It was off to The Ritz in Manchester to catch Killing Joke for the second time within a week on their current UK tour after seeing them take Rock City by storm last week! Jah Wobble & The Invaders of the Heart kicked the night off in fine style including great versions of Liquidator, and Public Image which the sold out venue loved.
Killing Joke kicked off again with The Wait loosing none of the power and the passion from the first time I heard it in the 80’s. Killing Joke continued the set in the same fired up fashion, sounding as ferocious and frenzied as they have always done. They have always delivered an exceptional live performance every time I have seen them over the years! Jaz and his boilersuit have lost none of their stage presence, Geordie is still the coolest guitar player to set foot on a stage, Big Paul is as tight as ever and Youth is Youth 😉 Autonomous Zone from their latest explosive and brilliant album Pylon sits easily alongside classic tracks like Absent Friends,
The Fall Of Because, Eighties and The Beautiful Dead. I am The Virus has already established itself as a firm favourite with the fans. Then comes Exorcism loosing none of the fury.
Delete another new song from one of the best albums Killing Joke have released in their 38 Year career. They shame a lot of younger bands with their energy and creativity. They also show why they are head and shoulders above bands from the same era with their fired up live performance and obvious top draw musicianship! More favourites follow Money Is Not Our God, the timeless classic Requiem and the epic new track Dawn Of The Hive! Then comes a change in the set to the one at Rock City out goes Madness and in comes the new track Panopticon and the unique anthemn that is the towering Love Like Blood Yes!
Yet another great new track Into The Unknown, Asteroid and Pssyche complete the blistering main set.
Killing Joke return for a rousing encore of Turn To Red, Wardance
And end with Pandemonium to the the delight of massed army of gatherers!
From a career that has spanned 16 albums there is always going to be tracks that you would have liked to have heard as they have so many great songs and with a great album like Pylon I would have been happy to hear it all live 😉 but a great set which pleased everyone present. Here’s looking foward to the gig in Leeds, as its been over 20 years since the last one. I know Geordie is looking forward to it as well 😉 It’s going to be epic!
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