Lizzy Borden

House of Rock | 4/27/13

By Jay Oakley

Lizzy Borden is a shock rock band with six records, two EPs, and one live album to their credit, and is one of my top 80s bands. Front man Lizzy Borden named himself and the band after the notorious Lizzie Borden of Fall River, Massaschusetts, accused and acquitted of murdering her parents with an axe in 1892. The current line-up features two original members, vocalist Lizzy Borden and drummer Joey Scott Harges.

Theater is everything for this band. Lizzy is known for his masks, for covering the crowd in fake blood and “killing” a woman on stage with an axe or a ghoulish bite to the neck. This was an incredible show to behold. Lizzy had around ten costume changes. Bassist Marten Andersson was a sight just pounding on his bass. Guitarist Dario Lorina and drummer Joey were just as memorable in terms of stage presence and performed terrific solos that kept everyone wide-eyed.

Opening with "Master Of Disguise," "Notorious" and "Red Rum" the hits just kept coming. "Under My Skin" was a power song in the set and one of the brightest stars. It was followed by a very cool cover of Billy Idol's "Rebel Yell." "Visual Lies," "Outcast," "Ultra Violence" and "We Only Come Out At Night" followed. "There Will Be Blood Tonight" was my personal favorite moment mostly because Lizzy walked down the front row with a bucket of blood smearing it on the crowd including takeing his blood-soaked hand and wiping down both sides of my face. "Me Against The World," "American Metal" and "Somethin's Crawlin'" brought the main set to a close. The encore featured "Give 'Em The Axe" and another cover in "Born To Be Wild" that many fans remember from the documentary The Decline Of Western Civilization: The Metal Years.

By the end of it all I was spent, hoarse from singing, partially deaf, and covered in blood, but what a night!