The Dead Part of You

So Thursday night was the big industrial show over at Avalon. Skinny Puppy played with White Mice and Otto Von Schirach.

In 1986 I was a sophomore in high school when their second LP Mind: The Perpetual Intercourse was released. The big rumor then was that the lead singer actually came out on stage and performed in a straight jacket. 21 years later, the performance art aspect of their live show is still running strong. Nivek Ogre spent the first 3 or 4 songs shadow-dancing behind a scrim, with everything from fancy headdresses to a rosary. When he finally emerged his arms were coated in stage blood and his body was wrapped in wires - looking something like if the Unabomber had been assimilated by the Borg.



And so it went - strobe lights, images of Jesus and war projected on screens, pulsing industrial rhythms. Admittedly, I haven't heard anything by them since 1992's Last Rights so much of the material was an average sounding sludge to me. I couldn't help but wonder why in their 23 year off and on career they've never achieved the same commercial success as Nine Inch Nails or Marilyn Manson, and it all made sense when they played Worlock, from 1989's LP Rabies. It's the closest thing they've ever come to writing a radio-friendly anthem that radio wasn't ready for back then.



The big song of the night for me was 1986's Dig It. The set list didn't seem to reach into their back catalog very much. Rabies and Vivisect VI were represented well, and while I went into the show hoping for some nice oldies, well - if you're coughing up [stage] blood on stage, you kind of have my attention no matter what you're playing.



The crowd was all super-goth. I don't do the fashion thing and kind of stood out in the crowd but you know? Goth kids are really nice. Strangers never come up and talk to you at indie rock shows, but it happened a few times and I met some nice people. Otto Von Schirach was electroclash, and I still hate electroclash. White Mice were half-way there - almost like Animal Collective in their loops and noise [and costumes], but lost me with the stereotypical death-metal vocal.

Would I go see Skinny Puppy again? THE ANSWER IS YES! BUT THEY SHOULD CHOOSE BETTER OPENING ACTS.