MF DOOM Live In Lyon, France [Exclusive Photos + Behind The Scenes]

Last Saturday the infamous Metal-Face DOOM was performing in Lyon, France at the 10th annual L'Original festival. As with all things Okayplayer-ish that go down in that part of the world (cf. Cody ChesnuTT, Killer Mike, Migueletc. and etc.) our guy Mr. Mass was on the scene (in spite of himself--"everytime I get out...!") . Since he's not only a top-notch photog but also one of the selct few mortals who personally knows the man behind the metalface, this one is as much an adventure travelogue as a photo essay. Read his firsthand account below:

I've been a DOOM fan forever (and a DOOM-friend as well) I was supposed to go to this festival to do a No(w)FUTUR happening with DJ SimSima but the promoter never called back. He just disappeared so there was no way I was getting there, spending money to travel my way to some corny festival with a promoter that don't take my calls. But then DOOM--who's famous for not showing up or sending robots in his place--missed his plane and went by train instead. So I got a call from MC*5 to pick him up in Paris (since we're among the few to know his real identity/face) and put him on a train to Lyon. I ended up travelling with him and having lots of fun. The show started at 1 o'clock; no lights on--or mostly dark lights--and a huge screen showing a DOOM video while he does his villain routine. The show went great and the crowd was happy, but the best part is seeing all those kids that know every word of every song. By rights DOOM should be more related-to by 40-something people like me but no; there is still so much fascination about his mask and whether it's him or not. He was like Daft Punk before Daft Punk, I guess...

Then click through the ill photos above; between the lighting, the metalface and DOOM's trademark ominous style (he tends to stalk the stage and spit more than your conventional get-hype rappers) the images read less like a flip-book and more like a series of Warhol-esque silkscreen portraits in a rainbow of candy colors.