KMFDM at the Warehouse

On Tuesday, I took a trip to Calgary so I could see one of my favorite bands, KMFDM, live, in concert. I was quite excited, even though I don't listen to them nearly as much as I did some ten years ago, especially since I have never seen an industrial band live before.

I was especially curious if they could pull all the loops, static, and noise off in a live setting. There are usually so many layers to industrial music that you have to either play to sequences, or have a very large band.

This was the first time I stepped foot into The Warehouse, even though I have heard many good things about this club since I became legal drinking age. When I walked into the club, I was quite surprised. The place was much, much smaller than I expected. The bar can barely hold 200 people. It has a cool atmosphere, though rustic might come to mind. It's a dump.

I arrived early, hoping that I could get a seat, and not risk standing in a crowd that would be over-intoxicated and looking to mosh. It was probably a good thing I wasn't standing, since I ended up spending five hours in the bar. I expected to see all kinds of goths, vampires, freaks, and skinheads at the show, and I also expected that by the time KMFDM took the stage, that things would get really aggressive in the pit in front of the stage. Instead, the crowd appeared rather normal, and I felt like I fit right in with the crowd.

The opening act, Acumen Nation, took the stage around 9:30, which ended up taking me by surprise. I expected an extremely heavy band with punk and metal influences, and instead got Rave. I am unsure how the rest of the crowd took to the band, though they were generally kind ad supportive, I felt that they were not necessarily the right opening act for KMFDM. It sounded a lot like Daft Punk meets Robert Miles meets Depeche Mode. I felt the sound system was tuned improperly, as the bass from 100 Hz to 300 Hz was so loud, that it overpowered everything else. It was quite difficult to make out the nuances of the music. As far as electronic music is concerned, I felt it was decent music.

KMFDM took the stage to an energized crowd, who had been chanting: "K-M-FDM!" since the departure of Acumen Nation. It was a comfortable loudness, yet the sound system was still favoring the low end, and made it difficult to listen to. They stuck to their newer material, so there was only about four or five songs I recognized from that evening's set list. Of the songs I did recognize, were ones that I considered to be not my absolute favorites; but that is the risk of seeing a band live -- they generally don't take requests.

After seeing the concert, I surmised that KMFDM is a band that is best enjoyed on CD. I hate being critical of a band that I have loved so dearly, but their talents are best displayed in a studio setting. Sascha only addressed the crowd two or three times the entire evening, and even then he said little more than a sentence each time. I especially look forward to interaction with the crowd when I see a live band; it makes the experience more gratifying for the viewers. If their is no interaction between the act and the crowd, you'd likely be better off watching a live DVD in the comfort of your own home.

I don't partake in band paraphernalia as much as I did in my youth. I have retired all the T-shirts of bands I used to wear daily. But likely due to the fact that the sound was so terrible, I purchased a live DVD that was recorded during KMFDM's 20th anniversary tour last year. I figured that this might give me a better idea of KMFDM's live performances, and it's a keepsake that I can return to, if I ever want to "relive" the experience.

I left the club around 12:30, after KMFDM played the final note of their second encore. I walked away a happy man, knowing that I had shared an experience with a few of my heroes. Though I have been to many better shows, I could not say I was disappointed. I know myself better than that. If I had not gone to the show, I would have kicked myself for the rest of my life, knowing that I never had the chance to see them, and I had passed the opportunity by.

They're still alright in my book.