On 30 May, The Dev Camden hosted one of the most exciting new acts we could’ve possibly wished to see in London. VOWWS embarked on their first European tour in May, starting said tour in Belgium on 15 May and ending with their performance at WGT Festival in Leipzig on 9 June. This fairly young band from LA caught my attention a few years ago, after hearing their single “Losing Myself In You” which…

  We started our long weekend at The London Palladium, where Howard Jones stopped on his Transform 35th Anniversary World Tour, supported by China Crisis. This tour covers Howard’s latest album Transform, released on May 10th, as well as a retrospective of his 35-year career so far. The audience for this type of event is usually on the older side; although this one was no exception, there were also some younglings accompanying their parents. We…

  Whether you dug through the crates or slam-danced in the pit at a RevCo show, chances are if you lived in Chicago in the 80s and early 90s, you set foot in the legendary Wax Trax! store. Founded first as a record store in 1975 and then established as a label in 1980 by the industrial scene’s favorite power couple Jim Nash and Dannie Flesher, the Wax Trax store and label created a seismic…

  On 27nd April we had the opportunity to see Suede live for the second time, this time in Southampton. It was the night of Suede special treats for the fans and loving audience. Suede’s music has always been a great inspiration in my life and I am sure I am not speaking only for myself. Unlike so many people who saw them live over the years, my first real opportunity to see the great…

  The genre-defying Mortiis has an impressively broad catalog of albums, ranging in styles from metal to ambient. At The Lodge in Los Angeles on Sunday April 7, he played a solo set of exclusively Era I material. Openers Wilshire Corridor and Minor Conquest were a compelling addition to the lineup. Solo artist Minor Conquest started the set, lurking in the shadows of his synths in sunglasses and creating a commanding presence with ethereal sounds….

  On Sunday we went to O2 Academy in Islington to round up a quite eventful weekend of live performances in London with the final show of Leaether Strip’s, celebratory, 30th anniversary UK tour. The London gig was supported by Machine Rox, My Hysteria and Mechanical Cabaret who all did an excellent job of warming up the crowd, which was, quite possibly, larger than expected after all the drama of And One cancellation. Even before…

  Day 1 M’era Luna 2018 took place on the Hildesheim airfield, south of Hanover. Festival revellers were blessed with pleasant, sunny, but not too hot weather, a contrast from the previous year’s mud-fest. The festival attracts well over 20,000 revellers to a strong line-up of bands, with a side medieval market, fashion shows and workshops, clothing and music merchants, and a good mix of food and drink outlets. Many will camp at the site…

  Amphi Festival has for many years been one of the main European festivals for the gothic scene. This year Tanzbrunnen in Cologne was “dark” again, although the line up suggested some brighter moments as well. The conditions for the festival were perfect. Even though we missed the warm up party the day before we were eager to head to the Main stage on the first day. We came in time to see The Creepshow….

  On July 21st we went to O2 Forum in Kentish Town where Ministry promoted their current album AmeriKKKant. After the opening act left the stage, the crew started preparing the stage for the main event, placing two white balloon chickens with Trump-like tops and crossed swastika signs on the front corners of the stage, thus setting the tone of the evening. Although shows from bands with long careers generally attract middle-aged crowds, which also…

  Israel Nash visited UK this June to perform in Oxford and Guildford. This amazingly talented artist from Texas mixes folk and psychedelic rock to create striking and impressive musical and spiritual journeys. There were around hundred visitors who gathered on 16 June at St Mary’s church in Guildford to hear some of the new songs from his upcoming Lifted album. However, Israel Nash didn’t neglect to please the audience with his older material. It…