Lords of Acid perform at The Rave in Milwaukee on May 23, 2024.
Praga Khan and Lords of Acid return to the touring stage for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing forth their customary debauchery and innuendo for the Make Acid Great Again Tour. The tour made their way to the aptly-named Rave in Milwaukee for a night of heavy beats and raw acid EDM sound.
Praga Khan, electronic rave music pioneer and founder of Lords of Acid, opens the show with counterpart Olivier Adams, setting the stage for a bass-heavy night of synths and sweat. This tour marks Khan’s last time performing his tracks as a solo act.
Praga Khan performs at The Rave in Milwaukee on May 23, 2024.
Whether or not you were aware of their contributions to the techno world, the most instantly recognizable track of the night would be the theme to the video game Mortal Kombat. The soundtrack, composed entirely by Khan and Adams under the name The Immortals, celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2024.
The crowd went absolutely insane as the opening notes hit, before Adams shouted the iconic “Mortal Kombat” scream, and the bass took over. Everyone was jumping and saying the names of the characters along with the duo on stage, and it was certainly a highlight for many, especially the few that didn’t realize that they were the creator of the iconic theme. Adams noted that Khan had lost his voice prior to the show, but he still kept up the energy, dancing and egging the crowd on to get louder and get moving.
The basement dance of the Rave had filled up by the time The Lords of Acid was set to take the stage. The crowd got their appetizer with the group performing the instrumental “Sex Bomb,” before their new vocalist Gigi Ricci joined the rest of the group to perform “Scrood Bi U.” Despite pausing for some technical difficulties early on, Ricci made the most of the wait by interacting with the crowd members, and keeping them entertained (without getting arrested for indecent exposure).
Lords of Acid perform at The Rave in Milwaukee on May 23, 2024.
Ricci’s vocal additions to the group were solid, and she owned the stage, whether it was swinging her flogger, spanking fans during “Spank My Booty,” or pushing away gimps with her foot. The crowd seemed to be just as weird as the group, with nobody accidentally coming to the show without some prior knowledge of what they were to expect. Of any shows to stumble into, this would be up there as one of the most shocking.
Olivier Adams operated the keys and backing vocals for the set, with Khan being notably absent (potentially due to the voice issue). However, with Adams’ long experience playing with the group, there didn’t seem to be anything “off” about the performance at all. Classic LOA tracks like “Pussy” really got the crowd singing along, and finally going nuts for the ending of all endings with “I Sit on Acid.”
The energy of the show felt like such a group of similar-minded people, with no real inhibitions and no judgment, just good vibes and weirdos. For fans of industrial or electronic music, it might be a show worth checking out if you’re unfamiliar with the group. You never know, you might be a weirdo too.
Photos and Review by Ian Storck – IG @i_storck
