First on tonight are London band The Defiled, whom despite their slightly goth/horror punk looks play quite a gritty, metal sounding set. They make a big effort to engage with the crowd (and to plug Jägermeister at the same time) and for the most part they are very well received. They finish their set with “Red Tape” which the crowd do their best to join in with, with a few die-hards singing along throughout. Next time around there’s no doubt everyone will be getting involved. [7]
Next up are Marionette, who bring some glam stylings to the stage. Launching into a furious set, interspersed with some genuinely funny lines from their frontman. An excellent showman who
made a strong connection with the audience early on. [8]
Now onto what the crowd has been waiting for, the mighty Deathstars hailing from Sweeden. For those who haven’t heard Deathstars before imagine N.I.N’s “Wish” player slower, with keyboard breaks and a glam/goth tinge to it. If this is a good thing to you, good. Otherwise not so good. This is the only criticism of an otherwise perfect set, that by the encore it was pretty clear how the Deathstars formula works. They certainly
thrive on style (over substance some would say) but they do put on an amazing show. From the dress and makeup, to the booming vocals and striking poses wherever possible.
It is very refreshing to see a band make such good use of all these elements, particularly the contrasting vocals, whilst not taking themselves to seriously. It is very obvious that the crowd are loving it, and after finishing the main set with “Cyanide” they return to the stage for an inevitable 2 song encore to finish an amazing show. [9]
Words: David Spickett
Photos: David Spickett