This would have been my third concert and likely my sophomore year in High School. It was also my first one at a venue that was not Omni, and general admission concert experience where there aren’t seats, but rather a free for all of humanity.
I went with 3 friends, Dave, Rob, and Danny. I’m pretty sure Ministry was the draw for all of us and they were supporting the album Psalm 69 that year. The original middle slot was supposed to be Helmet, but they had an accident on an icy patch of road on their way to the show. Those icy patches of roads would make another appearance in the tale, but we will crash into that road sign when the time is right. Ice T’s Body Count was added as a last-minute replacement.
Brazillian metal act Sepultura was the opening act. I really wasn’t familiar with them prior to the show, but I thought they were pretty awesome. They were supporting the album Arise, and I am sure that I picked it up on cassette soon after. I worked my way up fairly close and this was rewarding in terms of feeling the volume and energy of the music, but also a risk because of sporadic mosh pits. I look back at things like this and wonder how did I never break any bones? There was a mad max kind of energy to this type of show in a general admission setting. Like you would either survive and rule the tribe, or perhaps be crushed under leathery footwear.
The Body Count set was unexpected, but interesting. This band was in the news a lot during this tour for the album featuring Cop Killer. Some gigs were canceled, and it was a ruckus, so It felt mildly dangerous to watch this set, and that was kind of fun. No setlist appears for this Atlanta fill-in date, but I have to assume it was similar to the one played in Wilmington the next night.
Ministry is up last and provided quite a scary atmosphere. They start with N.W.O. off the new CD and the room is full of stage smoke and mechanical rage. The mic stands were adorned with animal skulls the band was just a mass of black clothes and hair. It was some stuff. I also recall Thieves from the Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste being played mid-set. Our Ministry knowledge may have been limited to those 2 recent albums, so deeper cuts went unnoticed. The title track Pslam 69 was also a standout with the scary preacher samples blasting at decibels my tiny High School body could barely withstand. I honestly can barely recall what happened to my friends during this thing. It’s possible we glommed together, but I also had the sense of being on my own in the ocean of thrash energy. The set closed down with one of my favorite tracks the sinister Scarecrow, followed up by a surprise cover of Black Sabbath’s Supernaut.
The friends are reunited after the show, and the icy weather is still at play. My friend Dave drives us in his blue Ford Escort. I am in the back seat with Danny and rather tired after all that concert, so I doze off maybe laying sloppy sideways with part of a seatbelt. Things are peaceful for a while with just the steady rumble of the pavement, but then there is a sudden jerk and the car is flying off the road. We slide into a ditch and the front end crushes into a road sign. So, now we all plop out in the freezing rain. Dave is deservedly upset about the vehicle being crapped up, and the next few hours are a healthy dose of misery. The police show up, but instead of being helpful run us through hoops thinking we were wasted. Since no one can fail a breathalyzer for drinking Mountain Dew, the cops call a tow truck and leave us to wait. 2 hours later we finally get a ride back to Dahlonega. Granny was pretty miffed that I was so late. This was the pre-cell phone era, so all of our folks were pretty worried.
Sepultura Concert Setlist at Lakewood Exhibition Center, Atlanta on December 9, 1992 | setlist.fm
Ministry Concert Setlist at Lakewood Exhibition Center, Atlanta on December 9, 1992 | setlist.fm
