I never fail to come away from B.B. King’s Blues Club and Grill without great respect for its booking agent. B.B.’s hosts an eclectic lineup of classic blues acts along with up-and-comers. Even the most discriminating musical palette can find something on the calendar to get excited about. Hell, even if your favorite band hasn’t toured in years, the abundance of cover bands that fill out the calendar guarantees you’ll still get your rocks off on whatever power ballad you’ve been humming in the shower lately.

Heading into the club that night, I had an idea of the kind of crowd I’d be a part of: awash in black, piercings glinting in the stage lights, the occasional splash of Manic Panic. I wasn’t disappointed. Ankle-endangering platform boots were so prevalent, it seemed the box office had been giving them away. Tattooed limbs shifted and bled into one another like a herd of zebras on the move. Two teenage girls in front squealed with glee, gushing over brand new corsets and fishnets. Except for the woman in leather chaps over faux-snakeskin vinyl pants (who probably sported the sweatiest underwear in the room), the crowd was dressed to thrill and ready for the rockin’.

First out of the gate was the brand new incarnation of Voodou, a five-piece hailing from North Carolina, who – after some lineup changes and a brief stint under the moniker Haitian Hate Gods – have returned to work that hoodoo that they do. Drummer Waylon opened the set with an extended tribal-flavored solo that left his drum set begging for mercy. His band members hit the stage, he lowered the mask he’d had on, and Voodou showed us what they came to do. Playing melodic industrial-metal spiced with loops and samples, they angsted and doomed their way through a short set.

Weaving together bits of disparate influences, from hard-hitting industrial to tribal percussion to trip-hop soulfulness, their sound reached a level of subtle complexity that transcends it’s “industrial” label. Unfortunately this did not make up for lead-singer Corin’s general lack of presence. With time and experience (and maybe some style coaching), this group may become a force on the rock scene - if they can stick together long enough to iron out the kinks. For more on Voodou, check out www.haitianhategods.com.

Next up was Dallas, Texas’ Nocturne. Made up of Lacey Connor (vocalist) and Chris Telkes (guitarist/ programmer), on tour with Ben Graves of The Murder Dolls and DJ Rotten Rotney on bass. With the smoke machine going full blast, Lacey contorted and moaned as her partners abused their instruments and swung their matching black dreds around in unison. Raging through newer material (“Shallow”, “I Lie”) with some older cuts for the fans (“My Bitch”, “Whore”), Nocturne did their best to arouse and menace, but most weren't buying.

Though Lacey was no slacker on stage, a miniskirt, some detuned guitars and a cookie-cutter nu-metal sound aren’t much to get excited about. They did have their fans, though, who weren’t shy about making themselves known. They’ve also just wrapped up a tour with Mushroomhead and Dope, so someone must think this band is on to something. Hit up the website at ww.nocturne.cc if you think they might be your thing.

Now, some of you may remember Sheep on Drugs. One of the early acts to come off of Invisible Records, the English electro/industrial duo of Duncan X and Lee Fraser were known for performances that would have made Tipper Gore froth at the mouth with righteous indignation. Terrorizing and delighting their audiences with simulated gunplay and bloodied mannequins, fans remember them with that mixture of awe and nostalgia that only truly glorious/disturbing performances can inspire. After dropping out of the scene for a few years, SOD began making appearances throughout 2004, and rumors that a new album was in the works began to circulate. This year has finally brought F**K for all of the faithful.

As Duncan X has been out of the picture for some time, Fraser’s assumed the mantle of frenetic frontman. While there’s no doubt he can writhe and spit with the best of ‘em, the lack of any of the theatrics that made SOD legendary was a bit disappointing. Still, the set was four-to-the-floor fun, mostly featuring tracks like “Machine Sex” and “Streetwalker” off of their latest album. For an idea of SOD’s sound and attitude, imagine a sexed up Pretty Hate Machine-era Nine Inch Nails, or maybe a sleazier, less spastic Atari Teenage Riot. If you want another hit, head over to www.sheep-on-drugs.com to get hooked.

Before the last act of the night, Hanin Elias, screamstress of Atari Teenage Riot fame (and touring as part of Pigface), performed a mini-set to promote her newest release Future Noir. Strutting through “Future Noir” and “You Suck”, she gave us a taste of the style and antics that have endeared her to industrial fans worldwide. Straying away from the drill’n’bass rampage that was ATR, Elias explores a more sensuous, introspective side on her newest disc while staying true to her anarcho-alarmist roots. Check out Future Noir, available now from Underground Inc.

Lastly, it came time for Pigface, that ever-shifting “Frankenstein” (as they’ve been referred to in the press) of industrial/ metal. The pet project of drummer/ producer Martin Atkins (who’s been a part of Public Image Ltd., Ministry and Killing Joke), Pigface is as known for it’s concept as for it’s music. With no permanent members except for Atkins, and an open-door policy of collaboration with artists within and without the industrial genre, this group’s output has run the gamut from dubby atmospherics to screeching android freakfests. Each album cut is colored by the ambitions of whoever happened to be in the studio, and though Pigface has drawn criticism for a wildly varied catalog, there’s no doubt that it keeps things interesting. Since 1991, this revolving collective has pounded out the hits and brought their wild stage shows to the unwashed masses.

On tour this time around were mainstays Atkins, En Esch (of KMFDM fame), and Charles Levi (also of Ministry), along with Curse Mackey (Grim Faeries), Krztoff (of Bile), Hanin Elias (ex- Atari Teenage Riot) and The Enigma (the tattooed circus showman with the painted puzzle skin). In the same vein as KMFDM and My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult, this group boomed out synth-laced dance-metal that got the crowd movin’ and shakin’. Opening with a brief, trippy instrumental piece, they then launched into an explosive, chaotic set. Fans pumped their fists and shouted along with “Godlike”, “Autohag”, “Murder Inc.”, and “Asphole”.

The Enigma performed classic sideshow tricks, like sword swallowing and the Human Blockhead (in which he drives a nail into his face) when he wasn’t jamming along. He even did his best Leatherface impression; appearing on stage in overalls and pig mask, brandishing a chainsaw, he jumped off stage and “attacked” just about each and every audience member (don’t get nervous; the saw was disconnected from it’s motor). The club shook with the sheer kinetic energy of it all. Hanin Elias strutted and stomped. Curse Mackey climbed all over the equipment. Levi and Krztoff kept the rock hard and heavy, and we were even treated to the sight of En Esch, a normally imposing figure, prancing around like a little girl while singing in German. The show was akin to a religious revival run by cranked-up ADD cases in heat. If you’re looking for an experience rather than just a run-of-the-mill rock show, be in the crowd next time Pigface hits town. For more on their releases and tours, go to invisiblerecords.com/bands/pigface

B.B. King Blues Club & Grill is located at 237 W. 42nd St in NY’s Times Square. Check out www.bbkingblues.com for more info. With a calendar that reads like a Who’s Who of music history, you’re sure to spot something you won’t want to miss. And check back here at cityzen.tv/ for more from the stage at B.B. King’s. See you there.