Madonna Wayne Gacy | |
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Background information | |
Also known as | Pogo |
Genres | |
Occupation | Musician |
Instrument | Keyboards |
Years active | 1989–present |
Formerly of | Marilyn Manson |
Stephen Bier, formerly known by his stage name Madonna Wayne Gacy and by the nickname Pogo, [1] is an American musician who was the keyboard player for Marilyn Manson from 1989 to 2007. His stage name came from the names of the singer Madonna and the serial killer John Wayne Gacy. [2]
Bier joined Marilyn Manson in late 1989 as a live prop actor after Zsa Zsa Speck left the band. Bier is responsible for much of the Qabalistic and numerological meanings behind Manson's albums. [3] [ page needed ] He did not contribute to Manson's album Eat Me, Drink Me , having been replaced by Chris Vrenna.
In 2007, Bier filed a lawsuit against Manson for unpaid "partnership proceeds". Bier claims Manson spent the band's earnings on luxurious items and "devised a campaign to drive Bier out of the band and rob him of his entitlement". [4] Manson filed a counter suit against Bier, accusing him of breach of contract. [5] The lawsuit was settled for $380,000, $175,000 of which was paid out by Manson while the rest was ordered to be paid by Stephen Bier's former business managers. [6]
Marilyn Manson is an American rock band formed by namesake lead singer Marilyn Manson and guitarist Daisy Berkowitz in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in 1989. Originally named Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids, they gained a local cult following in South Florida in the early 1990s with their theatrical live performances. In 1993, they were the first act signed to Trent Reznor's Nothing Records label. Until 1996, the name of each member was created by combining the first name of a female sex symbol and the last name of a male serial killer—for example, Marilyn Monroe and Charles Manson. Their lineup has changed between many of their album releases; the eponymous lead singer is the only remaining original member.
The Golden Age of Grotesque is the fifth studio album by American rock band Marilyn Manson. It was released on May 13, 2003, by Nothing and Interscope Records, and was their first album to feature former KMFDM member Tim Sköld, who joined after longtime bassist Twiggy Ramirez amicably left the group over creative differences. It was also their final studio album to feature keyboardist Madonna Wayne Gacy and guitarist John 5, who would both acrimoniously quit before the release of the band's next studio album.
Portrait of an American Family is the debut studio album by American rock band Marilyn Manson. It was released on July 19, 1994, by Nothing and Interscope Records. The group was formed in 1989 by vocalist Marilyn Manson and guitarist Daisy Berkowitz, whose names were created by combining the given name of a pop culture icon with the surname of a serial killer: a naming convention which all other band members would conform to for the next seven years. The most prominent lineup of musicians during their formative years included keyboardist Madonna Wayne Gacy, bassist Gidget Gein and drummer Sara Lee Lucas.
Antichrist Superstar is the second studio album by American rock band Marilyn Manson. It was released on October 8, 1996, by Nothing and Interscope Records. It was recorded at Nothing Studios in New Orleans and produced by the band's eponymous vocalist along with Sean Beavan, former Skinny Puppy producer Dave Ogilvie and Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails. The recording of the album was marred by excessive drug use, which provoked a high level of antagonism between band members. Consequently, it was their last release to feature contributions from founding guitarist Daisy Berkowitz, who was acrimoniously fired partway through recording.
Smells Like Children is an EP by American rock band Marilyn Manson. It was released on October 24, 1995, by Nothing and Interscope Records. Produced by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, it represents an era of the band full of drugs, abuses, tours, sound experiments, and references to the Child Catcher, a villain from the 1968 musical film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
The Last Tour on Earth is a live album comprising recordings from Marilyn Manson's Mechanical Animals Tour, Beautiful Monsters Tour and Rock is Dead Tour, released on November 12, 1999. On the studio version of "The Dope Show", Manson says that drugs "are made in California", but in the live version, he says that "drugs, they say, are made right here in Cleveland", to a roar of crowd approval, suggesting that the song was recorded in Cleveland, Ohio. "Lunchbox" was recorded in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and "I Don't Like the Drugs " was recorded in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. "The Last Day on Earth" was recorded in Las Vegas on the Mechanical Animals Tour, and "Get Your Gunn" was recorded some time during the Rock is Dead Tour.
Brian Hugh Warner, known professionally as Marilyn Manson, is an American rock musician and actor. He came to prominence as the lead singer of the band that shares his name, of which he remains the only constant member since its formation in 1989. Known for his controversial stage personality, his stage name was formed by combining the names of two opposing American cultural icons: actress Marilyn Monroe and cult leader Charles Manson.
Frederick Streithorst Jr., better known by his stage name Sara Lee Lucas, is an American musician and the original drummer for Marilyn Manson. He has also performed as "S.L. Lucas" or simply "Lucas". His stage name is derived from serial killer Henry Lee Lucas and baked goods company Sara Lee. After leaving Marilyn Manson in 1995, he performed in many other industrial bands using tribal style of drumming and experimental digital percussion. He also became active with his mastering company, Masterlab.
"The Dope Show" is a song by American rock band Marilyn Manson. It was released in September 1998 as the lead single from their third studio album Mechanical Animals. The lyrics were written by Marilyn Manson and the music composed by Twiggy Ramirez.
"Coma White" is a song by American rock band Marilyn Manson and the last track from the album Mechanical Animals. It is a hard rock ballad written by Manson, Twiggy Ramirez, Madonna Wayne Gacy, Zim Zum and produced by Manson and Michael Beinhorn. It was inspired by Manson's relationship with Rose McGowan and the numbness that his drug use caused him to feel. The track features a snare drum, cymbals, guitar, piano and keyboard bass in its instrumentation. Critics offered varied interpretations of its meaning, ranging from a song about a drug-addicted woman to a critique of celebrity culture. The song garnered a mostly positive response from music critics, with some critics deeming it one of the greatest songs of the band's career.
Lunch Boxes & Choklit Cows is a compilation album of previously unreleased demo tracks recorded in the early 1990s by American rock band Marilyn Manson. Original guitarist Scott Putesky obtained the rights to these and 11 other recordings in a lawsuit against Brian Warner, and announced that this release is the first in a planned series of Spooky Kids CDs. Some are from demos and others have never been previously released. These are digitally remastered and Putesky says they sound better than the original cassettes because of it.
"Lunchbox" is a song by American rock band Marilyn Manson. It was released as the second single from their debut album, Portrait of an American Family (1994). A heavy metal song that features elements of death metal, industrial music and punk rock, "Lunchbox" was written by the band's eponymous vocalist, Daisy Berkowitz, and Gidget Gein, and produced by Manson with Trent Reznor. According to Berkowitz, the track was written as the frontman's plea to be left alone; it was also inspired by a time where Manson defended himself from bullies with a Kiss lunchbox. The track features elements of "Fire" (1968) performed by Arthur Brown, a musician who influenced the band.
God Is in the T.V. is the second live video album by American rock band Marilyn Manson, released on November 2, 1999, on VHS, documenting the Mechanical Animals Tour, Beautiful Monsters Tour and Rock Is Dead Tour. It features all 13 music videos the band spawned between July 1994 and November 1999 in reverse chronology, including uncensored bonus footage from the production of "The Dope Show" music video, as well as footage culled from various concerts around the world alongside backstage and behind-the-scenes clips.
"Get Your Gunn" is a song by American rock band Marilyn Manson. It was released on June 9, 1994 as the band's debut single and is from their debut studio album, Portrait of an American Family (1994). The song was written by the band's eponymous vocalist along with original guitarist and bassist Daisy Berkowitz and Gidget Gein, respectively, and was produced by Manson with Trent Reznor. "Get Your Gunn" was inspired by the murder of abortion provider David Gunn by an anti-abortion activist, an event which angered Manson. The song also took influence from Manson's lifelong fascination with abortion and an interaction he had with an anti-abortion protester.
"Rock Is Dead" is a song by American rock band Marilyn Manson. It was released as the third single from their third studio album, Mechanical Animals (1998). It was written by the band's eponymous frontman, along with bassist Twiggy Ramirez and keyboardist Madonna Wayne Gacy, and was produced by Manson, Michael Beinhorn and Sean Beavan. A glam rock and heavy metal track with elements of electronic music and grunge, the song features electric and bass guitars, keyboards, and live drums in its instrumentation. The song was featured on the soundtrack of the Wachowskis' film The Matrix (1999).
"Astonishing Panorama of the End Times" is a song by American rock band Marilyn Manson. It was the only single on the Celebrity Deathmatch soundtrack. A studio recording of the song was included on the band's live album The Last Tour on Earth. It was nominated for the Best Metal Performance Grammy in 2001 but lost to "Elite" by Deftones.
"Apple of Sodom" is a song by American rock band Marilyn Manson. The track was recorded for the soundtrack to David Lynch's 1997 film Lost Highway. It was written by the band's eponymous vocalist and produced by Manson with Sean Beavan. Lynch personally chose the band to contribute music to the soundtrack as he found Manson inspiring, and because of the band's commercial viability. An industrial song about obsession, it was inspired by Manson's feelings about singer Fiona Apple; the eponymous apple of Sodom is a toxic plant. The song was followed by multiple collaborations between Manson and Lynch.
The Manson Family Album is the first studio recording by American rock band Marilyn Manson and a precursor to their debut studio album, 1994's Portrait of an American Family. It was produced by Roli Mosimann and is composed of original takes and mixes of songs which were later found on their debut album. However, the band and its eponymous vocalist were unhappy with Mosimann's production, claiming it to be poorly representative of their established sound and calling it too "smoothed and polished". The majority of songs on The Manson Family Album were later re-recorded or remixed by Nine Inch Nails personnel Trent Reznor, Sean Beaven and Alan Moulder at the Record Plant in Los Angeles. The album's title is a double entendre; it also relates to the commune of cult leader Charles Manson.
John Wayne Gacy (1942–1994) was an American serial killer and sex offender.