Visit

KMFDM
Featuring
Nivek Ogre
November 14, 1997
Clutch Cargo's, Pontiac, MI

          Friday the 14th of November KMFDM played at Clutch Cargo's -- an old abandoned church in Pontiac, Michigan. As far as "industrial" shows go, the performance was above average, and the acoustics of Clutch Cargo's were good -- the sound, while loud, was not uncomfortably so. The set was very fast- paced and guitar-heavy, with pounding programmed and live percussion. It being an all ages show, the crowd was on the young side, with all the hysterical and infantile behavior that can be expected in such circumstances.

          However, I am not particularly fond of KMFDM. I own none of their CDs, and I am only vaguely familiar with a handful of their more well known songs. For me to review their music, or their show as such, in greater detail would therefore not be fair. What drew me to the concert was the fact that ex-Skinny Puppy vocalist -- Nivek Ogre -- had been rumored to appear on this KMFDM tour of America. After an absence of several years from the stage, the prospect of Ogre once more performing live cannot help but bring glee to his many fans, even if his talents may seem out of proportion to the context in which they are presently being utilized.

          Ogre did not come on stage until the fourth or fifth song of the show, but, was immediately met with a wave of appreciation and applause. A big smile played on his face, as he raised the microphone to his lips and began to sing. Pacing back and forth, and up and down the stage floor, jumping and throwing himself on the ground, twisting his head this way and that -- at times with a demonic look on his face, and at others with a boyish grin, stopping dead in the middle of the stage to stare up at the ceiling; a whirlwind pantomime artist, Ogre remained the dynamo in the KMFDM-machine throughout the rest of the show. His eyes sparkled as he skipped close to En Esch, and playfully pushed himself backwards away from him. And, during the first song of the encore, as he took a break on the stairs outside the stage entrance -- a towel draped over his shoulders, his face and palm-like hair dripping with sweat -- he looked happy and alive with a twinkle of timidity in the corners of his eyes.

          As impressive as his mere stage presence was Ogre's vocals. Prior to The Process, Ogre's voice was purposely treated and processed, twisted and bent, to parallel the absurdity and horror of the issues explored in Skinny Puppy's songs. Friday's performance with KMFDM definitively proved that these measures by no means covered up any shortcomings of Ogre's vocal abilities. With KMFDM, Ogre displayed great range and power in his singing, using none of the manipulatory devices of the past.

          A KMFDM show without Ogre seems hard to imagine. To be sure they have a rich repertoire of music, at least three vocalists aside from Ogre, and enough people on stage to whip up a storm. However, the presentation of their performance seemed to revolve and rely upon Ogre for all its vitality. An Ogre show without KMFDM would be easier to imagine, and one can only hope that his guest appearance on this tour merely represents a foretaste of what can be expected from him in the future.

          [Editor's note: All ages shows start early and end early, so be on time short of missing the show...KMFDM played some oldies but goodies for encores including but not limited to: Godlike and A Drug Against War, in which the crowd went nuts over! Watch Last Sigh Interview section soon for the
En Esch phone interview we did with him on 16 November, two days after the Pontiac show. Thanks to Adrian and Ryan for doing that interview for Last Sigh.]

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