Marilyn Manson

La Fée Absinthe fan Marilyn Manson invited us to his album launch of The Golden Age of Grotesque at London's Rouge nightclub, decorated in a glamorous 1930's European style. Other guests included Gary Numan and The Prodigy's Keith Flint.

The Golden Age of Grotesque

The 'Grotesk Burlesk' involved military can-can dancers, young ladies wearing 1930s period hats and sporting 1930s hairdos (and not much else), an exhibition of Manson's watercolours, and naturally the album itself.

However, the proceedings were called to a halt for MM's girlfriend Dita Von Teese (who entered the stage holding a glass of La Fée) to perform a striptease in a giant absinthe glass, complete with 'sugar cube' sponge.

Manson rounded off the evening with a two gimp mask clad pianists to perform a special, three song cabaret set which included 'The Dope Show', a cover of the Kurt Weil classic 'Whiskey Song' and 'The Golden Age Of Grotesque', then proceeded to the roof and screamed obscenities at passers-by.

'Absinthe is his thing,' said a spokesperson for his record company. 'He likes to drink half a bottle before going on stage to get in the mood for a performance.'