Review & Photography by Manny Manson for MPM
It’s a Tuesday night in Wolverhampton, and KK’s Steel Mill, the iconic metal venue named after Judas Priest’s legendary guitarist, is buzzing.
A four-figure crowd has gathered—remarkable for a genre typically considered niche, but a proof to the enduring appeal of tonight’s headliners, Monster Magnet. This band, after all, is synonymous with the birth of the stoner rock genre and remains a staple for fans of heavy, fuzz-laden, psychedelic rock.
Founded in 1989, Monster Magnet has spent over three decades delivering some of the most heady and hard-hitting rock music to come out of the United States. The group, often credited with helping to invent the stoner rock genre, combines crushing guitar riffs with spacey, comic book-inspired lyrics. It’s a unique mix of influences: Black Sabbath’s doom-laden heaviness, Hawkwind’s psychedelic journeys, and a healthy dose of B-movie pop culture references. Their breakout hits “Space Lord” and “Negasonic Teenage Warhead” helped to solidified their place in rock history, and while many band members have come and gone over the years, one man remains: frontman Dave Wyndorf, the eccentric and magnetic driving force behind the group.
But before Monster Magnet took the stage, the night kicked off with a powerful opening set from local trio Margarita Witch Cult. Formed in 2015, this Birmingham-based outfit has been gaining traction in the heavy rock scene with their detuned, riff-driven sound—a perfect fit to open for the gods of stoner rock.
Margarita Witch Cult, a band I’ve seen previously are full of Riffs, Groove, and Bone-Crushing Energy, they hit the stage early, but the crowd was already gathering in respectable numbers, eager to witness the riff-fuelled power of this local trio.
Their set opened with “Aradia,” and from the very first note, the band’s intentions were clear: very loud, heavy, and hypnotic. The song began with a slow, menacing groove, Scott Vincent’s Frankenstein Vee guitar cutting through the room with thick, sludgy tones. The crowd responded well, there is plenty of movement with some headbanging along as the riff reverberated through the Steel Mill, shaking the crinkly tin roof.
Next up was “Diabolical Influence,” a track driven by thunderous syncopated grooves from drummer George Casual. His performance was intense, every hit feeling like a punch to the gut, perfectly complemented by Jim Thing’s bone-rattling bass lines. Margarita Witch Cult excels at building tension and then releasing it in waves of crushing riffage, and this track was a perfect example.
As the set continued with “Scream Bloody Murder” and “Theme From Cyclops,” Margarita Witch Cult’s raw energy kept the crowd locked in. Their music, a blend of doom, stoner rock, and psych, felt both familiar and fresh, drawing from their influences while maintaining their own unique sound. “Lord of the Flies” pushed the set forward with a faster tempo, giving the crowd something to thrash to. The energy in the room surged, and the trio fed off it, delivering one of their tightest performances of the night.
A standout moment came with their cover of Billy Idol’s “White Wedding.” In true Margarita Witch Cult style, they twisted the pop anthem into something much darker and heavier, turning the familiar song into a slow, doomy march. The crowd, though initially surprised, loved every second of it, their cheers echoing off the Steel Mill’s walls as the song climaxed.
The set closed with “Sacrifice” a massive, plodding behemoth of a track that felt like the perfect way to end. Margarita Witch Cult left the stage to enthusiastic applause, their wall of sound having primed the audience for Monster Magnet: The Lords of Space Rock.
After a quick set change, the lights dimmed and cheers filled the venue. As Monster Magnet took the stage, a video loop played on the large screen behind them, this would help to create an atmosphere that felt both otherworldly and ominous. The intro “The Diamond Mine” played, helping to set the tone for what was to be a dark and atmospheric set. Dave Wyndorf shuffled onto the stage, clearly struggling as he made his way to a stool set at the front, an SG guitar slung low from his neck.
Wyndorf, now the only original member of the band, has been through the wars. At 67, he’s no longer the wild frontman he once was, and tonight, it showed. He later explained to the crowd that the triple vaccine doses he’d taken before flying to the UK had “fucked [his] body up,” adding with a wry smile that he could either “stand and be shit or sit and be good.” The crowd laughed, but there was an undercurrent of concern as Wyndorf took his place for the evening’s performance.
Still, seated or not, Monster Magnet was here to deliver. They opened with the pounding “Dopes to Infinity,” the title track from their 1995 album. The band—Garrett Sweeny on lead guitar, Alec Morton on bass, Bob Pantella on drums, and Phil Caivano on rhythm guitar—sounded tight and thunderous. The guitars were thick and fuzzy, a perfect match for the smoky, dimly lit stage. The video screen behind them added to the psychedelic vibe, flashing cosmic imagery and strange pop culture references throughout the set. This visual element was as important to the show as the music, in helping create a sensory overload that drew the audience into Monster Magnet’s unique world.
Next up was “Tractor,” a track from 1998’s Powertrip album. The riff-driven track had the crowd nodding along in unison, the bassline rumbling through the venue like an engine revving to life. Wyndorf, despite his seated position, projected his voice with all the power of his younger years, howling the lyrics as the band surged behind him. The atmosphere was thick with smoke, and the band members were little more than silhouettes under the backlighting and swirling spots.
As the set progressed, the band delivered one iconic track after another. “Superjudge” took the energy even higher, with its heavy, Sabbath-inspired riffage, while “Look To Your Orb For The Warning” slowed things down slightly, offering a more psychedelic, spaced-out vibe. The crowd, by now fully entranced, swayed and headbanged in time with the music, caught up in the band’s hypnotic performance.
The set hit its first peak with “Negasonic Teenage Warhead,” one of the band’s most iconic songs. Released in 1995 as part of the “Dopes to Infinity” album, the track is a fast-paced, fuzz-laden trip through comic book landscapes, with a driving rhythm that’s impossible not to move to. Wyndorf introduced the song with a quick nod to its inclusion in the ‘Deadpool’ movie, a reference that got a cheer from the audience. Despite his physical state, Wyndorf’s vocals were spot-on, and the crowd responded enthusiastically, shouting along to the chorus.
Between songs, Wyndorf continued to explain his situation, joking that anyone seeing him for the first time might think he’d survived a stroke. “I’m not dead yet,” he said with a grin, his self-deprecating humour keeping the mood light. “Zodiac Lung,” from their 1993 album “Superjudge”, followed, its slow, sludgy riff reverberating through the venue. Monster Magnet’s sound has always been a mix of heavy, stoner riffs and spacey, psychedelic explorations, and this track was a perfect example of the latter. The band was backlit by swirling colours and cosmic imagery, adding to the trippy, otherworldly vibe.
The band continued to tear through their set, playing “Twin Earth” and “Ego, The Living Planet,” both from 1993’s, “Superjudge”, before launching into the thunderous “Bummer*” The back screen was a cacophony of visual delights—space, fire, and various scenes from pop culture lighting the band from behind throughout the show. It was clear that even if Wyndorf wasn’t at his physical peak, the band had put a lot of thought into creating an immersive experience for the audience.
The night reached its zenith with the 15-minute epic “Spine of God.” This sprawling track, which originally appeared on their 1991 debut album of the same name, is a slow-burner that builds and builds, taking the audience on a journey through swirling psychedelic soundscapes. The video loop behind the band featured footage of 70s/80s porn star ‘Ginger Lynn’, a soft-porn video that added a strange, sleazy element to the performance. As the song wound down, the band left the stage, leaving their instruments howling along to a rhythmical click track. The back screen flickered with a distorted grid pattern as the audience waited in anticipation.
Eventually, the band returned to the stage for their encore: the iconic “Space Lord.” The crowd erupted in cheers as the opening riff rang out, and from the first word, it was clear that this was the moment everyone had been waiting for. Wyndorf, despite his earlier struggles, was visibly delighted by the crowd as they sang “Space Lord Mother Fucker”, turning the final song into a massive sing-along that echoed through the Steel Mill.
As “Space Lord” came to a close, the band once again left their instruments howling and simply walked off stage, leaving the crowd to soak in the aftermath of what had been an unforgettable night. Garrett Sweeny, ever the showman, swept across the front of the stage with his phone, capturing the moment as fans pumped their fists and cheered wildly, It was a fitting end to a show that had been both visually and sonically overwhelming.
However, the set had been cut short, with notable omissions. According to the setlist visible on stage, we missed out on “Crop Circle” and “Powertrip” two fan favourites that could have easily been slotted in. Instead, we got the self-indulgent “Spine of God,” a 15-minute behemoth that, while undoubtedly a stoner classic, might have felt a little bloated to some in the crowd. Still, the sight of Ginger Lynn’s “tatas” on the large screen likely kept some fans entertained.
Monster Magnet’s 35th Anniversary tour has been well-received so far, and this night at KK’s Steel Mill was no exception. While Wyndorf’s physical health might not be at its best, the band delivered a powerful, immersive show that left fans, myself included, more than satisfied. With a few more UK dates before they head into Europe, fans will be hoping that Wyndorf is in better shape by the time they hit the continent. But for tonight, Monster Magnet proved that even seated, they’re still capable of blowing minds and melting faces.
