We Are KMFDM

Not many bands last 30 years. Not many continue to crank out new material, either.

But KMFDM has marched on through many iterations, founders coming and going, and new lineups that freshen up the sound.

I’ve been a fan since the Nihil era – KMFDM’s glory days. The golden age when each new album, from Angst to Symbols, did better than the one before it.

And like a lot of people, it was “Juke Joint Jezebel” that turned me on to the band. I should say – it turned me on to a world of music I didn’t know before.

Danceable. Techno beats. Shredding, heavy-metal style guitars. Backup singers. Self references. Self mockery.

And so much fun.

The current lineup is a talented group. I do enjoy the twin-guitar gallop of Steve (above) and Jules. Andy’s live drums add a new dimension that makes many live KMFDM songs better.

My buddy Don and I saw KMFDM at the Magic Stick, a smaller venue than usual, along Detroit’s Woodward Ave. It’s actually the perfect place to see the band: small, intimate, and easy to get to.

A lot of the new stuff is so-so, but Sascha always throws in plenty of the classic stuff. “Light,” “DIY,” “Anarchy” – these are the songs we came to scream. Some of the new stuff, like “Kunst,” sounds great live, too. But I think the majority of KMFDM fans prefer the classics.

Who knows how much longer KMFDM will be around. Forty more years? Fifty?

“Into light and the future.”

See the rest of the set.

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