Skinny Puppy fans are aware of what they are getting into when the industrial act stops in their city; nothing short of an evening with theatrics, mysterious fluids and powerful electro-experimental music. 

Hundreds of these fans flocked to Club Vegas on Friday, Nov. 6 to catch the band's third show in SLC since they reformed in 2003 (touring for “The Greater Wrong of The Right” in 2004), making for a cluster of sweating bodies, thrashing to the noise.

Although the new album set to be released this month has been delayed till early 2010, the show still goes on. 

A large textured metal cage sitting to the left of the stage looked familiar to the 2007 Mythrus Tour (at The Depot) where Ogre spent most of the performance behind the screen. 

Following the intro of synth-driven noise that brought the “scaremeister” (a name given by Arnold Schwarzenegger) cEvin Key and live drummer Justin Bennett to their instruments, Ogre hobbled to the front of the stage. These dogs may be industrial pioneers, but that doesn’t mean they are so old they need walkers. But that was Ogre’s method of stumbling onto the stage donning head-to-toe white with blood splatters. A Halloween leftover rubber mask covered his face and a tall white pointy hat sat atop his head. 

“Love in Vein” started and Ogre lurched into his signature twitchy movements which make him recognizable under the masks, his white getup making a canvas for a kaleidoscope of projected images. 

Die-hard fans were were next treated with “HateKILL,” a track intended to be on 1995’s “The Process,” but was later released on “Back and Forth Series 6.” As the room filled with applause and screams, Ogre tapped the vein on his left arm, a gesture indicating the next song: “Addiction.” As if the junkie-like lyrics led him to be locked up, ogre jumped on the platform within the metal cage for “deadlines” as a close-circuit camera captured his masked-face’s emotional pleas while rattling within the sturdy contraption. 

The set list hit every note to perfection for older fans, younger fans, I-prefer-the-hits fans and the I-Own-everything-by-Skinny Puppy fans. As a life-long fan, I reconnected with my 15-year-old self through “Tormentor,” “Morpheus Laughing,” “Rodent” and “Dogshit.” The Vancouver-originated-now-LA-based duo balanced the set with tracks from their most recent albums. Live versions of “Politikil,” “Pedafly” and “Pro-test” brilliantly showcased Ogre’s impressively fast-paced vocals.

By this point, Ogre had removed the facemask and hat, revealing a melted wax-like hood (think burn victim) that wrapped around his head and neck, leaving room for a black covering on his mouth, nose and eyes. On a side note, Ogre’s intense vocals were in top-growl-form and I noticed he wasn’t able to, and literally couldn’t, hydrate between songs. 

The white cloth covering the cage was gone and Ogre returned to the box and a plexiglass front was sprayed with fake blood. No stranger to special-effects (he was heavily made up as Pavi in “Repo! The Genetic Opera”), Ogre moved behind the blood dragging his finger through it or peeking through the drips.

The TV screen began rotating through various pictures of Jesus as an intro to “Ugli.” Two canes created a cross, enhancing this religious experience (it just wouldn’t be Skinny Puppy without a statement). This was as close to true drum ’n’ bass in a live experience as Bennett attacked the drums and Key railed on the synths. It’s not among my favorite songs, but that live action was sick.

After “Assimilate,” Ogre vanished from the stage and cEvin worked his experimental magic on the keys. Meanwhile, the frontman was backstage transforming into an unmasked persona. He returned to the stage to perform “Warlock,” a Skinny Puppy essential. Completely removed from the former beast, Ogre, still in white blood-soaked clothing, ended the night with “Far Too Frail,” a nostalgic favorite. 

They could have played another two hours, but I was pleased at the songs they chose to hit the variety of fans they’ve picked up throughout their time as a leader in the industrial genre. 

Skinny Puppy shows never disappoint, and this show at Club Vegas may have been stuffed full of people, making for discomfort, but the passion these folks share for this band makes for a celebration of the music we all love. 

(Photos by Kelly Badger)

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