KMFDM STURM & DRANG TOUR 2002 LIVE DVD METROPOLIS RELEASE: JUNE 2, 2003 REVIEW: JULY 1, 2003

I had the good fortune to be able to catch KMFDM live in London 1997, on what I believe was their most recent European show. Still, with their ever-evolving line-ups, it feels like it’s about time to be able to catch up with the KMFDM live spectacle.
The “Sturm & Drang Tour 2002” DVD does unfortunately not come very close if you expect a proper substitute for the real live experience. With rather low quality live footage it’s at times more reminiscent of a bootleg recording than an official release. And the bad habit of splicing takes from different shows together within a single song effectively ruins any chance of fooling yourself you’re really there.
Still, I find myself nailed to the screen. Not least due to the sound quality, which is far superior to that of the image. And this KMFDM incarnation, which features Bill Rieflin and incorporates the whole Pig live band, rip through excellent versions of the songs. The fact that they insist on playing “Boots”, a piss-poor cover of Lee Hazlewood’s “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’” (check out Hazlewood’s fabulous original instead, preferrably on the compilation with the same name), is more than compensated for by breathtaking versions of songs like “D.I.Y.”, “Ultra” and “Rules”. The latter featuring a guesting Chris Connelly, who’s jumping up and down like an ape on speed. The major stage persona is, not surprisingly, rock god
Raymond Watts (who looks so fit for his 40 years that there just has to be a horribly vile portrait of him stored away in an attic somewhere). Pig classic “Find It Fuck It Forget It” is also included here, a sure treat for us porkophiles.
Maybe I’m just an incurable sucker for the KMFDM phenomenon. No matter what, this is an essential purchase if you just can not get enough KMFDM in your life.

KRISTOFFER NOHEDEN