Live Review : Lord Of The Lost + Dead Film Star + Auger + Nature Of Wires @ the Ruby Lounge, Manchester on November 23rd 2018

Last week as I was running to Of Mice and Men, I commented on the wintery chill in the air. Well tonight as Johann and I descend on Manchester, we're stuck in tail backs, amongst a sea of Christmas lights. Winter is coming. If I was to be honest, the thought of my supremely un-goth Minnie Mouse onesie holds all the appeal. There's something about the rush hour traffic that winds me up.

In the heart of Manchester’s bustling shopping area lies The Ruby Lounge. A doorway and some stairs into a dungeon like room containing a bar, a dance area and a stage. I've always loved this place since I accidentally ended up at a lapdancing/metal night here many years ago. The lack of natural light has always appealed to my inner goth.

The first band tonight are Herefordshire’s Nature of Wires, featuring new vocalist Lady B. First formed in 1986, Nature of Wires have some impressive credits to their name, having remixed for artists such as Sigue Sigue Sputnik and Advance. The opening track starts with synthy goodness and Lady B taking the vocals.

“Is this a rave?” asks Johann.

The music throws back to the distinctive sounds of 80s synthpop mixed some more modern elements of dark new wave (think Depeche Mode meets Combichrist). The stand out track is ‘The Feast On Famine’. “You're not free, you're a slave!” is yelled at the audience again and again in an almost unnerving fashion. The band deliver a passionate and fun performance, with Lady B quickly settling back in to her role as frontwoman. Gary (on synths) even dons some sweet rave glasses. I love it, but I see some disapproving looks from the more serious types in the audience. A solid opener, and a great act to set the tone for the night.

Next up is Auger. Having recently returned from a tour of Germany, the duo displays a youthful energy that captures their passion for the music they are making. There’s a buzz in the crowd when these guys come on stage, and it becomes apparent they've got several fans in the audience.

Bringing a darkwave/industrial sound, the vampirish Kyle’s deep vocals resonate throughout the room and pack a melodic punch over Kieran’s heavy guitar. The band showcase tracks from their album ‘The Awakening’, but then finish their set with a cover of the Gary Numan classic ‘Cars’. This is well received by the audience.

deadfilmstar are the next band to grace the stage, with an almost theatrical presence. I’m getting Ministry, I'm getting Manson, I'm getting NIN in one fell swoop. The band present a solid gothic/industrial sound that is thrown upon the audience with menacing bravado. The confidence in the performance is mesmerising as frontman Gary swoops and leers over the crowd. Gothic beauty Esther is an equally striking figure on the stage, playing the keyboards and occasional percussion. A great example of what deadfilmstar are about is the track ‘Hello Cruel World’ ; the song manages to musically hook the listener with it's infectious riffs and eerie lyrics.  

Finally its time for headliners Lord of the Lost. This is their first headliner show in the UK, touring their latest album ‘Thornstar’. The German band waste no time with the new tracks, delivering a flawless performance of ‘On this rock I will build my church’ and then ‘Loreley’. The band possess a powerful gothic aesthetic, with make-up skills far better than my own.

As the band play ‘Morgana’ we are treated to the range of Chris Harm's voice. He seemingly effortlessly switches between deep and tender melodies, to shrill and aggressive screams.

Not wanting to overload on the new tracks, the set returns to some older tracks like ‘Full Metal Whore’, ‘Drag me to Hell’ and ‘Die tomorrow’. And then for some reason, they suddenly surprise us with the Lady Gaga cover ‘Bad Romance’ and the audience goes crazy. I think this is to show us what Lord of the Lost can be and all what they want to be. They are gothic, they are heavy, they are melodic, but most of all they are incredibly fun. Check out their music video for Latin-American/Gothic metal crossover ‘La Bomba’, which closes the show and leave the punters with huge grins on their faces..

I personally love this band since the first time I came across them a few years ago. I have been seduced by their music for a long time and tonight is no exception, I am leaving once again not disappointed. I might not be completely impartial, this show had everything a Lord of the Lost fan could want, and we will hopefully see them back again very soon in the UK.