The Commodore Ballroom doesn’t often tremble under the weight of raw electronic aggression, glam sleaze, and iron-fisted rhythms all in one night—but when MINISTRY returned to Vancouver with their SQUIRRELLY YEARS tour, they didn’t just roll through. They detonated. Flanked by genre-mates Die Krupps and My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, the evening unfolded like a sacred industrial pilgrimage, drawing out a sea of black-clad disciples who came to dance, rage, and exorcise whatever the modern world has been choking them with.
Die Krupps – Mechanical Might with a Pulse
Germany’s Die Krupps started the night with surgical efficiency and an unapologetically metallic snarl. Their blend of EBM and industrial metal sounded like the soundtrack to a dystopian uprising—and judging by the crowd’s immediate response, it was the perfect way to jolt the night into motion.
Jürgen Engler stood center stage like a general, delivering hits like “To the Hilt” and “Robo Sapien” with machine-precision. It was cold. It was powerful. It was exactly what the fans craved to open the gates.
What stood out wasn’t just their power, but their connection. Despite their legacy status, the band made the room feel intimate, even approachable. After their set, they were spotted at the merch table, talking to fans with a genuine openness that you don’t always get from scene veterans. It’s rare to see a band balance industrial aggression with such humble, grounded energy. Die Krupps managed to do both—delivering a relentless sonic assault on stage, then chatting like old friends just a few steps away. Their set set the bar high and reminded everyone in attendance why they’re still considered one of the genre’s cornerstones.
I had the chance to speak with them briefly—and in the spirit of that encounter:
War schön, euch am Merch-Stand zu treffen – danke für das Gespräch!
My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult – Sleazy, Synthy, and Sublime
Thrill Kill Kult slithered onto the stage next, bathing the venue in purple lights, campy sex appeal, and a hypnotic pulse that demanded hips to move. Buzz McCoy and Groovie Mann never disappoint—and tonight was no exception. Dressed like the lovechild of a cult leader and a lounge act from Hell, Groovie worked the crowd like a possessed cabaret host on ecstasy.
“A Daisy Chain 4 Satan” and “Sex on Wheelz” throbbed with sleazy charm and dangerous swagger, and the crowd was fully onboard for the ride. Their set felt like a decadent fever dream—a sleazoid synth circus spun from glitter and gasoline.
MINISTRY – Unearthing the Past with Relentless Fire
When Al Jourgensen and MINISTRY took the stage, the room shifted. This wasn’t the scathing political version of MINISTRY some fans expected—this was something more personal, more primal. The SQUIRRELLY YEARS tour is a resurrection of the early days, when MINISTRY’s sound was still mutating and experimenting, drenched in synthpop, post-punk, and proto-industrial.
They opened with “Work for Love,” and immediately it was clear: this wasn’t just nostalgia—it was rebirth. The crowd, a mix of veteran rivetheads and curious newcomers, exploded. Despite being a 19+ event, the energy in the room felt multigenerational. There were older fans who looked like they were fans from day 1 and walking out of a 1988 video shoot, standing side-by-side with fresh faces discovering what industrial sounds like when it’s raw and alive.
The setlist read like a long-lost mixtape found in a bunker:
“Here We Go,” “All Day,” “Same Old Madness,” “Just Like You,” and “Over the Shoulder” all punched through the fog with renewed life. “I Wanted to Tell Her” and “Revenge” brought the early era’s strange blend of vulnerability and attitude into the present, while “Halloween” ignited an audible wave of joy from longtime fans. Even “Ricky’s Hand,” a cover of Fad Gadget’s cult classic, hit with reverent electricity.
Al, ever the enigma, stood under layers of dreadlocks, shades, and post-apocalyptic mixed with glittery rhinestones chic—gritty, sparkly, and commanding. He didn’t speak much, but when he did, it was with a smirk and a venomous wit. The music did the heavy lifting, and it was more than enough.
Then came the encore—a perfectly bizarre cherry on top: a cover of “Do You Think I’m Sexy?” featuring Josh Bradford of The Revolting Cocks. It was ridiculous. It was raucous. It was exactly the kind of left-turn ending MINISTRY fans live for. Laughter, chaos, and synths all smashed together as the Commodore roared its approval.
A Night Burned into Circuit Boards
This show wasn’t just a throwback—it was a time machine rebooted with fire and ferocity. MINISTRY proved that their early material still has teeth, and when delivered with this level of raw energy and updated arrangement, it feels surprisingly urgent.
Die Krupps brought the steel. Thrill Kill Kult brought the seduction. MINISTRY brought the reckoning.
And Vancouver? It brought the bodies to the altar. So much so that they had to offer a second night as the first sold out so fast.
Were you there?
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