11 April 2022 (gig)
12 April 2022
Back in the early eighties with groups such as Spear of Destiny, The Alarm, Southern Death Cult, The Mission and Killing Joke you always knew that you were in for an energetic yet highly entertaining night out.
What always set Killing Joke apart from their peers was the brooding and commanding stage presence of lead singer Jaz Coleman underpinned by the deep bass playing of Youth, the guitar riffs played by the ever so cool Geordie Walker against the relentless drumming of Paul Ferguson.
As the band strode onto the o2 Academy stage in Leeds neatly forty years on you could be forgiven that you were travelling back in time. What sounded like an excerpt from an old Doctor Who programme played in the background as Geordie strook up the chords of Love Like Blood.
Starting off a gig by playing one of your ace cards might seem like Killing Joke had played their best card too early but when you have other strong tracks in your repertoire to come, it did not seem to matter.
Coleman is a man of few words. He only offered that “we are all together in the same room” as he introduced Wardance. The mosh pit was alive as the menacing track reached an euphoric conclusion.
I Am The Virus took on a new meaning in the 21st century with the band now in full flow. Coleman still wore his black boiler suit, still looking like a man possessed as he commanded the stage.
Mathematics of Chaos was greeted by the fans like a long-lost friend whilst Loose Cannon showed how much we had missed Killing Joke.
The subtle lighting throughout created a sombre effect with sympathetic bursts of bright lights provided at the right moment.
No Killing Joke gig is complete without the inclusion of Pandemonium. The band saved the monumental track to the last song of the night as the influential song had the fans in a frenzy.
Although the band only tour here on an irregular basis, in Leeds they had made the evening as special and memorable as only Killing Joke can as this Joke will never wear thin.
