By: Tiffany Detzel
Edited by: Morgan Kohler
Time to lace up your best black platform dancing boots. The Hopium for the Masses tour is in full swing, featuring Front Line Assembly, Gary Numan and Ministry! All three bands are legends in the industrial rock genre, and they recently treated the patrons of Kemba Live to an unforgettable night of performances.
First up for the night was Front Line Assembly. It is not often the crowd roars loud for an opening band, but FLA has been around for decades and have rightfully amassed a following. Through heavy fog and a dazzling light show, their singer and guitar player (both with fantastic hair) never stopped interacting with the crowd. Old and new hits were enjoyed by all, as the crowd never ceased to dance and sing along. I greatly enjoyed my first time seeing FLA and recommend you do the same.
Next up was Gary Numan. This was also my first time seeing Gary perform and to say I was blown away is an understatement. Dark and moody vocals and beautiful yet heavy synth tunes dominated our ears. Gary gracefully danced throughout the performance. It was impossible to take your eyes off him. The crowd moved and swayed along with him and I felt like I was back at Goth Nights of my youth. During his set, a friend of mine said “It feels like he is trying to have sex with us” and I can’t think of a better way to sum up this experience.
Last to the stage was Ministry. It is always a treat to see these guys live and tonight was no exception. The band kicked off their performance with some Big Dick Energy, literally and figuratively. This is one of the songs from their new album “HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES.” A couple more new songs followed, including one titled “God Damn White Trash.” The crowd quickly started chanting along with this one; as I write, it is still stuck in my head. We were also treated to some classic favorites, and Singer Uncle Al (Jourgensen) could be seen making faces and pointing the mic to the audience throughout the set. The guitarist and bassist were quite entertaining to watch as well. They had such fun energy and continually demanded the crowd’s attention, which they were all too happy to give. I can’t recommend enough seeing Ministry live. There are still plenty of dates on this tour, so don’t miss out!
