Grab a red pen, pretend it’s full of blood, cue “Dragula” and take notes! May 20th marks the date that Rob Zombie’s highly anticipated, self-directed concert documentary The Zombie Horror Picture Show debuts on Blu-Ray and DVD with its companion book of photography shot by Zombie’s talented rock photographer, Rob Fenn. Rob Zombie fans know that the rock icon is essentially an auteur of the underworld whose performances are immersive, ghoulish experiences, so it will be pretty rad to glimpse the inner workings of Zombie’s creative processes from his own and others’ perspectives.
Photo credit: Rob Fenn
To celebrate the release of The Zombie Horror Picture Show, which will benefit the awesomely named Fxck Cancer organization, we have decided to have ourselves a little Nerdist Contest! Two (2) lucky winners will win a signed copy of The Zombie Horror Picture DVD and book. Three (3) other lucky winners will snag a copy of the book and DVD, but you’ll have to track down Mr. Zombie to get him to sign it yourself.Â
Contest Guidelines:
In the comments below, tell us about a time that music really helped you get through a rough patch and made you a stronger person. We want to know what you were listening to at the time and how it helped you out.
I’ll start: a few years ago, I was really sick for a couple of months and the bright guitar tones of The Strokes, a band that I had always liked but never loved, made me feel inexplicably more optimistic with each spin of Is This It? Now I look to that album when things get dicey and it always makes problems seem much less complex.
Tell us your stories below, and you might just snag some totally sweet Rob Zombie prizes!
All images provided courtesy of Fxck Cancer and Rob Fenn.
I fell in love once, a long time ago, the soundtrack to that relationship and a lot of love making sessions was The Cure’s, Disintegration. When that relationship came to an end I could not even think about listening to one of my favorite bands because of all the memories. It felt like my heart literally broke inside my chest. But time passes, and hurts heal. It’s taken a long time, but I have The Cure back in my life. I choose to remember the good times, and all that relationship taught me. My ex and I have 2 beautiful children together compliments of Disintegration. And that folks is the story of how music can truly be the soundtrack of a life.
My story obviously couldn’t compare against the ones about divorce, or diseases, or actual hard times but I thought it would be great to share. I’ve only been in this music scene for a little over a year now and let me tell you something, this music genre is the only type where everyone is actually a family. I have never left a concert without making at least three new friends. This family sticks together and sticks up for one another even if you don’t know each other. So I guess you could say I’ve learned to love because of this music.
I was a pretty fucked up kid. Too much to put on here, but after years of abuse (verbal, physical, and sexual) I became very depressed in my early teens. Insomnia, self-harm, drugs, and thoughts of suicide were always on my mind. Music was my only escape. The only thing that was able to soothe my demons, at that time, was Concrete Blonde’s “Bloodletting”. I honestly don’t know where I’d be today if I hadn’t found that album.
In 2007 I had an aortic aneurysm and sat with my toes on the line between life and death for three weeks. After many complications and three months in the hospital, I made it through. The Foo Fighters were there in my ears every step of the way. Thanks Dave, you got me through it!
Music has always been a crutch for me, from Metallica’s Black Album dealing with normal high school anger, to Chum’s Dead to the World as my college re-focussing point. But, as someone who has stayed creative throughout his childhood and adult life, Rob Zombie (White Zombie music, through the Firefly family movies) has remained a go to inspiration for all things creative. Whenever I am at a block, I can pull out La Sexorcisto: Devil Music Volume 1 and immediately begin to think straight in regards to my artwork and other creative thinking.
I was really stressed about some decisions I had to make. I listened to Rodrigo y Gabriela’s self-titled and Live From Japan albums. Just listening to such talented people makes me happy and is so relaxing.
NOAH AND THE WHALE – helped me get through my ex-fiance leaving me for another woman. That one, stung.
I moved from California to Michigan and hard a real hard time making friends. I listened to a lot of Ramones. They really helped me not to feel like a complete outcast.
About 9 years ago my ex broke it off with me (for good reason-we fought all the time and at the time lived in separate states-but thats besides the point). I took it pretty hard for a couple months. I was between work so I had a lot of time to listen to new music. I came across a band called “Shout Out Louds”. Almost every song was about lost love and wanting it back, and during a time when I needed to feel sorry for myself before moving on it was perfect.
I had a bit of constipation this morning, but after listening to a live video of KISS in Budokan 2013, I’m running with clear pipes. Sure I’m feeling nauseous and my ears are bleeding, but my bowels opened like the jaws of a giant boa. Thanks KISS!
The Acacia Strain’s Continent helped me throughout my son’s battle with cancer when he was 6 months old. We nearly lost our first son Max after going undiagnosed for the first 6 months of his life. At the time I was angry at everyone, the hospital, myself, his pediatrician, my wife, everybody because we somehow missed something was wrong and even worse…we couldn’t do anything to fix it. We had to watch our son go through chemotherapy and fight for his life until he was 2 years old and finally beat the disease into the ground. Listening to the Acacia Strain gave me an outlet to deal with my anger and frustration, and helped me not take things out on people who didn’t deserve it. It helped me make it through the toughest time of my life and still reminds me how strong my son is and how strong our family is and always will be.
2009 my brother was off to server his second term overseas and never made it he died that night the reasons why aren’t clear which lead to a domino of unfortunate events ending me losing half my family and pressing charges on my close cousins brother in law the trials and emotions i have dealt with recently are some of the most difficult i have faced thus far however i am getting through it all looking at the class half full and listening to good time music i cant pin just one song or musician just anything that got my mind away like david bowie rebel rebel has always put me in a great mood janis Joplin and this probably just killed my shot but Britney spears shes hot shit its my guilty pleasure and no lie some Zombie was played my two year old nephew loved the new album i dig it hes probably going to be like his aunt well thats my vent for the day good luck to yall ps. If i entered this late whoops 🙂
Two years I attempted suicide for the second time in my life and this story en tales two completely different types of music.
I’ve fought depression my entire life, but never seen any harm or foul doing in it, so I decided for most of my life to just get over it and ignore it. Anyone with depression knows that you can only ignore it for so long before it can’t just be ignored anymore. I have two friends to thank for coming to my rescue and saving me from overdosing on pills and alcohol because I called them both (unknowingly at this point) and began singing “Call Me Maybe” because apparently that’s what was going through my mind at that point. My friends, knowing that isn’t my forte into music and hearing my slurred speech and stupidity came over to find me in my bathroom nursing my second full bottle of vodka and a 500 count bottle of retail pain killers which I had downed about 20,000 mg of. My friends then rushed me to an ER to save my life.
I was asked to go into a psychiatric facility to be evaluated and given help even though I was conscious at this point, I wouldn’t have offered help to me. I cussed out the doctors, friends, and family because they made me do this. Needless to say, they forced me to seek the help I needed. I spent 2 days under their care and when I was released, my family brought me my iPod when they came to pick me up. Out of anger, it was the first thing I went for and I immersed myself into music, but this time, I didn’t just listen to music, I was able to feel it. The first song that was played was Been a While by Staind and until that day, I never listened. When I was able to tone out the world and just focus on the music, my depression subsided. I no longer take any meds and any times since then, all I’ve needed to do to pick myself out of a bad mood/place is throw my headphones on and tone the world out. Music is a huge part of my life and in a way, it saved my life and it continues to every day. Even if I don’t win anything, I hope someone who feels the way I felt nearly two years ago will read this and won’t make the horrible decision I made then. I hope that people who feel this way all over had the ability I do to tone out the world and focus on music. To hear pain in an artist’s voice and know that you aren’t, not will ever be alone.
Music continues to influence me to become a better person and to help those who don’t see any light at the end of their tunnel to know that they will make it, you just gotta keep those thoughts away.
The last four months has been a nightmare. In January I ended an eight year relationship after I found out I was being cheated on. I’ve been listening to Seether almost every day since then. There’s a lot of emotional pain in their lyrics/music that I’ve seriously been relating to. Something about understanding that I’m not the only one going through these feelings makes me feel better each time.
I am a stage 4-B cancer survivor, and while being hospitalized for treatment I learned Danzig was in town. To top things off it was the first reunion show w/ Doyle, and there was going to be a Misfits set. I was pretty ill, the doctors even told my family to make arrangements. When I heard those words my mind was already made up. If I was going to die I was making sure I saw my FAVORITE band one last time. I checked my self out of the hospital and went to the show. Even though I could not mosh, crowd surf, or get up front by the stage for fear of injury, it was the BEST show I have ever been to. I checked back into the hospital the next morning and was promptly read the riot act by my family and doctors. I’ve been in remission for almost 12 yrs now, and I like to think Danzig’s music had a helping hand in getting me through a lot of painful treatments. I played the debut album some much that I broke my c.d. and had to replace it.
My wife was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis about 6 years ago, and has used her love of all things Rob Zombie to help cope with relapses. No matter how hard of a day shes having if I put in a Rob Zombie CD or any of his movies it tales her mind off it for awhile. Im not really a fan so it gets pretty painful for me to here Living Dead GIrl 100 times a month but it helps her. It be nice to win this for her because shes talked about the DVD for awhile.
A tumor was discovered in my left parotid gland almost 2 years ago and I had to undergo surgery to remove it and 6 weeks of radiotherapy… It was a lot of love and support from my wife, kids and family and a lot of Tool that helped me thru it all. Tool has a certain spiritual metaphysical quality to it that transcends the psyche…
A little while ago, my wife and I were separating and I spent a lot of my new found alone time going through my record collection….yes, records. Rediscovering some old favorites that I hadn’t spun in a while helped me take my mind off of things and also rekindled my love of vinyl and having a closer relationship with music. It had been years since I sat and read liner notes and such.
Also, I hope to win because I’m a huge Rob Zombie fan! I’m sure other people have great fan stories but I once paid $90 ea. ($180 total) for 2 tickets to see Rob Zombie play in a small club for a show that had sold out in a matter of minutes due to crazy internet presales and then insane internet traffic for the public sale preventing me from buying face value tickets.
Amanda F**king Palmer- her music, musings and magic have helped me get back up and keep fighting, even when life decides to try (over and over) to get rid of me.
Mac Lethal’s Irish Goodbye album felt like alot of it was written for me, It helped keep me sane, positive and focused during a rough break-up of a 3 yr relationship,a relocation and more than a few black rainbows, Jake and Olive gives me hope that they wont be that way forever
Pink Floyd’s DSOTM got me through some HEAVY trips… 😉
About 6 years ago, my girlfriend left me and my 7 month old son. I packed up our stuff and headed to So Cal to stay with my dad. It was tough, but luckily, I had Coldplays “Viva la Vida” album to help me through. Its a darker record, but has a very hopeful theme, which was exactly what I needed.