KMFDM: Kein Mitleid Tour #2 - Toronto, Ontario

Oct
2

Posted by: Stephen Lussier

What can KMFDM do for you? Still rock your ass off - that's what! 25 years in the making has not slowed KMFDM's pace a single bit, as the band's concert at Toronto's Phoenix club on September 29, 2009 once again proved. Tons of fans eagerly lined up outside in a queue that extended onto the city's sidewalk heading north as far as the eye can see. Rain slowly begins to fall, but no one seems to care. They know exactly what they are in for once the doors open. A blanket of black KMFDM t-shirts inundate the outside of the building well before doors open, as if to confirm the loyalty that Sascha and the crew still receive - and continue to give right back to this day. There is no need for this confirmation, though. The love that diehard fans hold for KMFDM is and has always been nothing short of colossal. And finally, after a three-year hiatus of touring, North American fans get a chance to witness the electricity of the live show once again. There is an immeasurable distinction between the energy that these industrial rock leaders hold the ability to produce live versus their more polished studio work. And the wet crowd outside knows this all too well.

KMFDM has persevered through some significant lineup changes over the years, but based on the past few albums, the current assemblage has shown that the band can still deliver as good as ever. The band has now held off touring since the Hau Ruck Zuck tour of 2006. The end result is an extra two full-length album's worth of music to inundate the fans with on this, the Kein Mitleid 25th Anniversary Tour. This isn't just a tour to promote the band's 16th album, Blitz, nor is it to simply celebrate a quarter-of-a-century of music; this tour was made for the fans that demand to hear more of KMFDM's Ultra Heavy Beat!

Once inside, the atmosphere changes to that of eager anticipation and the reality of where everyone is standing becomes quite vivid. In the crowd, people compare notes of attended KMFDM shows, reveling in the past and hoping to relive those experiences tonight again. Opening band Angelspit leaves the crowd in a heightened excitement, and Sascha and Lucia take their places at their podiums center-stage. There is no doubt that they are in control of the masses below, and the masses seem thrilled to be controlled. Andy Selway moves into his behind the scenes drum kit as easily as putting on an old pair of shoes. Steve White casually walks up to the edge of the stage with one of the many FanKams that unquestionably already fill the hall, shooting the crowd as they raise their fists and scream to him. Jules Hodgson sizes up the crowd and hoists his guitar over his head in a wonderfully nonchalant manner. All of the places are filled and already the crowd cannot contain itself. "D.I.Y." kicks in with its signature horn fanfare as Lucia raises her arms up as if to honor her own magnificence to us all. Lucia Cifarelli holds strong as one of industrial music's sexiest and most dominant forces on stage and she has definitely earned the right to radiate this. Behind Sascha's dead-eye mirrored glasses, you can sense a bubbling beneath the surface as he holds his keyboard with absolute conviction. Immediately, the moshpit begins to heave forward toward the stage, slamming everyone together into a mass of chaos below the band. This is precisely what everyone has been waiting for and the crowd is determined to make the most of this moment. Pulsing beats of electronica and grinding guitars boldly raise the level of excitement in the crowd as KMFDM reinstates its position on the stage. Sascha and Lucia's brash vocals bounce back off of one another seamlessly as the frenzied multitude below drinks in every note. It is now a full-out KMFDM concert. At the climax of the song, the energy level in the house is so absolutely frantic that slamdancing maintains itself even throughout the slightest of gaps between the first two songs. With the flavor of the past still ringing in everyone's ears, KMFDM offers up a first live listen to "Bait and Switch" from Blitz, the newest album. The catalog that the band holds from 25 years of making music is so incredibly large, yet somehow, the band has to offer up at least a few of the new tracks just to give the people a taste of the new material. No one is disappointed as Lucia's voice overlaps Sascha's synthesizer intro, progressing the song into a rhythm that escalates with pounding guitar-soaked beats. They have proven in the first two songs alone that KMFDM remains a force to be reckoned with, be it with old material or new. Continuing the flow of new music, KMFDM lashes out again with 2007's "Tohuvabohu," an energy-filled song that practically demands audience vocal participation. And there is no doubt that everyone in the crowd is elated being involved with the chanting of "Tohuvabohu" at the top of their lungs over and over again. Not to say that only new stuff was to be played this night, by far. Classic gems like "Megalomaniac," "A Drug Against War," and "Light" delight fans of the band that hold dear the days of an earlier KMFDM. In the crowd, there stands an eclectic mix of fans both young and old, fathers with their sons, metalheads, rivetheads, goths, and everyone else under the sun that in one way or another has taken to the band. The playlist for this show does not disappoint a single one of them - KMFDM has provided a superb mix of old and new, creating a fantastic energy that engulfs everyone in the crowd into a single unified entity. As the show is in full-force, it is evident that the moshpit has grown larger and stronger, until it has reached a point almost halfway throughout the entire venue. The music has clearly taken over and all inhibition is lost for many in this audience. Frantic energy immediately takes you over and you instantly become one of the masses of mayhem-crazed fans. But amid this chaos, all eyes still remain on the stage as Käpt'n K and the band bolt out song after song of intense, pounding madness. There are no lulls in a KMFDM concert; you just jump onboard with everyone else and enjoy the bumpiest of rides. Andy's calculated and flawless drumbeats generate a constant that the crowd feeds off of more and more with each song, and electric guitar riffs from Steve and Jules on either side of the stage forces out more prominently than anyone would have imagined. This again demonstrates that the metal side of the band's sound issues forth much more so than what we are accustomed to listening to on the albums - it is a welcome emphasis. Rounding the end of the show where some bands begin to taper off, KMFDM pushes it harder and stronger with "Free Your Hate" and "A Drug Against War," leaving the crowd begging for more - much more - chanting "KMFDM sucks!" over an over again as tradition begets. The band's first encore, "WWIII," continues the show's satisfaction level as the band shuffles back into place. The song hits hard, almost as though no break had even occurred. They then proceed to follow this up with a fitting "Adios," and again sign off for the day as they wave another false goodbye to screaming, yelling, fist-in-the-air fans. "Godlike" capped off the show with the now exhausted but never tired mob engaged in repeating the chorus along with the band. Once the lights finally come up, you can see that not a single soul has been disappointed from the night. It has been an exhilarating and exhausting effort not only for the band but for the appreciative fans as well. Sascha finally signs off with a sincere and rock-solid "thank you" that truly exemplified the reciprocated admiration that both the fans and the band hold for each other.

One memorable moment in the show was when KMFDM again took the stage for the first encore. Andy began a steady military-style beat for a few seconds when Jules leapt in with his rendition of the guitar intro from U2's "Sunday Bloody Sunday." Both band and audience picked up on it and slight laughter followed before the band went diving into "WWIII." Another subtle moment of amusement happened during "Megalomaniac" when Steve had his moment of pause between guitar riffs and the almost disco-beat and synth ensued. At this point he pointed his fingers in the air in a dancelike manner and waited in the back for his next moment of rock. It was a very comical moment for those who caught it. It's refreshing to see the band still holds its level of humor as high as the level of musical ability.

Incontestably, this tour needed an opening act that was both worthy of sharing the stage with KMFDM as well as paralleling the band's sound so as to conciliate the fans. They made an admirable choice with the addition of Angelspit to the roster. Angelspit, a group now three albums deep into the electro/industrial scene, took the stage prior to KMFDM's total pandemonium. Lead vocalists DestroyX and ZooG stood strong on their own with an array of digital MIDI systems and electronic paraphernalia in the background. Wearing a vinyl/leather corset and saturated eye makeup, DestroyX radiates authoritative sexuality as she sets up the podium on her side of the stage. ZooG approaches his side wearing a long, black pyramid-style butcher's apron and sports a cyberpunk crest of plastic spikes woven into his almost cleanly shaved head. Fans of the band knew what to expect once the sequencing began, while others who haven't heard the band before were in for either a shock or a treat - or both! Angelspit's sound can be described as stabbing, abrasive lyrics matched with roughened synth melodies and a steady yet offset harsh beat - for the most part. The first set of unbridled electronic mayhem included "Grind," "Kill Kitty," and "Cold Hard Cash" - a seamless mix of the songs providing an excellent example of what the band is all about. ZooG proves himself to be a worthy producer, timing all songs into a perfect flow as he constantly resets the main computer sequencer in between each track, readying it for the next. DestroyX offers strong, piercing vocals that never falter, and considering the level of volume that she maintains, this is quite impressive. An excellent assortment of the band's music follows; new and old tracks that bring us back to signature tunes such as "100%" as well as the new and equally hard "Fuck the Revolution." Although the stage is sparse for lack of musicians, the two members of Angelspit manage to hold the show together and entertain a growing KMFDM fan base crowd. An electrifying duo, Angelspit was able to set up the audience nicely for what KMFDM was readying itself to dole out next.

This Toronto show marks KMFDM's sixth official concert date of the North American Kein Mitleid tour and the band is showing no signs of pulling any punches. If the energy and organized chaos of this show are any indication of what to expect when the band comes to your city, rest assured that you are in for an exceptional performance. Angelspit and KMFDM have laid the groundwork for an incredible evening of electronic and industrial insanity, and as long as they continue on for the rest of the tour with this template, fans and new listeners alike will surely be entertained beyond any preconceived expectations. Being a part of this landmark tour is something that will unquestionably be worth the while of any concertgoer.