When I agreed to go to this gig, I didn’t really know what i had let myself in for. Id been trying to get hold of Cruxshadows tracks for months but not owning a credit card or my own computer (file sharing is wrong, remember that children!!) I only knew the few snippets that were available on the Cruxshadows website. I must admit i was more excited about seeing my friends from University than seeing the band.
We had been told the gig would start at 7.30pm- which of course it didn’t, so we had over two hours to drink and then a bit of a mad rush to get tickets when they finally went on sale.
Maelstrom were good, but the atmosphere wasn’t all that welcoming and no one seemed interested in the support act until they covered Soft Cell's Bedsitter. Indeed half the audience stayed in the bar during Maelstroms set, only coming through to the function room once they had finished.
Quite a few of the audience members whom i knew had never seen Cruxshadows live and some (including myself) had heard very little by them, by everyone was excited because reviews and word-of-mouth had lead us to expect something really special.
Special doesn’t do justice to what the Cruxshadows gave us.
Due to the incredibly small venue, the dancers Jessica lackey and Rachel Ulrich did not perform that night, however Chris, Stacey and Rachel took to the stage and faffed about with the equipment for a few minutes before assuming the "We-are-waiting-for-the-lead-singer-to-turn-up" stance. This continued for several minutes as the lights went down and the audience got restless. So it was a bit of a surprise when Rogue materialised at the back of the crowd (the only entrances being at the front of the crowd) with high-powered torches in hand and made is way up to the stage like some kind of spiky-haired gothic space ship.
Now the Cruxshadows are know for being photogenic, but they are much cuter in real life. By staying off stage, Rogue interacts with the audience much better than most singers do, although it does draw attention away from the rest of the band who aren’t blessed with radio mikes. Almost from the start of the gig most of the female audience members (and some of the male) were drawn to rogue like iron filings to a magnet with some succeeding in capturing him long enough to get a photo.
Unfortunately due to my lack of knowledge at the time i cant give a set list but i do remember some highlights of the show, a highly charged rendition of "Annabel Lee", Eurydice (Don’t Follow), MONUMENT and come classic heckling which was amusingly dealt with during Deception as the heckler was subjected to Rogues own style of "insane vicious square-dancing" til he fell down.
At the end of the set, the band disappeared (Rogue in search of Strepsils apparently) only to be drawn back by rapturous applause to perform Resist/R from the then unreleased album Wishfire, which got everyone dancing again and chanting "Resist!". Which was quickly followed by Marilyn, My Bitterness and Rogue dragged half the audience on stage.
A wonderful end to a great gig that left even a hardened metaller raving about it for ages in the car home.
My only wish is that I'd had more cash with me- only had enough money for a t-shirt and a copy of Mystery of the Whisper when I’d have happily bought the whole stall of merchandise.
The only marginally bad thing to come from the Joseph's Well Tavern gig is that it inspired Mr Ed- lead singer of local comedy goth band the Screaming Banshee Aircrew- to buy a radio mic. Already know for his peripatetic performances he can now reach the whole audience- I fear a great evil was unleashed that night in Leeds. J/K
Review by-Phantoms Siren
