Misfits to reunite with Glenn Danzig this fall

33 years after their last show together, the Misfits and Glenn Danzig will reunite in the fall. The reunion will take place at two different Riot Fests. The first- Riot Fest and Rodeo- will take place on September 2nd and 4th in Denver. The second- Riot Fest and Carnival- will take place in September 16th and 18th in Chicago. The gigs, billed as "the Original Misfits," will feature Danzig, bassist Jerry Only and his brother guitarist Doyle. No drummer has been announced. With this news comes the promotion of a new four-track EP Friday the 13th- which is fittingly due to be released tomorrow.

Formed in Lodi, NJ, the Misfits were originally formed by Danzig. About a month after their formation, Only joined the band. From 1977 to 1983, the Misfits would perform and record music- gaining a cult following amongst the punk rock crowd with their many EPs and singles. With the exception of Doyle joining the band in 1980, Danzig and Only stuck with the group through various different line-ups and members. The band broke up after their last show on October 29, 1983. Danzig went on to form Samhain and later on his namesake band- which leaned more towards a hard rock/heavy metal sound. In the 1990s, Danzig and Only found themselves in legal battles over use of the band's name. In 1995, an agreement was made- allowing Only and Doyle to reform the Misfits, with new lead singer Michael Graves. Although Graves and Doyle left at the beginning of the 2000s, Only has kept the band going through touring and merchandise. The latter was been a subject of controversy amongst fans- claiming Only sold out. Since 2006, Doyle has occasionally guested on guitar at the Danzig band's shows. As for Danzig and Only, the pair have not shared a stage since 1983. 

I'm pleasantly surprised to hear about this news. When I started listening to the Misfits some six to seven years ago, I tried to stay away from the newer stuff. For me, the Misfits has always been that small time span- a time span so influential that even the guys in Guns N Roses and Metallica praise them. Much like Axl and Slash reuniting, seeing Glenn and Jerry sharing a stage was something no one really saw coming. I would love to see something long term come out of this but we should be grateful for these shows are happening.