It’s not often you get to see a true innovator in Lethbridge, so I made a point of getting down to the Slice, Thursday, June 18 to see Berlin musician En Esch, a founding member of Slick Idiot and KMFDM, who are widely considered to be the godfathers of industrial music.
Industrial shows are few and far between in Lethbridge, so it made the event especially special, though only 20 people were there to hear it.
He played with a little help from his friends, vocalist/ guitarist Erica “ Lady E” Dilanjian, drummer Ethan Moseley playing massive beats and opening act Ghostfeeder’s guitarist Luke Dangler and a computer, which was often drowned out by the band. They took an intimate and enthusiastic audience through a set of music including newer materiel, KMFDM material and a whole lot more.
En Esch’s Germanic growls were a very cool counterpoint to Erica “Lady E” Dilanjian’s haunting melodies, while Moseley and Luke Dangler and the computer blended metal music with techno dance music played at bone shaking, ear drum shattering volumes.
Highlights included “This Town is Dying”, Slick Idiot’s “Kiss My Fear Away’
Luke Dangler played jagged, guitar riffs which sounded like a bolt riveter or jackhammer mixed with a lot of intense distortion which sounded like the soundtrack to either the apocalypse or a Phillip K Dyck dystopia.
En Esch sounded menacing, he seemed to be having technical issues with the computer, but didn’t let that faze him much. He stalked around the stage and wandered into the audience with his cordless mic.
Lady E got to sing a few of her own songs as well.
She and En Esch plus Luke Dangler began the set with a wall of sound, though they put down their guitars to focus on singing and performing while Luke Danger thrashed away in the shadows on the side of the stage.
Another highlight was “12345” a new song from En Esch’s new CD Spank
Opening act, Ghostfeeder played a solid set of guitar and lots of pre programmed drums and synthesizers with some really cool tenor vocals making the duo sound like Queens of the Stone Age playing industrial music.
