Monday, July 03, 2006

Lame Ministry concert turns into anti-Bush rally

Slightly off topic? Perhaps, but it is a holiday, and besides, it's a political story about a former Chicagoan and his band's Chicago concert.

Crossposted at Marathon Pundit, next to my fab Beatles post.

Chicago's House of Blues played host to cult-act Ministry Saturday and Sunday. Ministry's best known song is "Everyday (is Halloween)," and that's only because the song was used in a beer commercial, I think for Old Style Light, in the 1980s.

Ministry is led by BDS-sufferer Al Jourgensen. They're a hard group to label musically, but goth and industrial seem to feet the bill for the one-time Chicago based band.

Here's an excerpt of an unfavorable review of Saturday's gig by Bob Gendron of the Chicago Tribune--free registration required:

With goofy images of a cowboyed-up President Bush and the message "Our Texas Heritage" projected against a large white backdrop, Ministry plunged full bore into "SenorPeligro," the condemning visuals leaving nothing to the imagination.

The frenetic song was the second of nine consecutive opening shots Ministry fired at Bush's administration and wartime actions during the first of a two-night stand Saturday at the House of Blues, the group's thematic approach decidedly similar to a visceral concert it played in town at the Vic in October 2004. But this time around, the results weren't as convincing.

Ministry comptroller Al Jourgensen has built a career on savaging Bush presidents. Adorned in all-black outfit complete with protective arm pads, he got his kicks mocking the current leader of the free world on "The Great Satan" and "Rio Grande Blood."

Encouraging the packed audience to participate in the political protest, Jourgensen frequently interacted with fans via hand gestures and clownish facial expressions. Yet despite his spirited animation, the former Chicagoan has lost a step, age lessening his physical movement and rowdiness. The 47-year-old strapped on a guitar just twice during the 90-minute show, and rather than scamper around, primarily pointed at soloing band members and let prerecorded samples do the heavy lifting. Jourgensen also had trouble singing above the din, the relentless barrage of blinding beats and speed-metal riffs rendering many of his distortion-filtered verses unintelligible.

In short, Ministry's leader Jourgensen didn't sing well, didn't move around well, played his guitar on just two songs, and even his Bush Derangement Syndrome act wasn't very good.

Moron Jourgensen, from Stuff Magazine in 2003:

What's your most memorable drug experience?

Tripping with Timothy Leary and shooting heroin with William Burroughs. Burroughs doesn't live on this planet. Basically, we talked about eradicating the raccoons from his petunia garden. We finally decided on dosing them with methadone. That slowed them down enough for Bill to take out his .38 and scare them away.

Since it appears that Jourgensen's musical career is winding down, what could be Al's next move?

In this article, Jourgensen, who holds a master's degree in history, it's mentioned that the Ministry leader hopes to become a university professor.

Given the current state of Moonbat-ism in academia, Jourgensen will fit right in.

12 comments:

So-Called Austin Mayor 10:53 PM  

John,

As much as I hesitate to interject mere facts into one of your postings, but the highest charting -- and best known -- Ministry song was 1992's "N.W.O." which reached no. 11 on the modern rock charts. The video is available here: http://tinyurl.com/mcu72

But it is too bad that when asked about his past illegal drug use, Mr. Jourgensen didn't say something vague and evasive -- something presidential like, "When I was young and irresponsible, I was young and irresponsible," or "I could have passed the [FBI] background check on the standards applied on the most stringent conditions when my dad was president of the United States - a 15-year period." You know, not an actual denial but an obfuscation of the truth.

And "cult-acts" play Tuesdays at the Empty Bottle, they don't sell out back-to-back shows at the House of Blues.

Anonymous,  11:19 PM  

Adding to Austin's post:

Why is it ok for conservative entertainers like Schwarzenegger, Krauthammer and any number of country acts to promote their political beliefs, but it's somehow not ok for the left to, ya know, also excercise their 1st Amendment rights?

Perhaps you forget just what our Founding Fathers fought for 230 years ago, Marathon... but Jourgensen just tried reminding you (you, obviously, chose to remain ignorant).

Anonymous,  12:50 AM  

Arnold's a politician now. Isn't Krauthammer a columnist? His primary method of entertaining is by punditry, setting him apart from movie/music stars who then comment on political issues. The primary challenge to the Dixie Chicks is to 'shut up and sing'. Streisand - 'shut up and sing, or failing that, use spellcheck'. 'We liked you as entertainers, don't ruin it by acting like celebrity status gives some special insight us peons need to hear'.

As long as we're playing straw man duel, why is it OK for the celebrity left to say stuff without being challenged by rank and file citizens exercising their own 1A rights?. The answer is, it's OK for the left to say whatever they want. Just don't whine when it isn't met everywhere with absolute sycophantic praise.

on ministry -
The only thing Jourgensen reminds me is that the first amendment is wasted on some people.
Few bands age well. I was done with Ministry after (yawn) Filth Pig. Give me back my $16, Alain! The older stuff I liked hasn't aged well for me. (sigh) It'a been a lonnng time since Lollapalooza '92, Riverfront Amphitheater.

But wait - Ministry has a new album where they rail against the ruling class and erosions of freedom, and mock the President as a stupid, powerhungry, warmongering cowboy? Where the whole thing is offered up as a protest to a war in the gulf? Where established religions are held up for ridicule? Count me in!

But, then, I already have a copy of 'Psalm 69:Succeed/Sucks Eggs'.

Maybe I could buy the new one to fill out the library, there's probably room on the shelf next to 'Blues Brothers 2000'.

So-Called Austin Mayor 8:26 AM  

This post shows that the blogosphere now has its entire head up its own ass.

uh... thanks for poking your head in there, Larry?

Marathon Pundit 7:11 PM  

Well no one has poked his or her head up there...

HOB has a capacity of 1300. Not huge.

Country acts don't obliterate their audience with conservative politics, Krauthammer and Arnold don't tour with rock bands.

The intent on my post is that people take Jourgensen seriously, but in reality he's a smack-shooting, mentally disturbed nutcase with an unhealthy obsession with Bush 1 and Bush 2.

Anonymous,  12:31 AM  

Your an idiot and should be ashamed at posting such drivel. The fact that this is where you want to take the dialouge shows how little you really have to say.

On another note, it really says something when even hard-metal acts feel the need to remind people that Bush is the worst President ever.

The Inside Dope 5:40 AM  

Obviously, according to the author of this post, Ministry can't be good, and Jourgensen must be a washed up has-been if they don't like Bush and aren't afraid to say it.

Nothing is as accurate a barometer of artistic talent as the amount of support for George W. Bush or upfront lack thereof.

Or is that a stupid way to judge talent?

Anonymous,  10:48 AM  

"The intent on (sic) my post is that people take Jourgensen seriously, but in reality he's a smack-shooting, mentally disturbed nutcase with an unhealthy obsession with Bush 1 and Bush 2.'

As opposed to some hack who is constantly reminding people how many marathons he runs in (the running which has probably replaced some substance or psycho-sexual issue) and has an unhealthy obsession with third-rate, fringe university faculty. Sounds like the “moonbats” have found love.

Anonymous,  10:56 AM  

Arnold used his celebrity to do the same thing Dixie Chicks, Streisand and others did (ie, excercise their 1st Amendment rights to express their opinions).

I still enjoyed the Terminator movies, etc. (though Mr. Freeze was a bit of a dud)... And I knew 'Ahnold' was a conservative -- I didn't expect him to shut up and act and, unlike conservatives, I didn't let his political leanings distract from my entertainment choices.

And, yes, Krauthammer is an entertainer. So are Bob Novak, Molly Ivins, Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, Garrison Keillor, etc. They are there to earn advertising dollars for the media outifts which run them and they do so by pontificating. It's the same as acting on tv or singing on stage -- just a different form.

When you write "The answer is, it's OK for the left to say whatever they want. Just don't whine when it isn't met everywhere with absolute sycophantic praise."

That's an odd way of looking at it considering most on the right don't simply stop at the countering of their opinions through facts and expressions of opinion (ie, actually debating the merits of their opposing viewpoints). It would be nice if conservatives actually positively excercised their 1A rights instead of immediately running to the gutter...

No, instead most conservatives contradict themselves by whining that those on the left ought to just "'shut up and sing' ... 'We liked you as entertainers, don't ruin it by acting like celebrity status gives some special insight us peons need to hear'."

You can't have it both ways -- either you want Americans to be able to excercise their 1A rights and truly debate their viewpoints or just want people you disagree with to shut up and sing (though actually you wouldn't want *me* to sing, trust me).

Maybe, Mr. Anonymous, you need to reevaluate your self-contradictions. Put on some soothing Streisand and think on that for a while.

(And John, if you don't think some country acts don't rev up the conservative politics ... well, maybe Larry Horse was right.)

Marathon Pundit 7:54 PM  

As opposed to some hack who is constantly reminding people how many marathons he runs in (sic>

Past or passive voice would've been correct.

Please enlighten me on my posts where I've reminded people "how many marathons (I've) run....

Anonymous,  8:07 PM  

"Run" would assume you actually finished, which cannot be confirmed. "Run in" is akin to "participated in" and is therefore correct.

Anonymous,  10:45 PM  

nwburbs -

It's easy for this Libertoid conservative to ignore Alec Baldwin's antics. Movies are like that. You don't get his views thrown in your face in Cat in the Hat or Pearl Harbor. He's a damn good actor onscreen/stage. 'Schuette Balls' from SNL makes me nearly pisstrou everytime I watch it. Doesn't change the fact that I think he's the second coming of Massengill when he hops on the soapbox.

Or Letterman, also enjoy him on show, except the time he got all goofy about Cindy Sheehan. "Honest to Christ, Honest to Christ, folks, her son died..." (and therefore, debate is quashed. Anything that comes out of her mouth is axiomatic truth..). Well, HTC, DAve, would you feel the same way if her son died and she thought we should nuke every Iraqi woman and child and put all their men in service as grease for tank treads?

(And I may hve grown too old for Ministry, but I still ain't old enough to dig Barbra...)

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