Ministry linchpin Al Jourgensen on the records, artists and gigs that are of lasting significance to him.
I turned sixty-five last year and decided to finally become a fucking adult,” Al Jourgensen says, laughing. “So I took out all my dreads and my piercings, all that shit. Now it’s just my natural hair and whatever else I got left.”
Jourgensen may have dialled down his distinctive look, but his music as leader of industrial-rock brutalists Ministry is just as uncompromising as ever. Their latest album is the socio-political HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES.
THE FIRST MUSIC I REMEMBER HEARING
The first song I was cognisant of was the Rolling Stones’ 19th Nervous Breakdown. Compared to The Beatles or The Monkees, the Stones were rough around the edges. Then you’d read about their maniac lifestyle and drug arrests, so I naturally gravitated towards that.
THE FIRST SONG IPERFORMED LIVE
Probably (Don’t Fear) The Reaper. It was 1977, and I joined a covers band on guitar during my senior high school freshman year at college in Colorado. We were called Slayer. Seriously. I had a good laugh about that with Tom [Araya] years later.
THE GUITAR HERO
I went to see Robin Trower recently, and got to meet him backstage. And I realised how much Bridge Of Sighs meant to my development, in all ways, shapes and forms. I couldn’t believe he knew my stuff too. I was like: “Whoa!”
THE SONGWRITER
I’ve always wanted to meet Colin Newman [Wire]. I especially love the way he accentuates esoteric points while making it very clear what he’s trying to say. I try to emulate that with my songwriting. He’s the bee’s knees, man.
THE SINGER
Tom Waits proved that you don’t need a great voice to be a good storyteller. I always wanted to be the guitar player, I never wanted to be a singer. He helped me make it through that transition to Ministry frontman, not being self-conscious that you can’t sing worth a fuck.
MY CULT HERO
We once toured with The Mentors, an eighties punk band based in California. GG Allin was nothing compared to [singer/dummer] El Duce. And I know because I beat the shit out of GG Allin in an elevator in New York for throwing up all over me.
MY GUILTY PLEASURE
I’ll tell you, I’m a closet Cher fan. It started when I was eight. I just thought she was the hottest woman in the world. And all her songs are so damn catchy. I’m just a sucker for stuff like Believe.
THE GREATEST ALBUM OF ALL TIME
Wire’s Pink Flag just blew me away. It’s a punk rock warrior record, but they were already starting to sound like early Syd Barrett at times. That and the first Killing Joke album [self-titled] really focused my dir
