The HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES tour is rumored to be one of Ministry’s final appearances on the road.
There are very few bands that have the ability to tour and perform strongly after more than 40 years, and with the number of acts approaching breakup, hiatus, or retirement–either announcing farewell tours or simply not touring–there are dwindling opportunities to see these bands live. Soon, industrial metal freaks Ministry may be one of those bands. With the release of their sixteenth studio album came the rumor and later confirmation by Al Jourgensen that Ministry is nearing their swan song. Their current plans are to release one more album before breaking up for the second and final time. As such, in more ways than one, this headlining tour with Gary Numan and Front Line Assembly was a special one to remember.
The night commenced with Front Line Assembly. With an appearance not unlike Till Lindman of Rammstein, vocalist Bill Leeb (formerly of Skinny Puppy) bows his head and leans on the microphone stand before delivering a seasoned performance. Despite an uninspiring set, they proved to be a subtle yet fitting warmup to Ministry.
Following was synth pop star Gary Numan, best known for his 1979 hit single “Cars.” From the start of his set, Numan and his backing band dominated the stage with the confidence of a pop music veteran with a decades-long career. Numan alternated singing and contorting his body in a trance-like ritual of dance. With an awe-inspiring set and nearly every song unique from the last, Numan has undoubtedly defied expectations as what many have called a “one-hit wonder.”
Finally, after an introduction from the band’s infamous “Filth Pig” (a nod to the cover of their sixth album, which depicts a male politician with what appears to be a gunshot wound to the head), Ministry began with a series of new songs, all of which with a similar message.
Ministry has been unapologetically anti-Trump and anti-white supremacy on their last two albums, 2021’s Moral Hygiene and 2024’s Hopiumforthemasses, just released over two weeks ago on March 1st. Since embarking on Rob Zombie’s 2023 Freaks on Parade tour, though, they have incorporated their lead single “Goddamn White Trash” into their setlist with a very clear message, as they typically display images of Confederate flags, KKK rallies, Trump rallies, and Nazi hillbillies behind them while performing the song. With other tracks such as “Aryan Embarrassment” and “B.D.E.” (an abbreviation for Big Dick Energy, a phrase that Ministry has borrowed to make a statement about women’s rights), it is very easy to see where Al Jourgensen stands politically.
Ministry’s setlist could not have been more perfect for old, new, and die-hard fans. After a healthy dose of “Hopium” songs, Jourgensen and company rewarded their audience with what he refers to as “doggy treats”–old-school Ministry hits “N.W.O.” and perhaps their most loved song, “Just One Fix” from their 1992 record Psalm 69. Their curtain call also included “Stigmata” from 1988’s The Land of Rape and Honey, considered their greatest offering until 1992, and “Thieves” from 1989’s The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste, before closing out with what may always be their most fun song, “Jesus Built My Hotrod,” possibly the most satisfying song to hear live since it was missing from their 2023 Freaks on Parade setlist. The band announced a “marijuana break” before returning for two encores: an additional two songs from The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste, “Burning Inside” and “So What” and two covers: Magazine’s “The Light Pours Out of Me” and Fad Gadget’s “Ricky’s Hand,” the latter of which has been a staple in their last two tours. With an incredible sound courtesy of both Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom and the band’s ability to perform their songs as vigorously as when they were first released, there is no doubt that despite this likely being the beginning of the end of Ministry’s 40-plus-year-long career, they are already going out with a bang.
