There was a time, back when Ministry were at their pomp with albums such Psalm 69 and the "Jesus Built My Hotrod" single/video, when the early With Sympathy and Twitch albums were generally looked on with disdain. This was Ministry, a band loved by fans of industrial, metal and punk music due to main man Al Jorgensen's uncompromising ethic and fierce approach to music that brushes brutality. The fact that the first couple of albums were of the synth-pop persuasion was, to many, an aberration. Twitch is a little more darkwave than With Sympathy, but still. Where was the crunch?
But time has a way of softening previously hardened beliefs. And let's be fair, it wasn't only the fans who had effectively shunned those albums--Jourgensen had left them behind too. At some point in recent years though, both the frontman and the fans had given them a listen with fresh ears, a few more miles on the clock, and realized that there's a lot to enjoy. Also, in 2025 context, they both sound heavier than we remember. This wasn't Kajagoogoo.
At last year's Cruel World Fest, Ministry revisited those albums for a crowd made up of nostalgia-seeking new romantics and goths. That was a wise move. Jourgensen must have enjoyed himself, because he decided to take the show on the road. Also, they released the Squirrely Years Revisited compilation of their synth-pop output, in March of this year.
At the Hollywood Palladium, Jourgensen and his bandmates emerged in sequined jackets alongside two backing singers (The Squirrelettes), suggesting early on that this wasn't going to be a normal Ministry show.
From there, the show blasted by. Just 13 songs including two encores, it really did feel very short and sweet. That said, it was more about quality then quantity. They opened with "Work for Love" and then "Here We Go" from the first album. "All Day" from Twitch was next, before "I'll Do Anything For You," from the Trax! Box comp.
"Over the Shoulder" was a highlight, as was a killer "(Everyday Is) Halloween." Two covers made up the encores -- Fad Gadget's "Ricky's Hand" and Rod the Mod's "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy" (which Jorgensen covered with Revolting Cocks rather then Ministry but who cares -- it works).
Two awesome bands from the industrial sphere warmed Hollywood up for Ministry. German band Die Krupps have a military pastiche vibe, similar to that of Front 242. Intense and unrelenting, they would have pleased anyone in attendance who didn't know Ministry weren't going to be performing their heavier material.
Conversely, My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult were an ideal choice for this particular Ministry show. Their sleazy electro-disco thang was perfect, with the likes of "The Days of Swine and Roses" offering the crowd some chant-along lines to lube their throats.
MLWTTKK have long been one of the more underrated bands from the industrial (or industrial-adjacent) scene, and they slayed in Hollywood.
