Ministry live!

Ministry
House Of Blues, Chicago
Thursday, May 8, 2008

The first of Ministry’s four farewell shows (incidentally the first to be scheduled, leaving fans who jumped at tickets in the lurch) failed to be the celebratory death blow it promised, languishing in a mash of commercials, one-note punditry, and general indifference.

During the build-up to Ministry’s retirement, founder Al Jourgensen has been unequivocal in his reasons for letting go, mainly his label business and soundtrack work. Devious it was, then, when a trio of movie-trailer-style intros preceded the main event. The first was a full spin of Jourgensen’s ode to his beloved Chicago Blackhawks, “Keys To The City.” Next played the full film promo for Wicked Lake, a Russ Meyer twist on The Last House On The Left — for which Jourgensen composed the score. Finally, the house speakers blasted “I’m Not Gay,” the forthcoming single from the next project Jourgensen plans to surrender, Revolting Cocks.

Having been fed their commercials, the audience were ready to take whatever Ministry had to throw at them. (Not that you’d care, but IE‘s Trevor Fisher and I were filled with consternation, as we had forgotten to brush up on our deep cuts.) Yet, seen from the long view, the majority of the evening was campaign to boost Ministry’s most recent catalog additions. The entirety of the 13-song set derived from the so-called “Bush trilogy”: ruthless, rapid-fire thrash metal, to be sure, but buzz-killing to a crowd pumped up on Jesus And Mary Chain and Nitzer Ebb after the openers had finished.

But it wasn’t as if Jourgensen and co. put their heads down and pile-drived the House Of Blues. Behind his standard chain-link fence and Mad Max microphone stand, the industrial rock icon seemed about as lucid as Ozzy Osbourne, vacantly roaming the stage and clapping, an act that reached its nadir when he mis-introduced “No W” by bellowing, “Now we’re gonna play some old shit for ya! Here’s ‘N.W.O.!'” Modern Ministry material is far from embarrassing, but it lacks nuance and innovation especially when backed by a numbing video montage of the President, Osama Bin Laden, Hugo Chavez (casting a visage as stern as the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man), and the World Trade Center. The choice of “Khyber Pass” to close the chapter was particularly anti-climactic; its drone as stirring as watching a tire deflate — though such a sensation was appropriate.

“N.W.O.” — sung by Fear Factory’s Burton C. Bell — was one of only four “classics,” all of which were quarantined to the first encore. By the time it, “So What,” and “Just One Fix” (also sung by Bell while Jourgensen literally stood back and watched) arrived, their thrust had been robbed and clashed shrilly with a prevailing party vibe. The fact only Ministry will be retired and not Jourgensen leaves him an opening to atone; whether anyone who witnessed Thursday night would be willing to accept such an offer is another matter.

— Steve Forstneger

Category: Live Reviews, Weekly