Gorgeous Frankenstein is a band that features former Misfits guitarist Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein and his wife Gorgeous George (Frankenstein). Their name is an obvious play on both their identities and the DVD You Must See It To Believe It is their first release of this kind. Having seen the band in action before I admit that I was rather intrigued about what would be on it because there is a very interesting "presence" being put out there by Doyle and company. During a show he thunders around the stage like some angry Horror Punk leviathan and all the while smashing and tearing at the strings on his custom Annihilator axe. The show I caught had Argyle Goolsby from Blitzkid on vocals and Dr. Chud (also another former Misfit) on the drums. Gorgeous George's tasks during the gigs include performance on a stripper pole, backing vocals and other antics to get the crowd more into the show. Like I said, it's a very interesting evening of entertainment and vastly different from what people see during a Misfits show. That being said I did feel a little let down when the DVD amounted to a lengthy infomercial about the bands backstage preparations and the fun that they have there. Granted it is done with their hearts in the right place, but with only snippets of live performance and no full on tunes outside of the two official videos, the casual fan might feel a little cheated by the release. There is a lot of crowd commentary before the main feature begins and much of this was taken from the B.B. King Blues Club performance of 2008. Since I attend a lot of shows at the venue, I was laughing aloud as I realized that I too see a lot of these crazies while doing my thing. It's nice to see some of these folks getting a little more moment in the sun (or under the moonlight depending on your preference). From this particular show we see some sound check time and the bands making their grand entrance to the stage but there is absolutely nothing in terms of a full song from this show which was a shame because like I said I was there and it was a blast. I felt that the fans would have eaten this up like zombie's to fresh brains had they presented more in terms of the live material.
We get two videos that are directed by Glen Danzig himself and these are "Gorgeous Frankenstein" and "Man Or Monster", the latter of which has never been released. One is in black and white while the other is in color and they are pretty straight forward clips of the band performing on a dark stage setting and Doyle being his monstrous self while George dances about. I believe the singer in the videos is Michale Graves. Some other inclusions find Doyle interacting with fans outside the shows as they ask him to sign albums and drum heads and a brief segment of him working out with weights that are the size of small children. The musician is in excellent shape and this is clearly the reason for it. There is light interview content with Doyle and George but its nothing all too in depth as each touch upon the band's premise and what they do. The insert offers a couple of live shots of the band but it would have been nicer to see a lot of this stuff taking place. I felt that this was enjoyable to a degree but really should have been a little more comprehensive in order to truly help snare the group a larger fan base. As a music fan that enjoys this kind of stuff I felt it left me a little wanting and can say that this is purely for the absolute diehard more than it is for a curious fan. I remain hopeful for a bigger and better follow-up and say with great certainty that I will catch this band in action the next time that I have the chance.
Track Listing:
1. "Gorgeous Frankenstein" – video
2. Gorgeous Frankenstein 2008 Tour Documentary
3. Backstage & Live Footage from the 2008 US Tour
4. "Man Or Monster" - video
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