Sure, for some, “Everyday Is Halloween”, but for the rest of us, today is Halloween. And there’s no better way to celebrate the holiday than with a couple of dusty, glitchy VHS clips of Ministry performing live at Boston rock club the Channel 32 years ago this month.
Passed along by music writer Annie Zaleski, the videos capture the young synth-pop and eventual industrial/metal band led by Al Jourgensen performing two classic tracks off their 1983 album With Sympathy: “Work For Love” and “I Wanted To Tell Her”.
Those songs, and that entire LP, were recorded at the Cars’ Synchro Sound Studios at 330 Newbury St. in Boston’s Back Bay, so Al and the gang had quite a familiarity with our town by the time of the show. The Channel gig (or gigs), according to Boston’s Best Live Rock, occurred on either October 5 (a bill opened by Front 242) or an all-ages matinée show on October 7.
The site of the Channel, the cavernous — and often dangerous — live music venue at 25 Necco St. in the Fort Point district, will eventually house the new General Electric headquarters, and plans have been discussed to honor the venue’s history. Last April, The Channel was recognized by VH1 as one of “10 Most Legendary Heavy Metal Clubs Of All Time”.
Enjoy.