Damian gets to Birmingham to have a look at the new goth sensations
I arrive as local Metal / Post Hardcore quintet In Dante’s Eclipse take to the stage.
I’d never seen the guys before and really enjoyed the six song set. The songs were well crafted and the band is really tight. It was a pretty in your face full on performance from a band who certainly knows how to not only write a tune but deliver it live. Vocalist Hal Steadman has a real Jim Morrison swagger about him and lurched around the stage quite menacingly at times. This was a superb introduction to a band who not only myself but hopefully all of us will hear far more from in the future.
The vibe is altogether different when Louise Distras saunters onstage acoustic guitar in hand.What follows is a marvellous five song performance from this Post punk singer songwriter.“Outside of You” was dedicated to touring buddies The Red Paintings, we got “The Hands you hold” but my favourite was “Bullets”. A fabulous recital from Wakefield’s answer to Billy Bragg. One more artist to look out for.
I was really looking forward to seeing The Red Paintings, as I’d already seen them at the Whitby Goth Weekend only a few days before. A screen plays a tape showing a person in a Vendetta mask confirming that the band would be released for the show but that a pledge campaign was available to support the bands freedom to complete the rest of the tour. The band blast into the Michael Jackson cover “They Don’t Care About Us”, it shouldn’t work but it so does. My favourite song the wonderful “It Is As It Was” follows before we get “Streets Fell Into My Window” and “WASPS” Another interesting cover is shared in the guise of Nick Cave’s “The Mercy Seat”. “Rain”, and “Dead Children” quickly follow before “The Revolution is Never Coming” closes out this stunning set.
Headling tonight are Bristol based Alternative Goth Punk outfit AshestoAngels.These boys Crilly, Nico, Josh, Adam and Jim certainly have boundless energy and tear into opener “Heavy Words and Hollow Bones” with a vengeance.
The set combines some really catchy melodies with an energetic live show to match.
We get songs such as “Run”, “Six Six Six”, “Dorian” with a new song “Battered and Broken” thrown in for good measure. Another anthemic song “The Wake” had me humming along, the band are that infectious.
These boys seem like really nice fellas and I’m sure it was guitarist Josh who left the stage to have a selfie with two fans mid set, which says it all about the band.
Vocalist Crilly`s enthusiasm and energy never diminished as the band encouraged the sparse audience to let go and get involved. The forty minute set ended and a happy audience were left to recover from such an intense show.
