Page 55 - IONIndieMagazine Vollume 41 Nov/Dec2017

I‘ve been at this photojournalist gig for just under four years now, and during this period of time I've had the
pleasure to work with various publicists from Los Angeles to New York – it’s a real relationship-building existence
in the business of covering live music for a media outlet. As time has moved along, a few select publicists will
reach out to me to cover various acts that they represent. Case in point, Tracy George of Tag Publicity -- who
reached out to me to cover My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult this past October 7th at the one and only Tricky Falls,
El Paso’s premiere music venue. This particular appearance was in conjunction with “The Full Moon Vampire
Ball” (produced by Michelle Denise Padilla, the CEO of Deadly Page Productions) with TKK serving as the musical
entertainment for the evening.

There was a pre-party kicking off at 6:00 p.m. for VIP only, which included a catered sit-down dinner upstairs.
Keeping with the “dark” theme, dinner was followed by a Vampire Burlesque Show and topped off by a magic
show by Captain Sven Blackheart. Even the drinks at the bar all had a Vampire-esque title to them, an example
being the “Blood Transfusion,” an alcoholic beverage that was served in an IV Bag. No muss, no fuss.

Vampire attire was a must, and everyone showed up bedecked in their favorite “creature of the night”
ensemble. Looking around, the sights were quite reminiscent of the year I spent as a photojournalist in New
Orleans (stomping grounds of Anne Rice, author of “Interview with the Vampire”). At the time I was working in
the French Quarter where the freaks definitely come out at night, many of the blood-drinking variety.

Doors were open at 9:00 p.m. for general admission to see TKK, with the magician and the burlesque dancers
shifting from upstairs to the main theater. Captain Sven Blackheart, accompanied by his lovely assistant Ms. Hex
Hypoxia, was on-point with his slight-of-hand demonstrations, pulling a member from the audience for a mind-
blowing card trick that left everyone scratching their heads. The burlesque show vampiric vixens, Siren Saint Sin,
Perla Foxxx and Jazz Bubbles, also put on a fantastic show. Needless to say, I’m available and ready for their
“close-up”-- should they require any additional images. I am, after all, a professional. At 10:30 p.m., it was time
for our main event -- My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult.

Hailing from Chicago, TKK are celebrating 30 years together, with this tour celebrating their longevity in the
industry. The two founding members, Buzz McCoy and Groovie Mann, have been at it since the mid 80’s and
are considered pioneers in the Industrial Music Scene. Their first release was in ‘88 and they have put out 12
full-length albums in 26 years. TKK has a sound that is not easily identified or categorized. The music can remind
you of a cheap porno (not that I have direct knowledge of such things) one minute, and in the next, sound like
a group of demonic ghosts worshipping their dark lord deep in a bat-filled cave somewhere. TKK is ALL about
sex, drugs, and Satan and their musical selections echo these subjects. Some of the evening’s musical offerings
were such crowd-pleasers as “The Days of Swine and Roses,” “Cadillac Square,” “Kooler Than Jesus,” and of
course, “A Daisy Chain For Satan.” TKK had this crowd dancing and swaying to their hypnotic sounds.

Groovie Mann is the main attraction and he does work the stage like a well-oiled machine. I got the chance to
meet him backstage before the show, and he did remember me from 2015 when they were here the last time
and I covered TKK for this magazine. We grabbed a quick photo and engaged in a brief conversation – with no
loss of blood. In actuality, you just couldn’t ask for a more pleasant person.

In closing, it was a memorable evening – with much thanks to Michelle and Tracy for the approvals. Should Life
with the Thrill Kill Kult roll into your town, take a romp on the dark side and be sure and catch a show that is
sinister and sexy and a heck of a good time. If you call ahead, they can have your Blood Transfusion on ice.

www.mylifewiththethrillkillkult.com • www.facebook.com/thrillkillkult