Chris Vrenna On Playing Drums For Marilyn Manson

[Benjamin]

"I first met him when I was in Nine Inch Nails, so it was around 1990. It was a lot of fun to work with him, but he likes to work in what I call 'Manson time', which is nothing like most people work [laughs]. He likes to work through the night and sometimes he won't sleep for days. It just became too exhausting for me. I'm talking about the lifestyle and the whole thing around it, which he makes no bones about. If you're not careful, it can take a toll on you. After the mixing was done for the 'Born Villain' album, I just kind have had it. I was mentally burnt out and just physically exhausted. I also felt like I had done all I could have done with them, artistically speaking, within the rules of what makes Marilyn Manson. That's not a bad thing either, but I wanted to do other things".

http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/...e_anymore.html

[arkahno]

I really miss him in the band.

[303]

An honest response. He's a good guy Chris. I miss him around. But I'm kind of glad they didn't just get a keyboard hired gun for the sake of it.

[A Better Messiah]

Glad to hear that he doesn't have anything necessarily "bad" to say about Manson. Says a lot about him as a professional and also his work with the band. I miss Chris' presence (and mostly a live keyboardist at all!) but hopefully his departure was for the best. I was just thinking today about how sad it is that both he and Ginger Fish left during the same Era. If they would have stuck with this tour really could have been something to talk about. (Not that I don't think it's going well or that I'm unimpressed with Sutter, who is fantastic on drums.)

[Terrapin]

Enjoyed this quote:

Vrenna says he still feels the effects of his stint in Manson's band: "It's been what, 8-9 months since I left the band? It took me 6 months to just be able to go to bed at a normal time. We would start working at 8PM at night, so it was like a autoworker working a third shift. I used to get excited when I would get home before the sun would rise. Just doing everyday stuff like going to the bank or doing your laundry was not easy during those years. But I wouldn't change it for anything."

Not just anyone can work with Manson. Takes a different kind of individual. Couldn't respect that more.

Now bring on Oct. 23rd already.

[Mansoniser]

The new Tweaker song with Jessicka is so amazing and I am so really happy they've worked together

[kleiner352]

As a big Vrenna fan (both in and outside of MM) I miss him in the band and think he contributed a lot to the last couple records but I am glad he left on his own terms and is doing his own thing now. Of all the ex-members I'd say that he and John 5 seem to have had the most amicable and no-hard-feelings type of split from the band and they've both done some awesome things on their own since.

[Cringeon]

And not being a member of the live band doesn't mean they may work together in some aspect. Chris has made it known for a long time he feels really suited to studio work, and I don't doubt being on tour makes it hard to make commitments to projects outside the tour.

[Manichaeist]

just kinda feels like if Chris Vrenna had nothing to do with the last few records, no one would have noticed the difference

I dunno. He seems like a cool guy and all but his drum ideas were shit, production philosophy lackluster and songwriting mundane. Good luck to him and all but the dude's a bit player at best.