Something wicked this way comes. As October’s inky blackness settled over Bristol on Wednesday night, Thekla became a beacon for creatures of the night. Down on the harbour, a storm was brewing — not in the sky, but on stage — as LA goth-rock duo Dead Posey brought their dark carnival to the city.
Fronted by Danyell Souza and guitarist-producer Tony Nova, Dead Posey arrived armed with tricks, treats, and a setlist steeped in shadow. Their sound is a heady cocktail: jagged, angst-ridden guitars and raw vocal howls laced with the rebellious snarl of punk, the shimmer of ‘80s synth-pop, and the grit of ‘90s alt-rock. Over the past decade, this distinctive blend has earned them acclaim from Loudwire and Kerrang!, clocked up more than 42 million streams, and landed them slots at Download, Mad Cool, and Rockland festivals — not to mention a healthy list of TV placements.
It’s been a slow-burn evolution. Early on, their music flirted with bluesy southern rock, but over time it’s grown darker and heavier, absorbing electronic textures along the way. Last year’s debut album, Are You In A Cult, gathered together five years’ worth of material and laid the foundations for their current “The Damned And The Dead” tour — 17 stops across the UK and mainland Europe.
At Thekla, ten of the night’s twelve songs came from that record, sharpening the set’s focus and deepening its menace. As the lights dropped, Nova appeared against a flickering video backdrop, gothic imagery spilling into the room like smoke. The opening synths pulsed, the drums kicked in, and then Souza emerged — part devilish ringmaster, part gothic icon — cloaked in black with a blood-red lining, channelling equal parts Elvira and Siouxsie Sioux.
They tore into “Sorry I’m Not Dead”, sending the hardcore faithful at the front into rapture. Souza’s voice — a dark, raspy weapon with a seductive edge — loses none of its power live. There’s a touch of Maria Brink in her delivery, but she makes it entirely her own: precise, commanding, and utterly magnetic.
Mid-set, the duo detonated a thunderous cover of New Order’s “Blue Monday”, shaking the boat to its core. Nova’s muscular guitar work and Souza’s feral vocals turned the iconic track into a chest-rattling gothic anthem.
Souza is a born performer. She prowled the stage, locked eyes with the front rows, and fed off their energy. It wasn’t just a gig — it was part concert, part theatre, every moment designed to draw the audience closer. At times, she grabbed fans’ phones to film the chaos from the stage, ensuring no one left without a memory.
Dead Posey’s shows have long resonated with the LGBTQ+ community, and their Thekla date was no exception. The crowd’s turnout was strong, a testament to the duo’s embrace of outsiders and marginelised . And while their sound can fill festival stages, in a venue this intimate the effect is electric — intense, immediate, and gloriously immersive.
By the time “She Went Bad” hit, the night had shifted gears entirely. The song roared through the ship’s decks as Souza invited every female-identifying fan onstage to flip their middle fingers in unison. It was pure release — a communal act of defiance.
The finale came in the form of “Welcome To The Nightmare”, a towering anthem that feels more relevant with each passing month. The entire room, band and crowd alike, screamed it back at full volume, a cathartic exorcism to close the night.
Dead Posey may trade in darkness, but they leave you feeling anything but dead. On this night in Bristol, they made everyone on board Thekla feel vividly, thrillingly alive.
@thebristolnomad / @bristolnomad_gigphotography
Role: Photographer / Reviewer / Interviewer
Chief, the one that bugs the team for team for their reviews and images. Creator and founder of The Bristol Gig Guide. Can usually be found swamped in admin or getting cramp kneeling at the front of a gig.
Available for: Gig Shoots, Gig Reviews, Photo Shoots, Album and Single cover shoots, Videography work, Interviews and Touring
First attended gig: Republica, circa 1996.
First gig shot: Hands Off Gretel, at The Louisiana!
Dream gig: Huge metalhead and my ultimate dream gig would be shooting my heroes Slipknot at a huge stadium gig, or as festival headliners. And to experience shooting a headline tour outside the UK
