It’s off to Wolverhampton Arts Centre. When the line-up for the show dropped there was no hesitation, four fantastic bands and some good friends of the Devolution team all on the same night. It might be a school night and a long drive there and back but it was going to be worth it.
Anti-Clone start off the night and they’re ready to rip a hole in reality. They put on a great set, despite Drew almost demolishing his drum kit partway through. Peter is menacing on the barrier. Despite being the heaviest band of the night there’s plenty of impressed people in the crowd, a nod to their more industrial sound on their later Eps.
Deadfilmstar are up next and it’s the start of the Goth industrialists. There’re no clues as to whether the singer, Gary Mobley, can see anyone in the crowd though as his eyes are jet black. Gary stalks the stage like a malevolent spirit throughout. Great set from them that takes everyone back to their 90s goth nights.
Lesbian Bed Death put on a short but powerful set. JJ shows her skills at the front, keeping the crowd in the palm of her hand. The extra grit in JJ’s vocals really suit the music well and this current incarnation of the band may be the best yet. Thankfully JJ’s now firmly embedded in the band so we can expect this line-up to carry on for a while yet.
Headliners for the night are The Birthday Massacre and Chibi copes well with a broken mic cable. She’s up for continuing with it, but the venue get it replaced quickly and the show goes on. There’s much love for the band here and Chibi interacts with several of the crowd on the barrier with hand holding and fist bumps galore. It’s a good mixed set that at times gets the crowd dancing and also feels magical. There’s plenty of singing along and the encore leaves the crowd grinning at the end. It’s a perfect end to what has been a fantastic night of music.
Review and Photography: Mark Bestford (Alienation Photography)
The Birthday Massacre
Lesbian Bed Death
Deadfilmstar
Anti-Clone
