Kidneythieves
Zerospace Tour
August 4th, 2002
Newport Music Hall, Columbus, Ohio
Less than 24 hours after spending a long chaotic day photographing Ozzfest at Polaris Amphitheater, I found myself in downtown Columbus. Running on minimal sleep, little money, and only 1 roll of film, I was unwilling to miss another opportunity to catch Kidneythieves live. What I didn’t realize that night was this show would be the end of a musical journey, crisscrossing the Midwest, that had begun 5 weeks earlier. That night would be my last time seeing the band live for at least the next 25 years.
Opening for Tommy Lee on his Never a Dull Moment tour, Kidneythieves brought their dark blend of industrial rock and electronic textures to the historic Newport Music Hall. Familiar faces from the previous days speckled the packed venue, and despite the exhaustion from the previous day’s festival, Kidneythieves quickly woke up the crowd with an energetic set that showcased material from Zerøspace. Free Dominguez’s captivating vocals and Bruce Somers’ layered guitars and electronics transformed the intimate room into something much larger, proving why the band had become one of the most distinctive voices in 2000s industrial rock scene.
Tommy Lee’s solo material brought a different energy to the night, but Kidneythieves were the perfect complement, setting the tone with a performance that balanced atmosphere, melody, and heaviness. Looking back more than two decades later, the show stands out not only for the music but for the whirlwind weekend that preceded it, a memorable stretch that included Ozzfest, countless miles on the road, and another unforgettable night spent documenting live music. These photos capture the final chapter of an exhausting but rewarding weekend that perfectly embodied the excitement of chasing concerts in the summer of 2002.
Words and Photos by Adam Tibbott
Original photos digitally edited and restored from Kodak film negatives
