KILLING JOKE
THE SINGLES WORLD TOUR
METRO THEATRE, SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
8.6.2013
The few songs I saw of the support band were an endurance
test. A goth-rock pantomime, all in
makeup, they took themselves too seriously, becoming an unwitting self parody.
Their attempted stadium rock Marilyn
Manson/Wednesday 13 shtick, schlock and posturing were unable to hide the fact
the throwaway electro rock tunes and
pallid vocals are more suited to a
teen-goth audience . Why sub standard bands get support slots for bands of Killing Joke’s
calibre is beyond me.
The wait is finally over and Killing Joke walk onstage amid
the dry ice commencing with a muddy yet commanding
Requiem. After the dub-influenced Turn to Red, is the ever formidable Wardance. Jaz Coleman is in
his element, indeed they all are, well seasoned in the midst of their singles
world tour. Geordie is at one with his Gretsch guitar, his playing effortless. Youth’s bass solid and fluid. The reformed
original lineup is incomplete tonight by virtue of drummer Paul Ferguson’s
absence due to acute tendonitis. His replacement is perfectly adequate, and
quite happy to be behind the kit, though
his style is a little more straight up rock and lacking the tribal feel and unique
fills of Ferguson. Likewise the keyboard
player is obviously chuffed to be onstage with Killing Joke, and supplies the
keyboard parts spot on, not overdoing his role.
Unfortunately, the sound at the Metro Theatre is often
sludgy, as is the case tonight, and Geordie’s wonderfully discordant guitar is
mostly inaudible. The mix favours the rhythm
section, and on the more keyboard oriented songs such as European Super State the guitar is drowned out completely. The
inadequate sound however is unable to dilute the powerful riffs in The Empire song, Chop Chop, and Eighties, all of which were highlights
tonight.
Throughout it all, Jaz is as zoned into his performance as
ever, long black hair and thick eyeliner his warpaint, glaring at the audience,
clasping his hand to his head, and dancing around the stage in jerky yet imposing movements. In a live
setting, Jaz’s prophecies of doom become more realistic, the apocalyptic
and tribal nature of Killing joke’s music is realised fully in their performance. Geordie and Youth provide a firm backdrop to
Jaz’s calamitous worldview and a grounded juxtaposition to Jaz’s more manic
side of Killing Joke perhaps, playing with natural precision, warmth and workmen
like ethic. Live, it’s apparent that Killing Joke is the sum total of their
parts. Looking at the near/capacity
audience, a mix of punks, skins, metal heads, goths, alternative music fans and average Joes,
Killing Joke’s influence and undying appeal is evident
The sun goes down is
hypnotic, Asteroid, from the self
titled album of 2003 is intense as is of course The Wait, which is another highlight. Also played were the more techno flavoured Whiteout, Money is not our
God, and Corporate Elect (from the recent album MXIII) which Jaz
appropriately dedicated to Rupert Murdoch with hatred and bile, whilst another
diatribe was directed at Monsanto, the multinational chemical company. The set closes with Pandemonium.
The encore brings a
few more highlights, with the instrumental Bloodsport,
Madness (the only song from ” What’s THIS for...!” that they played tonight), The Death and resurrection show, and the
manic Pssyche. The crowd called out
for more, but that was it.
All in all, a pretty amazing performance despite the shit sound
of the venue. For me, another song
off What’s THIS for...! would have balanced out the more keyboard
themed mid-period selection of songs. And, this being the singles tour, Love like Blood was conspicuous by its
absence (from my point of view, anyway). Still, they played half of the seminal
self titled album from 1980. Minor quibbles aside, a ferocious show from a band
that’s 35 years young, this was no going through the motions to pay the bills
gig, this was Killing Joke at the peak of their power, which would have been
mightier yet if the venue had b een able to yield a better sound.
KILLING JOKE
EARLY VINYL OVERVIEW
Killing Joke have always been a staple in my vinyl
collection Some of these early albums in particular I revisit quite often. I’ve
familiarised myself more thoroughly with their subsequent releases, over the
last few years, unfortunately though most of them, particularly the most recent
ones are difficult to source on vinyl.
KILLING JOKE (1980)
After listening to friend’s
copies of the first self titled album Killing Joke, I got my own copy a bit
later into my music/vinyl collecting
life.
It stands as one of my favourite KJ records, and in itself
it’s a classic that still holds up. Some
opinions believe it lacks focus, that its sounds too much like a bunch of
demos, but I disagree. It’s brutally minimalist. Not only is it brutally minimalist
in its approach, but it contains a strong set of songs. Opening with the
anthemic, slow but powerful
Requiem containing
guitarist Geordie’s
to-become – signature serrated guitar,
and
the powerfully chugging
Wardance, it moves onto the haunting
Tomorrow’s World and the jagged
industrial funk of
Bloodsport. Side
two opens with two more classic KJ songs in
The
Wait and
Complication and
finishes with the almost funk driven bass of
Primitive. The post-punk musical landscape on this album shaped KJ’s
future musical excursions. There’s elements of punk, heavy metal, and what
would become industrial music here. They may have been a young band starting
out but their talents
are all evident.
Jaz Coleman’s vocals are unique, his lyrics angry, Geordie’s guitar is heavy ,melodic
and toothed, Paul Ferguson’s drums are solid and precise and tribal in their
feel, Youth’s bass also solid and precise, and adds a distinct element to the
early KJ sound; songs such as c
omplication
and
primitive have a
dance-driven
feel. The production I
think also adds to the sound. There’s a minimalist feel at work here as well
which allows all the instruments and Jaz’ vocals room to be heard clearly and
effectively. There’s a good stereo sound, and I think this album in particular
sounds good on vinyl, there’s room for all the sounds to breathe. Put it on a
good stereo and crank it up.
Package wise I’ve always loved this record as well. The
black and white cover speaks of social unrest with mysterious black figures
against a desolate backdrop and “Killing Joke” spray painted on the wall. Some
issues of this album come in a single sleeve but this is the gatefold version,
which I recommend seeking out. The inside graphics also contain a stark black
and white montage containing images of crucifixion, kids chucking rocks, bald
smoking man, and a mysterious religious? shrouded figure giving what looks like
a two fingered salute.
what’s THIS for...! (1981) 
Many hail the follow up what’s THIS for...! as superior. There’s no doubting overall it’s
heavier and more relentless, but personally I like the self titled LP better
(which is just my personal preference). Showcasing Paul Ferguson’s unrelenting drumbeats, there’s
more “classic” material on it, which,
again still holds up today. It’s a more industrial sounding album, opening with
The fall of because which is a
highlight. Tension, Unspeakable and Butcher complete the cacophonous quad of
songs on the first side.
The thundering drums, unsettling keyboards, serrated guitar
and hypnotic bass continue on side two with Jaz’s rants over the top. Follow the leaders, madness, and Exit
further hone the template set on the first album and cement the directions
Killing Joke would explore in the future; industrial, metal, punk, and dance
music formats are all on the table for KJ to experiment with. With this album KJ cemented the tone for what
would become their future. Production once again gives this a good sound here.
Package wise again, I like this album. An eerie black sky
is being stared at by a man in
white shorts and short sleeve shirt. To his left the bald man from the
first LP has seemingly made a return, peering out of a wall. I don’t believe a
lyric sleeve was included with either the first album or this one. It somehow
adds to the mystique, especially on what’s
THIS for...! Oddly, most vinyl copies of this
album seem to have come with slightly rounded edges.
REVELATIONS (1982)
Revelations is a beast that is the same but different. The
last album in the recorded by the original lineup (until
2010’s “Absolute Dissent”), sees the sonic
themes explored on the previous two outings refined; in many ways a combination
of the first two melded, a more technical, vicious bastard offspring in its own
way. Another of my own favourites in the KJ canon, it’s no less intense than
the first two. The first side is the strongest, it features sings that stand
alongside other KJ classics new and old. It commences with
The Hum, with a bludgeoning riff (
Wardance in more refined mode) accompanied by an
unsettling keyboard drone. Geordie’s riffs
are perhaps more slightly up in the mix on this album which adds to the albums
dynamic.
Chop Chop, and
The Pandys are
coming are all strong songs that have been featured in KJ live sets in
recent years.
Overall there is an
experimental feel, and the guitars are more
skewed than ever.
Good Samaritan is
the softest KJ song to date. The rhythm section is a little less in the
background than the previous album, and Youth’s bass in particular seems a
little lost at times.
Package wise, not bad. Simple but effective. In terms of covers, a bit restrained in comparison to the two previous LP’s. It has “Killling Joke” in ribbon form over a
satin sheet. This was the first album to
feature a lyric sheet.
FIRE DANCES (1983) 
The follow up to Revelations, Fire Dances is the
first to feature new bassist Raven. To my ears, it’s not quite focused. It’s not a bad album, but, in
comparison to the previous releases a bit diluted and not fully realised as a
collection of songs. The production also leaves the songs a bit thin; Geordie’s
guitar lacks a bit of oomph, despite the noticeable lack of keyboards on most of this album. The standout songs for me
are the first song, The Gathering,
and Song and dance on side two. Dominator also indicates future (dance
oriented) directions the band would explore later on in later albums. The cover
is also perhaps not one of their strongest, featuring a figure with warpaint holding out a palm of fire. Fire Dances also
contains a lyric sheet, and is the first
to feature a picture of the band. There are some memorable Geordie riffs
on it, and overall it’s worth a listen and
worth getting if you want to complete your Killing Joke collection
NIGHT TIME (1985) 
Night Time was KJ’s most commercial outing to date. Some
deride it for this, but get past that, and it’s a damn good album, which isn’t
as watered down as the commercial appeal of the singles may have suggested. The
synths may be a little more overt, but this is a strong collection of songs. There
are some monster riffs on here, and the collection of songs are more focused.
It’s as simple, effective, and brutally uncomplicated
as the first album in its own way. Crank this one up as well. Opening with the manic and jittery
Night Time, you can’t deny the sheer
juggernaut appeal of Love like blood,
Kings and Queens on side one. Side two opens with the no less powerful Tabazan and closes with Eighties, a veritable beast of a song in
itself, (and we all know the sorry saga of who ripped this one off). Jaz’ vocals
are often urgent , his unique voice used to great effect here. Raven’ s bass
uses the template of previous albums and comes into his own on this album, his
style a bit more straight up and slightly heavier than Youth’s. Paul’s drums
anchor everything down more than provide a tribal backbeat. Geordie’s
riffs seem huger than ever here, pared down to their base nature and unleashed.
Package wise, this
is pretty straightforward. The cover has
a blurry image of Jaz with head in hands in front of the other band members
alluding to the bleak atmosphere (in the UK) at the time. A lyric sheet is
included. The production seems pretty sharp, yielding a
strong yet more accessible sound.
BRIGHTER THAN A TOUSAND SUNS (1986) 
The first KJ record I
got was Brighter than a thousand Suns, which I got on the strength of hearing Love like Blood, Kings and Queens, and Eighties from Nigh Time. Whilst Brighter
than a Thousand Suns may not be their best, it has its moments and it has grown
on me over time.
More synthesiser –heavy than its predecessors it has a bit
of a gothic feel to it. Adorations
has intensity, Sanity is more dance flavoured, Chessboard harks back to the
heavier side of KJ, and Rubicon also
retains some of the heaviness of old. Overall yes, it’s much mellower than any
of the previous album, and Jaz‘s vocals
are a bit more sedate and melodic, his
anger more tempered here. Geordie’s riffs struggle a bit to be heard a bit more
through the grandiose production and synths, as does the rhythm section. It’s a bit more of an 80’s period piece, but
it’s not a total loss. Accept it’s taken on a different atmosphere, and there’s
a decent KJ record here.
Package wise, this is interesting. It’s a gatefold, all four
covers featuring brooding shots of the band. There’s no lyric sheet, and the
vinyl is about as thin as it comes. Again,
there are some memorable Geordie riffs on it, and overall it’s worth a listen
and worth getting if you want to
complete your Killing Joke collection.
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