Why I Love... Danzig by Dani Filth, Cradle Of Filth/Devilment

DANZIG IS THE KING OF DARK ROCK

“He’s been dubbed Evil Elvis, and he’s definitely got that kind of lilt to him. He’s very distinctive, especially the first four albums, when he had Chuck Biscuits, Eerie Von and John Christ; that unit had a very distinctive sound to it as well, which was very bluesy and laidback, with lots of weird trills. It was very primal as well, very thuggish – Chuck Biscuits’ drums were certainly like that, when he used to stand up to play drums and bash the fuck out of the kit.

Glenn Danzig has a very distinctive voice and I think that’s part of the appeal, because it’s very original and it stands… I was going to say it stands heads and shoulders above over bands, but… ha ha ha!” [Ed’s note: Danzig isn’t the tallest bloke ever.]/o:p

HE’S A MAN OF MYSTERY

“I like the mythology that goes on around Danzig. I think a lot of it – much like myself as well – is made up. People make things up, or a true event becomes distorted and enlarged, and then becomes legendary, and it probably started from absolutely nothing. And of course, I understand the fact he gets shit for being diminutive. Obviously I can’t relate to that, being over six foot tall myself…”/o:p

HE LKES A DRINK

“He let me sit on stage at Summer Breeze back in ’98, and afterwards he was at the same hotel and came down to have a drink with us. We were all sitting round a table in the bar – with his minder, albeit – and he said he didn’t drink. We said ‘Go on, go on!’ and eventually he had a few glasses of red wine and really started opening up. That was sadly ruined by our drummer, Nicholas Barker, who was very pissed, decided to take all his clothes off and dance around the table saying, ‘I’m a happy little elf!’ That kind of startled him – I think he was a bit worried about what the hell these guys were on!”

HE HAS A HEART OF DARKNESS

“The Misfits started off as more of a punk act, then they started bringing on board this whole low-fi, B-movie, Teenagers From Mars-type vibe to the music. Then with the onset of faster bands in the hardcore scene, and the onset of bands like Slayer, they got a bit nastier. Then in Samhain, Glenn turned it a lot more Satanic and bloodthirsty and ritualistic. Then in Danzig he finely tuned his art, made it more adult, a little darker, a little bit more mysterious and enticing – more seductive.”/o:p

HE CAN FORGIVE A HEADBUTT

“Once we played the LA Palladium with Type O Negative, and afterwards I was on the bus and Glenn had turned up with a small entourage. Our tour manager came on the bus and said, ‘Glenn’s here, he’s come to see the show, he’s just spoken to Pete Steele [late, great Type O Negative frontman] and he wants to say hello before he goes.’

I was busy getting changed at the time, and was going, ‘Fuck, fuck, fuck!’ worrying that he’d go, or think that I was being rude – and as the bus door opened and I was trying to put my top on, I fell down the stairs and literally headbutted him! I fell into his arms with a bit of a headbutt. He was fine about it, but it must have looked ridiculous. At the same time, the fans outside must have all seen this incident straight out of a Carry On movie, with me in Glenn Danzig’s arms! They must’ve thought, ‘What the fuck is going on there?!’”

CRADLE OF FILTH AND DANZIG WILL BOTH RELEASE NEW ALBUMS IN 2015