Fetish Revolution feat. The Genitorturers - Marquee Theatre - 2/15/14

Fetish Revolution feat. The Genitorturers Marquee Theatre 2/15/14

Last night, society's outcasts, kink-cravers, pleather-wearing thrillseekers, and those looking to enjoy some pleasures of the flesh dressed in their finest and freakiest fetishistic wear made their way to the Marquee Theatre in Tempe for the 10th annual Fetish Revolution.

This is a place where social status, day jobs, or other such concerns didn't particularly matter -- unless, of course, you are known for being the fastest flogger in the West. Decadence, desire and flesh were in abundance, clad in masquerade masks, latex, leather and studs. People came to let their freak flags fly and to let their innermost desires out to play, or maybe to get a taste of something wicked.

And they also came to see the hellacious antics of notorious industrial metal band The Genitorturers perform.

As I walked into this fiend fest, New York-based electronica/goth musicians Valerie Gentile and Abbey Nex were jamming onstage while the event was in full swing.

Upon entering the Marquee's concert hall, there was a large stage near the sound booth featuring flogging and spanking stations. And at that moment, a guy in his 50s (bedecked in a thong, nipple clamps and ball gag) and a curvy girl in her 20s wearing latex lingerie, were on the receiving end of some whipping pleasure.

Many others throughout the venue were also dressed to impress and getting in some adult-oriented antics. The VIP area was packed, and for most of the evening there was a girl laying on a table while patrons dipped cookies and treats into the chocolate sauce and whipped cream that was drizzled onto her body. She giggled and squirmed the majority of the time, laid out like a human sushi platter.

Walking past the vendors peddling paddles, pasties, and cock cages, I couldn't help but marvel at the lines of people browsing their wares. Granted, it isn't my first thought to buy sex toys at an event such as this, but it was clearly the intentions of many.

At midnight, right before Genitorturers hit the stage, there were some live suspensions of an artistic nature put on by local body mod troupe LifeSuspended and Midori that resembled a spectacle of erotica and torture.

A girl awash in blue body paint had about 10 flesh hooks on the front her body. An azure light illuminated her as she hung over the crowd and held a machete while a strange clarinet solo sounded. And then a gong struck and she cut herself loose using the knife as opera music started up. As she danced midair, I couldn't help but be reminded of the film The Fifth Element.

Fetish Revolution co-promoter James Bound played the role of MC following the LifeSuspended performance, introducing local goth goddess Suzy Homewrecker before shouting out, "Whose ready for a little pain? And little torture? Celebrating 20 years of depravity, here's Genitorturers!"

As the Fetish Revolution headliners came on, one couldn't help but feel a little excited. The band is known for their crazy erotic stage shows, so it was a perfect fit for something like the party. For more than 20 years this band has been kicking ass when it comes to theatrics and their high energy on stage.

Front woman Gen came out in a Gestapo hat and skeletal mask, her bleached blonde hair flying wildly around as she headbanged around stage to tracks from their classic albums 120 Days of Genitorture (1992) and Blackheart Revolution (2009).

One of the band's first stunts involved a man wearing a weird baby mask and a robe wandering onto the stage during the song "Jackin' Man," whom Gen started to grinding on before he -- in the spirit of the song -- decided to pull out a strap-on and stroke it.

About five songs in Gen yelled at someone in the front rows, "Do you want to suck the bass player's cock?" before a girl with a green Mohawk got on stage and led her latex-covered gimp (who was adorned in an animal mask) around for awhile, whipping him mercilessly.

Then Gen put on top hat with feathers and black fur cape for a sensual track where she's slinked round the stage and jutted out her hips suggestively to the crowd. The band randomly brought up different fans throughout the performance to let them dance -- or get danced on -- in as sexual a manner as possible.

While the performance of Genitorturers was fantastic, I was expecting a little bit more from the crowd, which was somewhat docile. Okay, maybe docile is the wrong word. They were cheering, but the majority of the time there wasn't much movement. Maybe it was the mish-mash of rave attire, cross-dressers, piercings and tattoos, whips and chains, or maybe I was letting the sexual energy go to my head. Either way, the majority of the patrons' enthusiasm seemed directed towards each other.

Critic's Notebook:

What: Fetish Revolution featuring The Genitorturers at Marquee Theatre

Personal bias: Let's just say that there should be an age limit for corsets and bondage wear.

Overheard in the Crowd: There is no way I could possibly pick out one thing after seeing slaves led around on leashes, people tied to whipping posts, and seeing the personal sex lives of people of all ages trotted out for public display.

9 Tips for Using A Fake ID To Get Into A Show Here's How Not to Approach a Journalist on Facebook The 10 Coolest, Scariest, Freakiest Songs About Heroin The 30 Most Disturbing Songs of All Time