Killing Joke at Irving Plaza

Geordie Walker  & Jaz Coleman

Vocalist Jeremy "Jaz" Coleman  was born in Cheltenham, England, studied piano and violin until age 17, and was a member of several cathedral choirs in England. Coleman and drummer Paul Ferguson left another band in 1978 to form post-punk band Killing Joke in Notting Hill, London. Placing a classified ad in a local music newspaper, the pair recruited guitarist Geordie Walker and bassist Martin Glover (aka Youth), and debuted as a live band in 1979. Killing Joke's recordings and tours quickly became popular in England. After 10 albums, Killing Joke split in 1996, and then reunited in 2002. Coleman and Walker have been the only constant members of the band, but since 2008 the band has consisted of all four original members. Killing Joke's 15th and most recent studio album, is 2015's Pylon.

Killing Joke's tour celebrates the band's 40th anniversary. At Irving Plaza tonight, Killing Joke included touring keyboardist Reza Uhdin. The set married old songs with selections from more recent albums, providing a panorama of the band's history rather than locking on one period. This allowed the band to showcase many its styles, from brash industrial metal to more sedate synth-pop and gothic-rock. The bulk of the show inclined heavily on the denser, aggressive ragers that kept the audience bopping to frenetic beats. Coleman bellowed, Walker played icy riffs, Glover's overly-loud bass pumped scales, Ferguson hit tribal-sounding beats, and Uhdin's electronic wash provided an undercurrent of sleekness. Just as the grooves settled into the hypnotic, Coleman would interrupt with a savage shout. Kudos for a 40-year-old band that remains provocative and continues to reinvent itself.

Visit Killing Joke at www.killingjoke.co.uk.

Setlist:

1. Love Like Blood
2. European Super State
3. Autonomous Zone
4. Eighties
5. New Cold War
6. Requiem
7. Follow the Leaders
8. Butcher
9. Loose Cannon
10. Labyrinth
11. Corporate Elect
12. Asteroid
13. The Wait
14. Pssyche

Encore:

1. S.O.36
2. Primitive
3. The Death and Resurrection Show
4. Wardance
5. Pandemonium