"You're either underground or you're not," reads the United Tour's promotional poster.
This speaks volumes about what this tour and its collective artists represent. Featured on the all-star industrial tour are Pigface, My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult and Bile. The United Tour will stop in Buffalo at The Continental tonight, March 19.
Martin Atkins, producer and front man of Pigface, comments on the nature of the tour's first date in Milwaukee, Wis.
"The general feeling is that this is better than we are usually at the end of a tour. We're all really excited because this is already very, very dangerous ... Bile was fantastic, and Thrill Kill Kult was just obscene, very, very focused, " said Atkins.
From Atkins' descriptions, the tour sounds like nothing short of the best ever in industrial/techno live performance.
"Without making it sound like a 'love-in,' we're all very excited, because it's the best we've ever played," said Atkins.
Atkins went on to discuss whether or not his tour could be described as an "industrial" tour: "Is Pigface an industrial band? And what is industrial music? 'Cause it seems to me like industrial music is being slowly absorbed into everything else ... to me, industrial music has always been about experimentation, energy and joyful expression."
Vague statements such as this could be about any genre, but Atkins continues: "I don't know what industrial music is anymore. I don't know what industrial bands you can point to. Is KMFDM an industrial band? Are Nine Inch Nails industrial, or are they in some sense, pop?"
Bands like Depeche Mode and Nine Inch Nails have been known as industrial bands, creating unique sounds using less unique sounds thanks to different types of equipment and less conventional recording techniques. By pairing these tactics with underground creative sensibilities, bands such as these grew out of 80s synthesizer-based bands like Devo.
Since then, the industrial genre has become known for its pushing of artistic boundaries and cult following. It often bears connections to heavy metal and gothic lifestyle in the cases of bands like Rammstein.
Atkin's point is, however, a lucid one. Today's music hardly ever shows a total absence of influence from the world of pop. Many bands seek to achieve this absence while maintaining record sales. While not doing this might be an indicator of artistic integrity, it is difficult to achieve as an artist and therefore difficult to find.
In reference to being "underground," and the significance of underground, Atkins said, "People need to stop thinking about, 'Do I need to buy this CD to have this CD on my shelf,' and start thinking, 'Do I need to support this scene so that it's there when I want to go out and immerse myself in (it)."
Several things come along with this tour that attendants would not find on many others. Namely, some bands present a full visual experience to coincide with their auditory display. But more intriguing is the presence of two women, CandyXXX of the Bozo Porno Circus and Kami of Apocalypse Theatre. Their role on the tour is unclear, since the descriptions are as follows, "(CandyXXX) brings new meaning to bump and grind as she grinds her metal underwear onstage," and "Kami ... will be circulating around the venue and jumping onstage with Pigface."
"Hopefully the stink of a United Tour show will stick to your body longer than the smell of smoke and whatever else is going on," Atkins said.
