Arielle Stevenson went to Ministry at Jannus Landing on Wednesday night. She came back with this:
I got my first tattoo while Ministry’s “Lay Lady Lay†played in the background. So naturally I had to watch the masses of black-studded industrial metalheads cheer the now-50-year-old Al Jorgensen last night at Jannus. The iconic mic stand, cattle head, handle bars etc. were placed behind three chain-link fences.
Jorgensen’s performance was studded with the signature multimedia affects, including wild video clips that targeted the Bush administration. One showed Dick Cheney hunting. A young guy, maybe 22, was carried out by security, his freshly punched face oozing blood, proving that Ministry can still bring the mayhem.
The lineup may not be entirely original Ministry men, but guitarist Tommy Victor played some incredibly face-melting solos. Also noteworthy was bassist Tony Campos.
For the first encore, the band busted out with “N.W.O.†The crowd went wild. The second encore kicked off with a cover of ZZ Top’s “Just Got Paid†off of 2008’s Cover Up. The show ended with a Ministrized version of the Rolling Stones’ “Under My Thumb,†and sent concertgoers off with a ringing in their ears.
I have to wonder though: On Ministry’s next “final†world tour, will Jorgensen’s famous mic stand be his walker?
