Forty years ago, Sascha Konietzko started a little band as a performance art project, KMFDM. During the following years, there have been a few lineup changes,  albums released every year or so, regular tours and growing popularity. The band is one of the original Industrial bands, and to celebrate the milestone, they did what they do best: release a new album, tour, and perform. This time the tour took them to Irving Plaza in New York City and Ghost Cult was there to join in the fun. 

Irving Plaza is one of many old ballroom venues scattered throughout New York. Located a block from Union Square, it is well maintained and, interestingly enough, owned by The Polish Army Veterans Association of America and run by Live Nation. You enter downstairs to a bar, restrooms, and a merch area and then head upstairs to an open floor with another well-stocked bar. Only snacks are offered so eating before the show is probably best. A balcony with a few seats surrounds the floor and provides a great view of the stage. The security staff is professional and very thorough in their search when entering the venue. 

 

Earlier this year, KMFDM toured with the Swedish band Morlocks. Not wanting to change the winning formula, they did it again. It may also have a lot to do with the fact that both bands are long-time collaborators and Morlocks were discovered by KMFDM. Both bands have similar lineups. Both use a male and a female vocalist to provide a much broader vocal range. 

Morlocks opened their set with “Mean World Syndrome” from their most recent album Praise the Iconoclast (Metropolis Records) released in 2023. Fast-paced and featuring vocals from both Straus and Lamashtu, it set the tone for a high-energy evening.  Three other songs from the album including the anti-war song “Dicks In Tanks” made the set. A show in New York City can be an important one for a band and Irving Plaza is an important venue. Morlocks made the most of this opportunity and were repaid with some more recent fans attending. A group on the rail who appear not to be old enough to remember when “The S.N.A.F.U. Principle” came out in 2001 were singing along and feeding energy back to the band. The evidence suggests that the band is still growing in popularity and rightfully so. The seven-song, forty-five-minute set did not slow down for one moment and everyone was hoping for more.

The more that they got came in the form of KMFDM.

 

The first song of the set declares with the first line “KMFDM Sucks”. This is not a good indicator of what is in store for the rest of the evening but it is a brave and amusing choice. A lot of the songs mention the band name KMFDM which is an abbreviation of the German phrase Kein Mehrheit Für Die Mitleid. Loosely translated by the band as “no pity for the majority” it hints at the political message of anti-oppression, and anti-war. Their sound is European industrial and has an electronic dance beat that is more evident in the live performances, however, a lot of the performance can be guitar-forward. The most recent member to join the band is Andee Blacksugar, and he is the force behind that guitar. Lythe with spiked hair and, on this evening, a feather boa, his playing is crisp and stands out for its precision and mastery of the riffs used. “Airhead” showcases his playing and provides a brief rest before the band launches into what is almost a Thrash Metal song “A Drug Against War.” This may be the best example of the band’s style and message rolled into one song. 

Forty years of music leaves a lot to choose from and over the course of the evening twenty-two songs from thirteen albums as well as a piece from singer Lucia Cifarelli’s solo work made up the setlist. The music seemed to just keep coming and as an added treat, lead singer Sascha Konietzko’s daughter Annabella even provided vocals for “Professional Killer”. This was the first of six encore songs. Eventually, the show did end and so will the tour. Two dates at the Metro in Chicago on Halloween and November 1 will be the last two. If you missed this tour do not despair. After forty years there is plenty more and KMFDM will be at it again.

KMFDM Setlist:

Sucks

Light

Hyëna

Freak Flag

Beast

Airhead

A Drug Against War

Rebels In Kontrol

Godlike

Liebeslied

Blindface

Megalomaniac

Last Things

Terror

Touch

Adios

Encore:

Professional Killer (Guest vocals: Annabella Konietzko)

The Creeps (Lucia Cifarelli cover)

Push!

Rock’N’Roll Monster (Guest vocals: Andrew “Ocelot” Lindsley)

Juke Joint Jezebel

Paradise

 

WRITTEN BY MATTHEW KOCHEK
PHOTOS BY KIM HANSEN @PHARMADIVER
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