Mansinthe

After the signing of the contract last week, the purchase of pallets of bottles, and the storage of herbs and alcohol, production of the final version of Mansinthe starts today. A logistical masterpiece, for which I would like to take this opportunity to thank Nicole & Oliver Matter.

Friday 13th is apparently not so unlucky, as the contract between Manson, his management and Absinthvertrieb was finally signed today.
At the same time, the tickets for the forthcoming tour of Australia went on advance sale…

2 years after the initial idea, the official Marilyn Manson absinthe – “Mansinthe” – goes on sale in August 2007. Produced in Switzerland, this Absinthe promises to be a real delicacy!
Distilled from fine herbs, coloured naturally and with no artificial colourings, and not pre-sugared, this Absinthe should delight even the fastidious absintheur and Marilyn Manson fan – the protagonist loves it and has played a significant part in the product development.
In order to polish the product to perfection, there will initially be 2 limited editions:
1. The signed edition with special label, which is limited to 80 bottles and
2. Prototype 35
The sale of both versions is planned for July 2007, before the final “Mansinthe” product is available.

After 2 years, there is finally another opportunity to meet Manson. The Southside Festival near Tuttlingen is fairly nearby. Friday evening – we’re off. It has been raining for days and I am expecting the worst. Diversions and lousy weather make the journey less than pleasant. When I finally arrive in Neuhausen with my colleague from the depot and collect our VIP tickets – organised to perfection, incidentally – the entire festival site proves to be a complete mud bath. Great! Fortunately, I am wearing boots.
With the help of a VIP steward, the car is pushed through the mud to the VIP car park – everything today is muddy and VIP’y.
Manson’s concert is in full flow as we push through the crowds in the direction of the stage. I feel like I’m at a mud wrestling match. Our wonderful VIP passes make access a little easier. Envious gazes to the left and right. Manson plays his show, we stand in the mud and watch for a while then decide to get something to eat and go to the VIP tent next to the stage. Here, we can see the concert on a large screen television – how decadent! At one time, that would have been unthinkable for me, but you get to like a more comfortable life! After the concert, I phone Manson’s tour manager, who sends a security man to collect us. After some negotiations, it is decided that we can bring the car directly in front of the dressing room – the only right decision, as I later discover. The organisation is really exemplary – a compliment. Having arrived there, I have a basket full of absinthe for Manson – including one from the coil boxes. Manson tell me that he stayed at Peter Christopherson’s the first time he was in L.A., as Christopherson was shooting the videos for Nine Inch Nails at that time. Yes, it’s a small world. A few bottles are sampled and meet with approval. However, he is very impressed with the first bottle of Mansinthe, which I picked up in Switzerland a few hours earlier, for the occasion. So the trip was worth it. The musician thinks we could sell these bottles on Wednesday at the preview in Cologne. I am filled with horror: the absinthe is still in Switzerland, neither bottled nor labelled and the transport to Germany has not yet been organised. It will be a mad rush to get the bottles to Cologne – but I will make it possible! A few more words with managers and his new girlfriend, a souvenir photo and half an hour later we are on our way through the mud and towards home. We will see each other again in 5 days’ time.

For some time, a rumour has been circulating around the country that Marilyn Manson will soon have an absinthe. He himself said in autumn 2006 that the shelves would be filled with it at Christmas…
It did not happen that quickly, but the moment for which many are already longing is gradually approaching.
Watch out…