They’ve been hugely influential throughout their 27-year run, as they’ve consistently broken new ground in the industrial metal genre, and also infiltrated the mainstream courtesy of the platinum-selling success of their diabolic masterwork Psalm 69 (cited as an influence by The Edge, who also paid a sartorial tribute of sorts when he sported a Jourgensen-style look during the Popmart tour), not to mention their appearance in the Spielberg/Kubrick sci-fi epic AI.
As you would expect, the group have a decidedly menacing stage presence; they generate their foreboding industrial hum from behind wire-metal fencing, whilst Jourgensen’s crucifix-shaped mic-stand is festooned with animal skulls. For good measure, a couple of video screens spew an atrocity exhibition of psychedelic imagery, paranoid political commentary and mangled news clips. Needless to say, the charged atmosphere results in much frenzied mosh-pit action. All in all, it’s a long way from Michael English.
Sonically, Ministry have the kind of brutality one more readily associates with the Christian Brothers, but it’s a potent din; a wrecking machine of abrasive guitars, thunderous electro rhythms and pounding drums. Jourgensen, whilst remaining relatively static behind his mic-stand, is nonetheless a magnetic frontman, eyeballing the crowd and intermittently stirring to encourage the mosh-pit contingent.
The encore is magnificent, with the band delivering a blistering take on ‘Just One Fix’, with indelible images from the song’s video (which featured William Burroughs) playing on the screens. They also do a fantasic industrialised version of ‘What A Wonderful World’, at the climax of which black and white balloons drop down on the audience. It’s so good, the crowd actually break off from fighting long enough to watch the band.
Overall, this was a brilliant performance and a fitting way to bring the – no doubt black velvet – curtain down on Ministry’s career. To paraphrase their fellow seminal industrial act Coil (who, sadly, are also no longer with us), right to the end, they continued to smile in the face of perversity.