This is not the same old madness, but a reworking of the past. Ministry came to Franklin Music Hall in Philadelphia and played a show of deep tracks and a reworking of their earliest years. Along for this wild ride in support were Die Krupps and My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult. Together, they make up what is being called The Squirrely Years Tour.

A cavernous black box of a space, Franklin Music Hall is located minutes off of 95 or 676 and has something very rare in a city venue: a parking lot. For a fee, you are a few short steps from the box office with very little effort. Once through the friendly, efficient security, a couple of merch booths are built into the lobby, which is separated from the hall by a curtain. Also in the lobby are some limited food options such as pizza, popcorn, and the like. The hall has extremely tall ceilings and a balcony running around the back and the stage left side. Bars up and down provide a number of craft beers and some simple cocktails. A large stage flanked by a massive PA system and an immense screen behind completed the setup.

Of course, Ministry brought along a couple of other bands, and the first one to take the stage was Die Krupps. They are an Industrial band from Düsseldorf, Germany, and according to the singer Jürgen Engler, playing in Philadelphia for the first time in about thirty years. With a synth-heavy sound, they are reminiscent of a bass-heavy KMFDM and play to a very full house. It seems everyone got the memo and arrived in time for the opening act. Their reward was a half hour of some outstanding music. Engler switches from German to English while singing and keeps up an energetic pace. At a couple of points, he played what can only be described as an industrial xylophone with large pipes of varying sizes sounding like an anvil. We need more of that!

Also in tow was My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, who, like Ministry, started in Chicago during the eighties and has spent time with Wax Trax Records. Gregorian chants filtered through the PA system and they took the stage and a bit of a surreal scene unfolded. A large portion of the audience raised their phones to record and from the back of the room it looked like hundreds of little versions of the stage all synchronized to the music.

Even though My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult has a similar background as Ministry, they have very much developed their own sound. They are still Industrial Metal, but keep a dance beat going and would be at home in almost any club. The four-piece operation includes keyboards, drums, bass, vocals, and a collection of samples. Soon enough, the phones were all dow,n and the crowd was moving to the music. With songs like “A Daisy Chain 4 Satan” and “Sex On Wheelz,” it would take a lot of effort not to get wrapped up in this cult.

As much fun as it was watching the two openers, that was nothing when compared to what Ministry was about to unleash on Philadelphia. This was not the usual Ministry show, but rather a look back at their beginnings with a bit of an update. Eight of the fifteen songs came from the band’s first two albums, With Sympathy (Arista Records) and Twitch (Sire Records), and the crowd knew them all well. Al Jourgensen promised everyone a trip down memory lane and dressed the part. Several members of the band were wearing sequined jackets and looked a lot like a seventies prom band. Two backup singers filled out the sound, and the fun being had on stage came through the music. With eight people on stage, there was a very full sound and the only thing missing was a horn section. Keyboardist John Bechdel covered that base admirably.

Al Jourgensen has always had a bit of an impish streak and it was most evident as the show progressed towards the end. The regular set closed with a song that seldom gets performed, “Every Day Is Halloween,” but that was just the beginning. A fantastic cover of Rod Stewart’s “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy” closed out the evening.

The tour continues into June on the west coast and then off to Europe. Al Jourgensen has hinted that there may be one more album and a final tour to follow, so if you ever think you might like to see Ministry, DO IT NOW.

Ministry setlist:
Work For Love
Here We Go
All Day
I’ll Do Anything For You
Same Old Madness
’Cause We’re In Love Again
I’m Falling
Just Like You
Over The Shoulder
We Believe
Effigy (I’m Not An)
Revenge
(Everyday Is) Halloween

Encore:
Ricky’s Hand (Fad Gadget cover)
Do Ya Think I’m Sexy? (Rod Stewart cover)

Buy Ministry music and merch here:
https://amzn.to/44OOyQ0

WRITTEN BY MATTHEW KOCHEK

PHOTOS BY KIM HANSEN @PHARMADIVER
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