Ministry, legendary and six-time Grammy-nominated, started out in Chicago in 1981. Classically coming out of the sync-pop era, the band has conquered, divided and adapted to changing times over that 44 years. Drawing crowds wherever they go, many in the audience cross over demographics not typically associated with their 80’s club music influenced by an industrial feel like Ministry. “The Squirrely Years Tour” featured special guests Die Krupps and Nizter Ebb.
Die Krupps started the night off, this German industrial metal-EBM band has been around since 1980, touring the world over. The band’s name translates to “The Krupps,” a German industrial-era family dynasty active before and during World War II. The band has been a major influence in the industrial metal genre forging that heavy solid sound synonymous with industrial rock. Jürgen Engler and Ralf Dörper, two of the original members of the ban, are still at it, keeping Die Krupps‘ industrial style alive with Paul Keller on drums and the newest member of the band, initiated in 2023, Dylan Smith, on guitar.
Their opening song was “Nazis auf Speed,” then they went into a cover of Visage‘s “Der Amboss.” Most the songs after that— “Fatherland,” “Metal Machine Music” and “Human” — were all very heavy influenced by their industrial roots. Each track gave us a head-banging vibe; even if you were not aware of it, you found yourself moving your to the beat. You can see how they could become pioneers in this genre, and could hear their foundational influence in hundreds of industrial metal bands that followed after them.
The next time you are looking for some good old hardcore industrial metal, look up Die Krupps. You can follow a few of these links:
https://www.facebook.com/diekruppsofficial
https://www.instagram.com/diekruppsband
Nitzer Ebb formed in 1983 in England. Originally named La Comedie De La Mort, they kept chopping up their name to make it simpler to roll off the tongue. They wanted a more German sounding name, but not real German words—hence Nitzer Ebb. They identify has an EBM group influenced heavily by Die Krupps, and the two bands have toured together a few times. Their style is distinctly very ’80’s club influenced, very pulsating. You can hear a lot of their music on various soundtracks to movies like “Saw,” “NCIS,” and “Great Theft Auto.” With six studio albums, four EP’s, and four compilations, their sound is so universal you probably didn’t even know you were listening to them. Front man Bon Harris is in your face, making you want to know what he has to say.
For me, as they performed their songs, I kept thinking, “hey I know where I heard that song or heard that style before.” They opened their performance with “Control I’m Here,” followed by “Hearts and Minds” and then “Blood Money.” I spent the rest of the night convinced I had heard “Blood Money” in a movie, but when I got home, I realized it was “Control I’m Here” used in the 2002 “Firestarter.” So, see it could happen to you. Harris is a very high energy guy, moving across the stage like he is trying to make eye contact with every person in the crowd to talk to them.
You must go find these links they are so fun to listen to and even find yourself dancing.
https://www.facebook.com/NitzerEbbProduktTour
https://www.instagram.com/nitzerebb
Ministry, an American industrial metal band, was founded in Chicago, Illinois, in 1981 by producer, singer and instrumentalist Al Jourgensen. They started out as a synth-pop project but clearly pivoted toward pioneering industrial metal in the United States. Today, Jourgensen is the only original member of the band, but rumors suggest that he may be retiring soon, as touring has taken a toll on him and his family. Still, there is also an announcement that they have one more album in them they want to release. So, there is a lot of things to look forward to when it comes to Ministry.
The band entered the stage one person at a time, with Jourgensen last. The crowd went crazy, cheering and called out Jourgensen’s name. The crowd age range was primarily 30 to 70-year-olds, with nearly half of them dressed in pure ’80s goth outfits. If you looked in the right spot, you would think you were in a goth club—the kind of dancing I hadn’t seen since the ’80s was in action all over the place. It is amazing how a song can bring back memories.
Their opening song was “Work for Love,” and then they performed “Here We Go” and “All Day,” before launching into one of my favorites, “I’ll Do Anything For You.” I was glad I had taken all the pictures I needed to take so I could enjoy the rest of their performance.
I saw Ministry last year when they performed during Rob Zombie’s show, and now seeing them again this year, this band just keeps getting better. I know I cannot wait until their next album comes out. To stay updated add one of these links to your favorites.
https://www.facebook.com/WeAreMinistry
https://www.instagram.com/weareministry
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