For years, rocker Marilyn Manson's made a name for himself showing his dark side. But lately, he's been on the receiving end of that same luminescence, thanks to a shadowy cloud that's been hanging over him, especially at his live shows.

Thursday's performance in Huntington, New York was testament to what's been yet another off-night for the 49-year-old vocalist, who reportedly had a meltdown onstage.

Accounts from fans indicated that Manson started acting weirdly by getting the band to improvise, as he incoherently mumbled into the microphone while facing the rear of the stage. He tried to get the bewildered audience going with demands for applause, stopped songs abruptly, and angrily vacated the stage when his set was nearly over. If Manson was expecting an encore, he certainly didn't get one. Instead, patrons loudly demanded a refund.

Back in October, things were much rosier for Manson when he released his 10th album, Heaven Upside Down. Three days before Halloween, the record debuted at the top of the Bilboard alternative charts, selling 35,000 units and marking the first time the shock rocker scored a No. 1 position in that category. Thanks in part to the release of the record's first single, "Kill4Me," Heaven Upside Down also topped the hard rock charts, the fourth time Manson's achieved that feat.

The news should have marked an auspicious beginning for Manson's tour to support the album, but one month in, prospects started turning sour. Several tour dates were scratched when Manson suffered a broken leg when a stage prop fell on him. He also had to fire bassist, Jeordie White (aka Twiggy Ramirez), when sexual assault allegations started running rampant. Through all this, Manson also had to deal with the news that his former guitarist, Scott Putesky (aka Daisy Berkowitz), died after a lengthy battle with colon cancer. In November, the tour resumed, this time with Manson wearing a cast on his leg, although brandishing a prop rifle at a concert in California added yet another clipping to his bad-boy image.

In May, the Manson tour heads to Europe, ending with a show in France on June 29.