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Throwin’ Misfits
The band last toured in 2001 when they followed a stint on the Vans Warped Tour with their own 25th anniversary tour.
Although the players have changed dramatically since the group’s inception in 1977, the Misfits have managed to maintain a healthy following even through their disbanded years.
Bassist Jerry Only hazards a guess as to the Misfits continued popularity: “If you look at what was happening with music in the ‘80s, a lot of it didn’t make sense. I think we filled a niche. We stuck to what we did and we did it well. We never tried to pull something over on people – we just tried to entertain ‘em while rocking ‘em real hard.
“Besides, I think the love of the horror art form has endured.”
For those not so well-versed in their music history, the Misfits roared out of New Jersey in 1977 with their own brand of punk rock. What set them apart from their rock counterparts was their gory film fixation. From the B-movie style artwork to the band’s look, to their skull mascot, the group earned a healthy following among like-minded misfits.
After a short run, the band’s lead singer, Glenn Danzig, disbanded the group in 1983 and went solo. More than a decade later, group co-founder Only rallied the remaining members, recruited a few to fill in the gaps, and the Misfits were reborn.
The last album the band – which now comprises original members Only and Doyle Von Frankenstein, along with newbies Michael Grave and Dr. Chud – released was 1999’s Famous Monsters. Since then, they’ve teamed up with Japanese horror punk band Balzac for a split CD, which hit select stores this year.