The Ultimate Goth Nite Out at 229
Following the monumental loss of Dolly Parton and Tim Curry, Texan duo Nite arrived just when the goth scene needed it most. Making their London debut with support from Das Flüff and A Thousand Mad Things, London’s 229 hosted the ultimate goth night out.
Drawing creatures of the night from the shadows was the raw, commanding cries of Das Flüff. Under the hue of blue light, vocalist Dawn Lintern delivered ‘Lovebites’, ‘Rise’ and, for the first time live, ‘Friday Night’ with a dark, serrated allure, that cut through the intense wall of sound. With ‘FILTH’ plastered across her chest and atop a disk fascinator, Lintern sauntered decadently through the crowd. Collecting demanded barks along the way, this icon knew how to work the room.
A Thousand Mad Things heard our yearning. To the rhythm of perfectly blended dark wave and cold wave, ‘Wide Awake’, L’ocal Guys’, and ‘Girl’ we jerked, rolled and twirled our way back to the 80s. Bleak tones and shadowy verses from vocalist William Barradale cooled the brow of all who gathered to be primed for the Nite.
Fiendishly vibrant red light illuminated the mist cloaked basement. Two dark silhouettes took to the stage and unleashed ‘Obsession’. Immersed in a barrage of technicolor strobe lights, vocalist, bassist and synthesizer Kyle Mendes and vocalist, guitarist and synthesizer Myles Mendes bestowed ‘End In Tears’, ‘Cries For Help’ and ‘Easy’ onto the desirous souls before them. Converting melancholic lyrics, rich textures and vibrant catchy choruses into dazzlingly dark choreography of decades past, London displayed their adoration of Nite.
Bequeathing their cover of The Cure’s, ‘Burn’ was the rose on top of the coffin, or so we thought. After convincing us all that they were in fact not twins, and their buoyant curls were wigs, they released us from our torment, and confirmed it was just a joke. Cheeky little devils.
Before concluding their extraordinary show with Price of Heaven, Nite pulled the room together with a unifying reminder. Music unites us all despite what is going on in the outside world. Touching on the importance of releasing the collective pain we hold, Nite invited the cathartic release we were all waiting for…
Through the introspective brooding of dark wave with the confrontation of post-punk, ‘All Your Pain’ reached emotional depths that therapy is unable to touch. Interweaving the vibrancy of synth-pop and the haunting wails of each chorus saw the weight of our shared anguish lift with every jig to the driving beat.
Echos of “we’re not normal” (We’re Not Normal) and “what’s the price you pay for heaven” lingered long after the the final note, as the potent energy of collective resonance await the return of Nite, before too long.
Nite return to the United States to conclude the final leg of the tour. If you so happen to find yourself on the West Coast, embrace the Nite while you can.