NOW OVER WITH MINISTRY, AL JOURGENSEN LOOKS AHEAD TO FUTURE PROJECTS

Now that Ministry is over, Al Jourgensen looks ahead to his next projects but don’t expect to see him touring any time soon

Although Ministry have decided to call it quits, Al Jourgensen continues to be extremely busy juggling his time between multiple projects. Jourgensen is currently working on Ministry’s farewell “C U La TouR” live DVD/CD package of that tour, which will be released in March 2009. Jourgensen, who formed Ministry in 1981 and continued to tour up until 2008, knew the time was right to retire the band.

Artisan News caught up with Al Jourgensen to get his thoughts on being in a band and why playing live became torture after 27 years on the road and in the studio.

“I mean yeah, it’s torturous because look, that’s the whole thing I hate about live and that’s the whole thing I hate about being in a band because you spend all your time obsessing and focusing on one thing and it takes up two years of your life. Every release there’s months of press, a year in the studio, six months or eight months of touring and the next thing you know you’re still on Ministry and you have to do another one and it’s two years later. God it’s so boring.”

Jourgensen also talked about settling into his role as producer for bands like Revolting Cocks and Prong, who both are under the umbrella of Al’s 13th Planet Records.

“That’s why I’m so over this. This is done! I have so many other projects. I can’t wait until I start twirling buttons on a Prong record or twirling buttons on a Cocks record. I hate the fact that you made us come here and talk to you. I hate you for this because this is a waste of my time. I’d rather be in the studio working with people I know and love and doing really progressive stuff.”

So what did Al hate most about touring?

“Because every night on stage you’re like a juke box playing the old hits. You put a quarter in your mouth and turn your tounge and spit out a song, right. That’s what I never liked about live playing. The whole thing is like, yeah ok there’s magic moments where the crowd is really into it and they’re one with you and all that. Whatever! Wank, wank, wank! You know what, the best moment is when you know you’ve done a good job and you’ve done something that’s timeless that’s recorded in the studio. And that last playback, with a really good bottle of Brandy or wine and a good cigar, louder than piss and you and just the band. None of these knuckle heads blowing smoke up your ass. Then you know you’ve done something really cool. That’s the moment.”

Al Jourgensen is currently working on an upcoming Revolting Cocks album, which will be coming out in February. The album was recorded at the 13th Planet Records studio compound in El Paso, Texas which Jourgensen recently built from the ground up and houses a state of the art studio along with many luxuries bands would expect during their recording process. Jourgensen also recently finished a documentary on the drug culture in the 90’s titled ‘Fixed’ which will also be released in 2009.