MINISTRY – FIX

Back in the mid-nineties, when the roots of sub genres of extreme music were thriving, I, personally, had my stylus firmly embedded in the chaotic groove of Scandinavian Black Metal. I was fortunate, however, to experience Al Jourgensen’s seminal Industrial Metal band, MINISTRY at a London gig. It was enough to entice me into picking up a copy of their Psalm 69 CD, though I felt the disc lacked the punch of the live show.

I vaguely followed MINISTRY’s subsequent albums, which varied hugely in style and quality. Maybe it was due to the high turnover of band members. Or maybe it was the fact that drugs were finally taking their toll on MINISTRY’s front man. You see, rather than veil his illicit drug habit as a dirty little secret; the Cuban born front man proudly wore his heroin use, not so much on his sleeve, more on the bruised veins of his forearms.

The band’s 4 year hiatus ended in March this year (albeit to with a lukewarm critical reception) with their latest album RELAPSE. It coincides with a no holds barred documentary style movie, FIX, released through Gigantic Pictures. Originally shot back in 1996, the film serves to extol the stark reality of the seedy underbelly of the music business to anyone brave enough to insert this DVD into their machine…

First thing to make clear is the fact that FIX is not simply a concert movie with a few interviews thrown in for good measure. Neither is it a timeline video diary of the ill-fated 1996 tour. What it does do with great effect, however, is intentionally capture the anarchic existence of life ‘on the road’.

Director Doug Freel has structured the 96 minute Rockumentary in the customary manner, interweaving snippet interviews (focusing on Jourgensen) from his hard rock peers into the backdrop of dressing room footage and dialogue from the band themselves.

Anyone with a passing interest in Metal music will recognize at least some of the names featured within the film. Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails is often thought of as the king of Industrial Metal but is humble enough to refer to Jourgensen as the "founding father of the Industrial scene" while admitting he "borrowed from" and "got his ass kicked by" MINISTRY in equal measures!

Probably the most shocking revelations come from The Jesus Lizard front man David Yow, who doesn’t hold back when explaining how they first crossed paths many moons ago. Without giving too much away, if you are ever near Ohio, just be aware that "penis suckery’s" operate at certain Greyhound (bus) stands… eeeew!

The lead singer Jonathan Davies from nu-metal irritants Korn (who I have always found to be utterly Krap) stays true to his whiney stage persona by spouting some gibberish about how annoying it is to be around drunk people when you are trying to be sober (ever thought of a change of career mate?)

But this is thankfully offset by some true class from Lemmy Kilmister. Even though the Motorhead rock icon was apparently going through a self-professed "white boot phase" at the time of filming, his effortlessly desiccated humor is always a joy to behold.

While the guest’s recollections offer an intriguing diversion, it was the discussions with Jourgensen himself that proved absorbing. His profound "Key to Life.." learnt from Timothy Leary (whose cancer ridden last days alive spent self-medicating on heroin are captured) come across as genuinely inspirational. Then there is the paradox of his art being misunderstood (On one hand a fan telling him his music prevented their suicide, on the other, a fighter pilot expressing how "rad" it was bombing Iraq to one of MINISTRY’s tunes… the words ‘Charlie’ and ‘White Album’ spring to mind!!!)

The illusion of Rock stardom being all glamour is also shattered by the constant threat of what Jourgensen calls "Professional Vultures". Whether it be slick drug peddlers goading you into ‘just one fix’ when you are "trying to stay clean" or the fine line between groupie and stalker, it’s quite an eye opener. (The ‘upfront approach’ of the bands security rounding up girls for an after show blow job probably didn’t help to be fair!)

The film does feature a liberal amount of drug taking throughout, which I imagine was enough in itself to relief the disc of an MPAA rating in its homeland. While the camera doesn’t dwell on the point of a syringes needle physically piercing the skin on its journey to a vein, it’s the mere fact that no one in the bands crew seems altogether bothered when Al starts to shoot up! They just mull round as if it’s the norm as he attempts to choke his forearm in search of a vein.

His desperate justification of heroin use by attempting to persuade the camera it’s no different to someone sinking a couple of cold beers after a hard days work is hindered further by his spiralling paranoia toward the end of the movie. It seems there was more to that trademark black leather trench coat that met the eye. Convinced he was going to be assassinated onstage, Jorgensen insists on wearing a top quality bullet proof vest on stage, much to the obvious embarrassment of his fellow members.

I was transfixed throughout movie but my only gripe was the live footage. While I accept this is not a "concert movie", I felt the live performances were criminally cut short, especially as the sound (albeit in need of the ‘bass boost’ setting on my amp) really gave my speakers a good ole work out. I accept this may have pushed the runtime to nearer the 2 hour mark but considering its content this was never going to be a commercial exercise, a few full live tracks would have showcased MINISTRY’s power and energy as well as their backstage debauchery. (Oh well, looks like their "Sphinctour" DVD will be on my shopping list this pay day!!)

All in all I found FIX to be a spellbinding watch. The 2 disc collector’s edition comes with a slip case, poster and bonus CD by long standing Ministry member, Paul Barker. A highly recommended viewing experience… if you pardon the pun!

Review by Marc Lissenburg