Industrial metal pioneers Ministry delivered their music to the masses to a sold-out Palace Theatre in Calgary on Tuesday night. Joined by new wave’s iconic Gary Numan and electro-industrial veterans Front Line Assembly, the lineup reminded us that there’s still a place for the raw, elemental sounds that can only be found in industrial music.
Front Line Assembly kicked off the night, putting on a provocative performance with synchronized visuals amid a dystopian-futuristic ambience. The live mix was expertly balanced across low frequencies, allowing the audience to hear the synthesizers in full force without losing the drums in the mix. Bill Leeb, Front Line Assembly’s founder and frontman, held a strong stage presence throughout the set. While his floor toms were a bit lost in the broader mix, the performance added to the overall mood of the music. Overall, a solid set that did justice to their nearly 40-year legacy.
Gary Numan, androgynous figurehead of 1980s new wave and electronic music scenes, drew attention with an emotive and characteristically synth-heavy performance. The audience was transported through eras from one of his formative early-80s hits, “Cars”, to his apocalyptically-inspired “My Name Is Ruin”. Numan’s captivating stage presence, combined with the band’s cohesive performance, was our definite highlight of the night. The mix was well-balanced for the audience. As expected of the genre – and rightfully so – synths dominated above all other elements.
Headliners (and 90s headline-makers) Ministry topped everything off with a setlist that rendered the audience wild. Backdrop visuals offered a nod to their controversial past with anarchistic symbolism, synchronized seamlessly with the music. Ministry’s outspoken founder/frontman, Al Jourgensen, took the stage behind his illuminated iconographic cross and delivered exactly what the audience came for with infamous hits “Jesus Built My Hotrod”, “N.W.O.”, and “Thieves”. Ministry finished off the night with encore “The Light Pours Out of Me” (a Magazine cover). Mix-wise, fans enjoyed a solid back-to-basics mix with a greater focus on drums, guitars, and bass.
Be sure to catch this tour in a city near you – this is not one to miss! Check tour dates and grab your tickets here.
SETLIST: FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY
SETLIST: GARY NUMAN
MINISTRY
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