Not that anyone cares, but below find my quasi-review of the Ministry show to the Killing Joke list (the Gathering)....
I'll post a longer, more detailed review later, but some thoughts re: Ministry last
night....
1. BB Kings Blues Bar was the *WRONG* venue to book this show. Too small (it was totally packed) and the sound is so compressed that it was akin to standing in front of a 747 engine for three hours.
2. Did not catch the Pitbull Daycare, and don't really feel a great deal of remorse.
3. I met my friend Christina (she from that fabled earlier photo with m'self and Raven on Andy's Gathering site) and her friend John and made it in no problem. Raven gamely put Peggy (my wife) on the list as well, but she couldn't make it (someone had to mind the kids), so my "date" or plus-one ended up being Julya (ex-FUSE veejay), who is a friend of John's. She was hungover and kinda unfriendly and was later seen being asked to leave the venue by security. Rock'n'roll!
4. The Revolting Cocks were easily the high point of the show. Opened with "Beers, Steers + Queers," and suddenly a wave of early-90's nostalgia swept over the room. Luc Van Acker has not aged well and is now a total buffoon. There is another vocalist who looks a bit like Crispin Glover/Hitler who I was unfamiliar with. And
he's a bit of an idiotic bore. But the rest of the band (featuring the odd ex-Skatenig, I believe) was great. The bass player (not Raven) is indeed a huge hottie, somewhat like vintage-era Corey from Nashville Pussy. They also played: "Attack Ships On Fire" (my personal fave), "D'ya Think I'm Sexy," "Let's Get Physical" and a rousing version of "Stainless Steel Providers." They also did a cover of "Dark Entries" (by Bauhaus), which was surprisingly
faithful. An excellent performance.
5. Lots of drunk idiots in the crowd. And sweaty males. Did not spot a SINGLE Killing Joke shirt (other than the one I was sporting).
6. Ministry come on. Bones on the mics. Projection behind at all times. Strobes. Raven a good two feet taller than his bandmates. Both Raven and Al sporting Jaz-esque black warpaint. Raven gets a pass for this, as far as I'm concerned, but try being original, AL!!!!
7. The Ministry set: lots and lots and lots and lots of new stuff. And ya know what? It's DULLLLLLLLLLL. Totally monocrhomatic. Very little deviation.
8. Tommy Victor must have made some pact with the devil, as he has not aged a day. He is also VERY energetic on stage. Man loves his work. He and Al Jourgensen, according to Raven, do not get on well, and Raven has to act as go-between.
9. It was Mike Scaccia's birthday. He was wearing a Lynyrd Skynyrd shirt. Most unfortunate, this.
10. Joey from Slipknot on drums -- Raven loves him (and evidently GEORDIE does to, so sayeth Raven), but he was clearly having a hard time keeping up. Couldn't tell if he was wearing a mask or not, but he's clearly a freaky lookin' dude.
11. Bechdel still has the `hawk.
12. Songs played in addition to new stuff: "N.W.O," "Thieves,"
"So What," "Just One Fix," and a truly dead-on-arrival limp
through "Stigmata" wherein poor Joey started to lose his place. Most unfortunate.
13. Al Jourgensen clearly has a lot to say about the Bush Administration and how this country is going down the toilet, but y'know what? For all anyone could hear (let alone decipher through his heavily treated, vocoded vocals), he could've just
been screaming out the names of all the State capitals. All gobbledigook.
14. It was VERY loud. No surprises there.
15. Raven - clearly enjoying himself, though seemed a bit upset onstage (it's always somewhat hard to distinguish these two expressions).
Met up with Raven afterwards, and we repaired to the bar at the Paramount hotel. Lots of gossipy chin-wagging ensued. Raven drank mineral water the entire time. Businss dealings with all things Killing Joke continue to be a stupefying mess, but he does not rule out re-joining the fold. Lots of bullshit and deception in the air, but Raven seems to approach proceedings from a "life's too short"
perspective, to his credit. GEMS OF POWER, as has been suggested, will probably never see the light of day. Raven was surprised to hear that the `Joke have evidently dropped the new material from their live set. For you Yank radio fans, evidently Raven and Al will be guests on Opie & Anthony today (which may have already
happened).
Overall, while it was great fun hanging out with Raven (who sends his regards to you all, though is not subscribed to the Gathering these days), the Ministry show was far from the best thing I've ever seen. Bring earplugs, if you're going.
Pictures to follow. Not many, though.
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 15 June 2006 15:11 (nineteen years ago)