Synthesizers, sampling, heavy guitar riffs are all elements of the industrial music genre, known for the fantastic music and the high energy it brings to a crowd. And when you put a tour built around this style of music, it is certainly memorable. This happened when Ministry, Gary Numan, and Front Line Assembly performed at Hard Rock Live Orlando on March 23, 2024.
I was a little concerned when I arrived at door opening as the crowd was small at the start. It surprised me as Ministry has played this venue before and they packed it out. Before the first band went on stage, Hard Rock Live Orlando was packed heavy. The entire GA area was filled along with the balcony level. This was the crowd I was expecting. What I didn’t fully expect was the amount of people dressed in their best “goth” looks from the makeup to leather pants or skirts and boots galore. And of course the fans decked out in their Ministry merch from all different tours. It was awesome to see the support they had from this crowd. I was super excited for this evening as I had never seen Ministry live. I felt it was going to be a fun show and it was that and so much more.
First up was the Front Line Assembly from Canada. The band started back in 1986 after founder Bill Leeb (v0cals) left the band Skinny Puppy. The band’s first album The Initial Command was released in 1987 and over three decades would release fifteen more albums with their last one in 2021 titled Mechanical Soul. This was my first opportunity to see them live and their performance blew me away. With singles “I.E.D.”, “Vigilante”, and “Neologic Spasm”, they kept the energy high and the crowd moving. And you could tell this crowd knew them and appreciated their performance. The Orlando crowd was highly entertained with flashing strobes, a mix of super bright lights to nothing but shadows, and beats that had you bobbing your head and bouncing. I highly recommend seeing them if they come your way. You can find their music and merch at https://frontlineassembly.com.
Next was Gary Numan a new wave artist from the United Kingdom. Gary started with as the frontman for the band Tubeway Army in 1978. The band released two albums and then Gary started off on his solo career. The release of his single “Cars” from his solo debut album The Pleasure Principle was a smashing success with the single and album both going #1 in the UK. He would continue with his success over the next four decades releasing twenty additional albums. His last release was Intruder in 2021.
When Gary’s band members stepped out onto the stage they received a huge pop from the crowd. When Gary himself stepped out, the crowd exploded with cheers and screams. You could see from the smile on his face how much he appreciated the support. Gary and his band would deliver an amazing twelve-song set that included “The Chosen” and “Is This World Not Enough” from Intruder and others like “Everything Comes Down To This”, “My Name Is Ruin”, and “A Prayer for the Unborn”. Of course, Gary performed his most famous single “Cars” for the crowd. It was interesting to hear this live version with a heavier industrial vibe than the original released in 1979. I truly enjoyed this version. And Gary still has it. His vocals were amazing and his movements on stage were extremely engaging. I highly recommend seeing him at your first opportunity. You can find his music and merch over at https://garynuman.com.
And then it was time for our headliners Ministry. The industrial metal band from Chicago, IL forming together in 1981. They played their first live show in 1982 and released their first album With Sympathy in 1983. Over the next forty years, they would deliver fifteen more albums with their most recent album Hopeiumforthemasses released on March 1, 2024. Ministry headlined numerous tours and festivals over their forty plus year career and they had returned to Orlando once again to entertain us. Ministry consists of Al Jourgensen (vocals/guitar), Cesar Soto (guitar), Monte Pittman (guitar), Paul D’Amour (bass), Roy Mayorga (drums), and John Bechdel (keyboards).
They wasted no time kicking off their set with songs from Hopeiumforthemasses of “B.D.E.”, “Just Stop Oil”, and “God Damn White Trash”. I loved every song as it totally set the tone for the rest of the show that night. Each of these songs had great energy and heavy music. Al lead the crowd getting them to sing back the choruses. His frontman skills are superb and he held the crowd’s attention all night. After performing “New Religion” from their new album, Al said they were done with all the new shit and it was time to get back to the classics. The crowd roared with approval. Ministry kicked it up with a wonderful selection of older songs. On this tour, they performed for the first time “The Missing” and “Deity” both from the 1988 album The Land of Rape and Honey. They also performed “Stigmata” from the same album. And they closed the set out with “Jesus Built My Hotrod” from the 1992 album ΚΕΦΑΛΗΞΘ more commonly known as Pslam 69: The Way to Succeed and the Way to Suck Eggs. My favorite song from the night was hearing “N.W.O.” from the same album.
Ministry did come back for two encores that evening. Their final song was a cover of “Ricky’s Hand” from the band Fat Gadget. The nice surprise was Gary Numan coming out on stage to perform the song with them. It was such a fantastic set the crowd wanted more even after the second encore. You can find their music and merch at https://ministryband.com.
Ministry, Gary Numan, and Front Line Assembly delivered a spectacular show not to be forgotten. They only have a few more days on their tour, so if the opportunity arises to see them, do it. You will not regret it. And if not, definitely catch any of these bands if they come your way. All of them were incredible and I look forward to them all returning, especially Ministry.
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