long live the king
in the basement of an old Art Deco theatre in Los Angeles, the man known as King Diamond arrives with a strange aura of calm, a mystery man of gothic elegance and few words in a top hat and demonic facepaint. It’s the small crowd of VIP fanatics who look nervous, as they line up to meet the iconic singer and his band.
Diamond - real name Kim Bendix Petersen - is near the end of 23 tour dates across the US, raging and shrieking through songs from his nearly four-decade career. These are his first shows to include regular fan meet-and-greets. He’s known to the metal faithful as both solo artist and the hugely influential, multi-octave voice of Mercyful Fate, and the reactions can be extreme, as fans take turns posing for snapshots and bearing gifts.
“Great to meet you,” says one dude as he shakes Diamond’s hand, impulsively hugging the Dane. Another fan is so nervous he can barely look at Diamond, who smiles warmly, his eye-sockets painted black. A woman in a Misfits shirt and shorts, her legs covered in tattoos, asks for an autograph on her thigh.
For many of these fans, Diamond is a monumentally important
