Dante’s, Portland OR
July 14, 2010

Touring together for the first time in 15 years,Lords of Acid and My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult are the main events on the Sextreme Ball 2010 tour, which began in Seattle on July 13. Both bands were part of the techno music movement of the late ’80s/early ’90s, and judging from the first two sold-out shows, both are still popular among the electronica crowd.

As mentioned in the review of Electric Six’s show at the venue, Dante’s is a medium-sized brick room with two bars in the main area and one off to the side where patrons can sit, drink, and watch the action on flat-screen monitors. It was at one of the tables that I sat with Lords of Acid guitarist Sin Quirin (Ministry, Revolting Cocks) before the show. “Seattle was chaos—on the stage and off,” he reported. “[Lead singer] Praga Khan was jet-lagged after flying in from Belgium, and by the end of the show he was choking me as we rolled about the stage.” Khan’s motivation was excitement rather than rage, but it highlights the mercurial nature of the singer and the powerful emotions conjured up by the music. I asked if that was a harbinger of the way the rest of the tour would go, and Quirin laughed and nodded. “I don’t know if we can top last night,” he added.

A fan noticed the guitarist rubbing his throat and suggested that booze might help, to which Quirin replied, “I start drinking, and the next thing you know my pants are off, and nobody wants that.” In reality, the hard-rocking Quirin doesn’t partake: “I’ve never had a sip of booze; it just never appealed to me. I do encourage it in others, though—it helps me look better!” Judging by the ladies who were competing for his attention, he doesn’t need much help in that arena. A fitting situation, as his personal rock hero is Gene Simmons, another teetotaller who has no problems with women. Simmons’ demonic visage, which graced Quirin’s sweatband, seemed to approve.

TKK’s Groovie Mann

Quirin, a member of Al Jourgenson’s Ministry at the end of that entity, was discovered by Praga Khan through the guitarist’s side project with DJ Hardware, “ReVamp.” Once Quirin indicated that he was interested in the gig, Khan asked him for recommendations of other musicians in the LA area to round out the touring group. Quirin revealed to me that Lords of Acid will be recording a new CD (the first US release since 2000’sFarstucker) around the end of this year, and he’s still amazed to be a part of the trend-setting band. “I’d be happy to just be out there,” Quirin said, pointing at the crowd. “It was amazing to be playing with Ministry, and it’s amazing to play with Lords of Acid.” By that time it was no longer possible to delay getting ready for the show, and Sin left to get “dolled up” as a thumping tattoo began from the stage.

My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult began their satanic dance set with high energy. Singer Groovie Mann slouched around the stage like Bono as a crazed Sterno-bum, or a meth-addicted Mickey Rourke. Any way you sliced it, this was the exact look you’d expect from the band’s music: evil disco, the stuff that may have inspired White Zombie’s switch to dance metal back in the late ’80s. The band’s original lineup was present, with soulful Jacky Blaque providing the female counterpoint to Mann’s snarly tones. It was interesting to have been alive to hear a style of music start out as a creepy, dangerous sound, and to still be around when it becomes retro. Not that retro’s a bad thing, it just doesn’t have the same edge it used to.

That night’s patrons represented an incredibly wide range of human beings, from classic mohawk punks in plaid to fetish fans in vinyl to aging cheerleaders in capris, and one older gentleman in a crisp white shirt and suspenders who somehow seemed the scariest of them all. Dante’s has small catwalks over the main floor, where go-go dancing erupted as the band performed. TKK played a selection of their catalog, including the more well known hits “Sex On Wheels” and “Disko Fleshpot,” which captured everyone’s attention. After the main set they returned for a brief encore before retiring for the night.

The crowd in general was a happy lot, with most of the poseurs happy to remain in the side-bar area. There were real smiles between fans who bonded over their mutual kinks as they cooled off between sets. Turns out it’s not called Dante’s for nothing, especially on a hot July night. My photographer-wife Deborah braved the area in front of the stage to prepare for the Lords’ arrival as I watched women of varying descriptions travel up and down the stairs that led to the backstage area.

TKK’s Jacky Blaque

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Jul

22

Sextreme Ball 2010: My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult/Lords Of Acid

Posted in Blog, Concert Reviews, Music, Retrovirus |

Lords of Acid’s Sin Quirin

Lords of Acid members filed up those stairs to start the show, singer Praga Khan looking like a deranged replicant as he moved behind his keyboard, easily capable of choking someone in a fit of techno-ecstasy. The band had a new female singer, Lacey Conner, best known for her turn on the first season of VH1’s reality show Rock of Love, and her presence in the band tends to polarize their fans.

Her voice wasn’t anywhere near that of the Lords’ original singer Jade 4 U, but it had a power of its own, and she could scream with the best of them. It was the more melodic songs that got her in trouble, not being able to crank out the higher notes or dip to the ones an octave lower. Her voice worked best on the songs that were closest to rap, with no true tone required, much like Psychotica’s chanteuse Reeka. She kept the crowd pumped up, aided by the aggressive beat coming from the funky bass player and the drummer, hidden behind a tower of cymbals.

Sin Quirin anchored stage left, his long hair arcing as he banged his head to the beat. His twisted guitar tone was a perfect fit for the Lords’ acid sound, though it did change the texture of the songs from their original techno sound. Weaving among all the players was Praga Khan’s girlfriend, dressed in devil horns and vinyl, alternately whipping and caressing the musicians. Everyone had a role to play onstage, like an old heist movie. The main floor got hotter and sweatier as the relentless beat continued, culminating in a estrogenous free-for-all when Khan invited all willing women to the stage for their 1997 hit “Pussy,” which was followed up by their set-closer, the 1988 smash “I Sit On Acid.”

Aside from one over-excited patron who ended up getting tossed out and tasered, everyone in attendance was having a good time without interfering with their neighbors, and as a result everyone had the maximum fun. Deborah was able to take pictures without fearing for her life, except when she was hanging from the catwalk to get her shot.

I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that the next 27 shows will be as good as the first two, so see if there’s a Sextreme Ball in your future. Techno is alive and well and lived in Portland, at least for one night.

Lords of Acid on stage

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1. Cody Says: July 26th, 2010 at 10:40 am
   My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult has a sweet reissue coming out on August 10th that revisits the Wax Trax Years (1987-1991).
   Check it out here:http://www.seeofsound.com/p.php?s=RBL028

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