Jourgensen will look to Europe for media support
Al Jourgensen and Ministry bade Chicago farewell last night at the Riviera. "The whole band - myself, wife, baby, road crew - is moving overseas," said Al Jourgensen of Ministry, who played a concert "farewell" to Chicago last night at the Riviera. "`For good' is an awful strong word, but at least for the next year or two."
First stop for the Ministry collective is Southern Studios outside London, where Jourgensen will oversee the European division of Wax Trax Records, and complete new albums by Ministry and the Revolting Cocks before Christmas. They will then move to Brussels, where his two mates in the Revolting trio are based. Next year, Ministry and the Cocks will launch a world tour together, which should include a return to Chicago.
With both groups, Jourgensen's combination of dance rhythms, industrial textures and abrasive electronics has attracted a loyal following in Europe as well as the States. Never known as a shrinking violet, he feels that he's suffered from media neglect in his hometown.
"You see PM Magazine specials on Nick Tremulis, saying he's the first act to get signed out of Chicago since Styx," he offered as a parting shot. "What does that tell you? We've literally received no support outside of fan support, which has been great. It's kind of disheartening to see a city that has an artist who sells 75,000 to 150,000 copies of anything he releases worldwide not even get mentioned in the same breath with a Nicholas Tremulis, who releases a record and gets 15,000 copies sold worldwide."