Ministry - In case You Didn't Feel Like Watching

MINISTRY

In Case You Didn’t Feel Like Watching

Ministry, Chicago’s foremost Industrial band, puts on a spectacular live show for those brave souls who dare to attend. For those who don’t, there is Ministry: In Case You Didn’t Feel Like Showing Up. 

This 58-minute, eight song video tries to capture the power, intensity and catharsis of a Ministry concert and succeeds to large extent. Filmed during the ’89-’90 Ministry tour, it shows Alain (Alien?) Jourgensen and the guys in all of their horror, irony and glory. 

It begins with twin burning censers on either side of a chain link fence which separates the band from the audience, as they flicker to the rhythmic pulsations of two sets of drums. With a blinding burst of light, the drums explode full force into “Breathe” from The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste album.  Amid the slam dancing and stage diving, we see Al with the cowboy hat he has been prone to wearing, telling us “This is the world… It’s not working!”

The song is immediately followed by two killers off The Land Of Rape And Honey album: “The Missing” (about the M.I.A.’s fate in Vietnam) and “Diety” (about faith in God). These two are straightforward slammers, which burst into intensity with Al’s grinding vocals. 

Things chance pace a bit as Christ Connelly takes over the vocals and they launch into the hypnotic groove of “So What”. Now the film switches from the straightforward concert footage of the first three songs, into the dream-like quality it retains for the rest of the tape. 

With Jourgensen back on vocals, Ministry pounds out the single “Burning Inside”. During this song we see fire-eaters and plenty of burning bodies on stage and in the audience. We also get to meet the poor winner of “The Wheel Of Flame” game as he is strapped to a giant rotating wheel which is set on fire. 

Next up, Nivek Ogre (of Skinny Puppy) leads the voices for “Thieves”, the most visually striking of the performances. As “Thieves” switches back and forth from a funky groove to and acidic thrash fest, we see people climbing to the top of the chain link fence and diving head first, into the undulating crowd.

The show closing favorite follows: “Stigmata” . Al is back on the mic declaring: “You’ve run out of lies!” By the end of the song he has managed to insult every major religion, race, political affiliation and person in the crowd, but they love it. When the group exists the stage, everyone is screaming for more. 

After a brief pause, a lone figure appears on stage. It is Jello Biafra  (of Dead Kennedys) and he proceeds to recite his own version of the pledge of allegiance ending with the chant: “Burn, Baby, Burn!”

Ministry returns to the stage performing their Vietnam protest “Land Of Rape And Honey”. The vocals are shared by Alain and Ogre, while Jello does the political saluting, dancing and finger sucking.

The spectacle ends with a flag burning bang (literally) and everyone in the audience is physically and emotionally drained. And so is the viewer.

This video is an all-out attack on the senses. the images, music and messages expressed here may stay in your mind for a long time. 

The only failure of the video is that it’s too short. It would have been much better if it was as long as they actual concert. But then again, I guess it is the quality, not the quantity that counts.

This tape is not for everyone. It’s definitely not for the members of the conservative party nor the Moral Majority.  Just a warning in case you didn’t feel like watching.