By Cesar Glanville<\/p>\n
After a triumphant return to the states last year for the Cold Waves Festival, Raymond Watts brought his crew back for a full headlining set with the band of ex-KMFDM royalty (Guenter Schulz & En Esch) and of course Raymond himself.<\/p>\n
After a well crafted set of pop industrial by Ghostfeeder, Julien-K took the stage. Made up of ex-Orgy fellows that bring a bit more rock to the table than Orgy did\/does, Julien-K threw down a solid set of poppy electro tinged rock. A few chuckles were heard in the crowd when they closed with \u2018a song from our old band\u2019 and then went into \u2018Blue Monday\u2019 \u2013 uhm no mention of New Order actually crafting the song, hence the chuckles.<\/p>\n
Raymond Watts is a showman, he commands a stage, he does more than sing he performs \u2013 he gives the crowd their money\u2019s worth. Frilly and boa-esque wardrobe Rymond\/AKA PIG took the stage with the aforementioned \u2018all star band\u2019 \u2013 including Z. Marr (Combichrist) and Galen Waling, the current industrial drummer workhorse in the scene, doing quintuple duty in a host of bands (he also played with Julien K this eve). The band is solid, Guenter is probably the scenes most underappreciated guitar player, the man who really crafted that influential early 90\u2019s KMFDM sound.<\/p>\n
The set was filled with PIG classics like \u2018Wrecked\u2019, but the new material is as fresh, yet true to its roots, as anything being produced in modern industrial music. Songs from the recently released and \u2018The Gospel\u2019 as well as the new EP \u2018Prey and Obey\u2019 peppered the set, including the hit-in-the-making song \u2018The Revelation\u2019 \u2026 they also didn\u2019t leave, what one might call, a more PIG than KMFDM album \u2018NIHIL\u2019 out of the set list. KMFDM\u2019s biggest hit, \u2018Juke Joint Jezebel\u2019, was penned by Esch\/Schulz\/Watts (and of course Sascha) so it was fitting these 3 make it a set list staple. The heavier, darker and perverse lyrics (Watts trademark) of KMFDM\u2019s \u2018Flesh\u2019 was also a set highlight.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s good to see Watt\u2019s so active again, with this resurgence of guitar driven industrial with new buzz bands like 3Teeth, it\u2019s always nice to see the founding fathers get the respect they deserve.<\/p>\n
For more on PIG, click here<\/a><\/p>\n