At this year’s Cruel World Festival in Pasadena, California, Ministry played a nine-song set loaded with rarities, including tracks they haven’t played live in 40 and 37 years.
Fans knew what to expect as it had long been advertised that the industrial legends would be performing material off their first two albums, 1983’s With Sympathy and 1986’s Twitch. Both records pre-date Ministry’s more fully realized sound that came into focus on their third album, The Land of Rape and Honey.
Frontman and leader Al Jourgensen had long detested the band’s early career, especially With Sympathy. It’s Ministry’s only full length to embrace a new wave/synth pop style and Jourgensen infamously was told by his record label to adopt a phony British accent to further align with the musical trend of the time.
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At Cruel World, Ministry played four songs off Twitch and three from With Sympathy, as well as an early single and the less rarely performed “(Everyday Is) Halloween,” which hadn’t been dusted off since 2019.
See fan-filmed video of the complete set and the full setlist further down the page.
What Other Bands Played Cruel World Festival This Year?
This year’s Cruel World Festival was headlined by Duran Duran and featured and number of other new wave-era favorites as well as more modern acts who play similar styles.
See the entire lineup directly below.
Ministry Setlist — May 11, 2024 (Cruel World Festival)
01. “Work for Love” (First time live since 1984)
02. “All Day” (First time live since 1987)
03. “Over the Shoulder” (First time live since 1987)
04. “Just Like You” (First time live since 1987)
05. “We Believe” (First time live since 2003)
06. “I’m Falling” (First time live since 1984)
07. “Effigy (I’m Not An)” (First time live since 1984)
08. “Revenge”
09. “(Everyday Is) Halloween” (First time since 2019)
Ministry, Full Set at Cruel World Festival 2024
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