The Misfits Evilive Album Art
The Misfits legendary live CD came into my life very unexpectedly, as in, I didn't know it even fucking existed.
I had penny pinched my meager teenage earnings in order to spend it all at the records store, like any 90s teenage punk rocker would, and flipping through the M's section of CDs (because M contained Metallica, Megadeth, Motorhead, Ministry, and the Misfits) and lo and behold, there was a fucking Misfits CD I'd never seen before.
"EVILIVE" it said cleverly in Danzig-ese. Well that shit got bought instantly.
I don't know what I expected from a live recording of an early 80's Misfits show. In my youthful naivety I thought it would sound like some of my other favorite live albums of the time, particular the Metallica box set live recordings and Social Distortions "Live at the Roxy," which were both super professionally recorded outings.
This was not the case.
This sounded like it was recorded on a tape recorder somebody was holding in the mosh pit. The Misfits blaze through twelve classic songs, barely keeping the whole thing from flying right off the rails, and one may argue, it does come unhinged when Henry Rollins shows up to sing along on "We Are 138." Well, singing is generous. It's more like they all belch incoherent screams and growls for a minute, all out of time.
This isn't even to mention Glenn threatening the audience, Jerry and Doyle dropping entire parts of songs, and maybe an audience member getting hit with a guitar?
It's completely bonkers and it blew my brain apart as a teenager and has always made me wish I was older to have experienced this chaos in person.
Evilive is a prime example of what is so captivating and energizing about punk rock. It's just a bunch jerks who can barely play their instruments, giving it their all, not caring what it sounds like. I'd rather listen to this then a super polished, professional, flawless live recording, because what's the fucking point of doing it live then?
When I did see the reunited Misfits in 2019, it wasn't like what was captured on Evilive. I'm sure given almost 40 years of subsequent touring honed them more as performers. I have seen the Jerry Only incarnation of the Misfits numerous times and he's usually all over the place, a sporadic mess of forgetting lyrics and bass lines, but he was pretty on point for the Reunion. Glenn sounded great, hearing the seasoned, late stage Danzig revisit these older, rawer songs was amazing, and Doyle... Doyle is the best at punching guitars and stomping around and being a vegan powered tower of muscle.
But Evilive, that shit is fucked up and nasty, and raw, and ridiculous, and utterly amazing.