Stepping out of the Trenchard Street car park and instantly being met by a sea of black T-shirts, long hair, and spikes—lots and lots of spikes—was exactly what I was expecting, and I was not disappointed. Making my way down the queue, I noticed some gig-goers had gone all out, even opting to include corpse paint, made famous by black metal artists of the 1980s and, of course, Dani Filth of tonight’s legendary headliners, Cradle of Filth.
At just past 9:30 p.m we are onto what we are all here to see: the mighty, the legendary, the extreme gothic metal titans Cradle of Filth. With a stage set up as if it came straight from one of the band’s music videos—complete with 12-foot monster skeletons with glowing green eyes, and yes, more spikes—their presence was nothing short of awe-inspiring. They made their way to the stage donned in black leather, PVC, rubber, and horror movie-inspired stage makeup. Already, the crowd was audibly impressed before a note had been played.
Standing in the middle of the stage and completely covered in a torn-up ceremonial hooded robe, vocalist Dani Filth swayed back and forth to the beautiful operatic vocals of keyboardist Zoe M. Federoff. Then the whole band kicked into the symphonic mastery that is Existential Terror, setting the tone for the next hour and a half. During this, Dani threw the robe aside, revealing his signature long black hair, nearly white snake-eye contact lenses, and corpse paint.
The band covered an incredible amount of material, which, considering the size of their back catalogue, is a feat in itself. They even played songs such as Summer Dying Fast from their debut album, The Principle of Evil Made Flesh (1994), and Malice Through the Looking Glass from their 1996 album Dusk and Her Embrace. The set included fan favourites like Nymphetamine, The Forest Whispers My Name, and Born in a Burial Gown. While tearing through these tracks with seeming ease, they even paused the set to sing happy birthday to their touring guitar tech—complete with a high-pitched Dani scream rendition of the birthday song.
As the set moved on, the crowd became more and more transfixed by the incredible musicianship between all six band members. The crystal-clear, intricate guitar solos, blast beats you could feel throughout your body, Dani’s ability to go from a low growl to an almost animalistic scream in a split second, and the sheer pageantry and entertainment captivated everyone.
Sadly, all must come to an end, and that end came in the form of a three-song encore, which was as beautiful as it was brutal. It certainly gave security and crowd-surf catcher crews a run for their money for the home stretch. The band closed their set with the classic from the Midian album, the very opera-driven symphonic song Her Ghost in the Fog.
If you get the chance to see Cradle Of Filth live do it. You will not be disappointed.
The new Cradle of Filth album is set for release in March 2025.
I am a self taught Photographer and an aspiring reviewer.
I have been in and out of bands for the past 15 years and some, so thought it only makes sense to stay in the scene that has been the most important aspect of my life since I can remember, live music.
Available for:
I am available for small gigs, larger concerts, recording sessions and festivals.
First attended gig:
The first proper gig that went to that I can actually remember was Muse supported by a then lesser known Elbow and I think the main reason I remember that is because it was the first big concert that I was allowed to go to with just my friends. Obviously Muse were fantastic by the way.
First gig shot:
Im pretty sure the first gig I shot was for a friends band at a local social club with some sort of £30 Argos camera. You can only imagine the fantastic quality of the shots.
Dream gig:
My dream gig to shoot would most definitely be either Tool, not just because they are amazing but their stage and lighting is magnificent. Or I would love to shoot another one of my favourite bands which is Explosions In The Sky and that’s just because they are incredible.
