Ministry’s Time Machine Triumph: A Night of Synth, Sweat, and Spangled Chaos in Toronto

On May 18, Ministry turned HISTORY into a sweat-soaked flashback of synthetic rebellion and industrial noise, digging deep into the vaults to resurrect the shimmering ghosts of With Sympathy and Twitch. The result was a visceral, high-decibel love letter to an era Jourgensen once disavowed—but now embraces with sequined arms wide open.

Launching with the electro-funk heartbeat of “Work for Love,” Ministry’s set ignited like a bottle rocket, all pounding drums and neon-lit echoes of their synth-drenched origins. But this wasn’t a museum piece. Each track had been scorched and reassembled—1983 meets 2025.

Jourgensen, now less mechanical menace and more mad preacher, prowled between two mic stands wrapped in roses, preaching to a congregation who showed up in full black regalia despite the Victoria Day weekend. He cracked jokes between songs (the encore delay was a “smoke break”) and warned that “Everyday Is Halloween” doesn’t normally appear before October—but he made an exception for Toronto, which he called one of his favorite cities to play. That love was mutual. Fans danced. Fans screamed. Fans bought out nearly every piece of merch, leaving only a lonely rack of XLs by the end of the night.

Backing him were longtime collaborators and newcomers alike, including two backup singers who added a surreal gospel flavor to tracks like “All Day” and “I’ll Do Anything for You”. The night’s climax came with a snarling, gothic take on “Revenge”, followed by the enduring underground anthem that is “Everyday Is Halloween”. And then, because Ministry never colors inside the lines, the encore detonated with a cover of Fad Gadget’s “Ricky’s Hand”, followed by a glam-drenched, industrial-metal remake of Rod Stewart’s “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” It was ridiculous. It was brilliant. It worked.

My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult, fronted by the perpetually flamboyant Groovie Mann (wearing a shirt emblazoned with “WHORE” and zero shame), delivered a seedy, synth-heavy cabaret of sex, sleaze, and sermon. Their set played out like a grindhouse film scored by Giorgio Moroder: “A Daisy Chain 4 Satan,” “Sex on Wheelz,” and “The Days of Swine and Roses” transformed HISTORY into a velvet-lit den of darkwave excess. Buzz McCoy laid down booming electronic grooves, Mimi Star locked in with swaggering basslines, and the band’s entire aesthetic reminded everyone that industrial isn’t just a sound—it’s a scene.

Opening the night were German legends Die Krupps, who blended EBM, metal, and Kraftwerkian pulse into a lean, furious assault. “Nazis auf Speed” was as confrontational as ever, “Fatherland” hit like a brick through a window, and their take on “Der Amboss” (a Visage cover) felt like a steel-booted nod to the synthpop canon. The band was gracious and generous, meeting fans at the merch table post-set for selfies and signed CDs, proving that sometimes the most brutal bands have the biggest hearts.

It’s rare to witness a night where three acts from the fringes of industrial and electronic music history all feel this vital, this charged, this alive. But Toronto got one. The Squirrely Years Tour isn’t just about reclaiming Ministry’s past—it’s about reanimating it, rewriting it, and letting it dance in the dark under disco lights.

Ministry’s time machine is real. And for one night, Toronto jumped in with both feet.

Thank you so much, Selena Fragassi FR PR and Live Nation for the accreditation.

Ministry

My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult

Die Krupps

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Drew Osborne

I’m Drew, the founder and editor of Front of the Stage. I have a strong love for music and photography, which started at a very young age. There’s just something I love about experiencing live music and capturing memories that will last a lifetime, and that’s how Front of the Stage came to be.