Riverside Theater – Milwaukee, WI
©Justin Nuoffer/Nuoffermedia.com
Within downtown Milwaukee’s bustling theater district, folks lined up for King Diamond outside the Riverside Theater. Most were dressed head to toe in black and some had his famed black and white face paint.
Built in 1928 the 2,480-capacity theater was created for vaudeville performances, big bands, and movies. The building has had the same owners since the sixties and is consistently renovated and updated. Since the mid-1980s, the venue has strictly hosted live performances, however, nineteen years ago the Pabst Theater Group took over the lease and hasn’t looked back. The French Baroque style of the building attracts the eye. As fans line up out front the line stretches along the side of the building which is next to the Milwaukee River and part of the River Walk. You can see the famous Bronze Fonz across the way.
Once through the set of 5 glass doors and security, the decor inside the building is breathtaking and glimmers in gold. Straight ahead is a huge merchandise booth, and hallways are on each side, heading onto the main floor and seating area. Off to the right side is a set of stairs heading up into the massive balcony. Once you enter the main floor the seats run the entire length of the overhanging balcony then there is a standing room area right in front of the stage that stands roughly 4 feet off of the ground. The performance space is massive and reaches sky-high.
The stage setup is wide open and filled with fog. Slowly King Diamond made his way through it and moved forward to the front ledge where a coffin was laid out. He opens it up while “Funeral” plays through the venue’s sound system and pulls out a cursed doll, Abigail. While stabbing the cursed doll with a ceremonial knife, the rest of the band walks down a set of stairs on each side. As they get situated, King Diamond places the doll back into the coffin and slowly retreats into the darkness and fog. Just like that the “Saint Lucifer’s Hospital 1920” Tour was underway.
With King Diamond’s reappearance, he unloaded one of his famed falsetto screams into his signature microphone, a femur and tibia formed in the shape of a cross. Every move he makes is smooth and calculated. Even when he climbs the stairs his movements are slow and precise.
With the announcement of their first album in eighteen years, King Diamond performed three tracks off of the future Metal Blade release titled The Institute.“Spider Lilly” was completed just before the band took off for tour. The track has been mentioned in previous interviews promoting this tour. With a genuinely modern sound and vintage feel, the new track connected instantly with the crowd.
Impressively enough, “Masquerade of Madness” was the lead into “Electro Therapy”. As you stood in the seats consuming the brilliance of the new material once again they gave a double dose. The horror concept of the album wasn’t missed within the live performance either. In fact “Electro Therapy” featured a female corpse within a glass box and King Diamond would flip it off and off throughout the new classic song’s duration. The body would bounce around and the box would flash light that reflected into the general admission area. Everything was about entertainment and musicianship.
Long-time fans were given an incredibly well-mixed collection of vintage rippers. Fatal Portrait featured two numbers “The Candle” and “Halloween”. The latter of the two included band introductions, but the dancing play of guitarists Andy LaRocque and Mike Wead took center stage. Their ability to bend the strings and make it look easy was extraordinary. Every note was decisive and unless you had no pulse you felt the journey it took you on. “Eye of The Witch” and “Burn” off of 1990’s The Eye anchored the end of the set before the encore. If you were going for the heaviest of the catalog this is where you would’ve met your heart’s desire. “Burn” and its heaviness stood out. It was a unique opportunity for headbangers to let their hair fly.
The encore allowed fans to remain rowdy and chant for the song that we all knew was coming, “Abigail”. Timeless is the only way to describe the cult classic and its overwhelming impact upon the crowd was noticeable. Everyone in the seats and down in the general admission area were captivated. Kind Diamond saved the best for last. His vocal skills were fully on display and he pushed it to every possible length. His famed face paint only accentuated every melody and key. This was a masterclass in vocal control and expertise.
Leaving the gorgeous Riverside Theatre, the cold Milwaukee air hits one’s face in a sobering moment. The reality of seeing a living legend performing such classic favorites was perhaps even more shocking to the senses. Between the perfect aesthetics and visuals enhancing the experience and the actual performance being top-notch, this was easily worth every penny. They have always shown impressive attention to detail and that is exactly why fans keep coming out in droves. The tickets were affordable and the merchandise was reasonably priced. King Diamond is truly in control of metal’s legendary throne.
Check out the King Diamond concert photo gallery below:
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