My Life with the Thrill Kill Cult at le Poisson Rouge

Frank  Nardiello

Based in Chicago, Illinois, vocalist Frank Nardiello started his music career in 1979 in a power pop band called Special Affect. After one EP and album, the band split and Nardiello relocated to London, England, where he joined a gothic band called Drowning Craze. While in London in the early 1980s, Nardiello noted a tabloid headline, "My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult." Upon returning to Chicago, he recruited keyboardist Marston Daley for a film project to be called Hammerhead Housewife and the Thrill Kill Kult. Soon, their work on the soundtrack overarched the film project, which was never completed, and the musicians in 1987 gave their music project a name, My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult, often shortened to Thrill Kill Kult or TKK. Collaborators have come and gone but Nardiello, renamed Groovie Mann, and Daley, renamed Buzz McCoy, are the core members. My Life with the Thrill Kill Cult released its 14th and most recent studio  album, In the House of Strange Affairs, on February 14, 2019. The band presently consists of Mann, McCoy, bassist Mami Sato (a.k.a. Mimi Star), and drummer Justin Bennett (a.k.a. Justin Thyme).

At le Poisson Rouge tonight, My Life with the Thrill Kill Cult performed four songs from the current album, but mostly embraced the band's 1990s catalogue. Mann's gruff vocals were matched by aggressive and adventurous arrangements. The set married remnants of the band's original grinding industrial sound to edgy guitar riffs, hard beats and electronic soundscapes. Club music including disco, house, and funk influenced the overall sound. Humorous and satirical lyrics added to the party spirit. Ultimately, hard dance grooves and clever, silly lyrics bring the fun to every Thrill Kill Kult.

Setlist:

1. Strange Affairs
2. Neon Diva
3. Do You Fear (For Your Child)?
4. Rivers of Blood, Years of Darkness
5. A Daisy Chain 4 Satan
6. The International Sin Set
7. Glamour Is a Rocky Road
8. Badlife
9. Forbidden Saints
10. The Kult Konnection
11. Delicate Terror
12. Hand in Hand
13. The Chains of Fame
14. Lucifer's Flowers
15. The Days of Swine and Roses

Encore:

1. Burning Dirt
2. Year of the Klown
3. Electrical Soul Wish
4. After the Flesh