Sunday, April 29, 2012

Three Live Gothic Performances

Truth be told, I've been experiencing a bit of writer's block these last several days and therefore, have had my brain working overtime in order to come up with a new blog post. All of this however, has come to no avail. So, I've decided to take the coward's way out of the dilemma by posting a few of my favorite videos featuring live performances by Goth bands. 

Admittedly, I ordinarily listen more to metal than Goth rock, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy the latter and the truth is, there are some Goth and dark-wave bands that I listen to quite often. I hope that you'll all enjoy the performances that I'm including here.   

The first video features London After Midnight performing their song entitled Shatter. While I don't know where or when this particular performance took place, it features Tamlyn on the keyboards and therefore, this concert likely took place before she left the project some time in 2003.


 

Next, I'd like to present an old favorite; at least for many. Fields of the Nephilim, the creation of vocalist Carl McCoy, has been around, in one incarnation or another, since the 80's. I have long considered this band's musical style quite unique; and I like how its members took on sort of a western look while staying well within the Goth rock genre. It's interesting to note that the name Nephilim is taken from a biblical reference to an ancient race of giants--descended from fallen angels.

 During the 90's, the band's creator split from the rest of the original group, which soon changed its name to Rubican. McCoy went on to form a new musical manifestation known simply as The Nephilim. By the early 2000's a new incarnation of Fields of the Nephilim had been resurrected and and it continues to exist to this day. At the present time, Fields of the Nephilim performs only few concerts per year and only have three scheduled appearances for this year, with the next one set to take place at the Mera Luna Festival in Hildesheim, Germany on August 11. Still, although I've accepted the fact that they may never come to play here in the United States, I'm just glad to see that the band is still somewhat active. 

Here then, is a wonderful live rendition of At the Gates of Silent Memory: 

 

According to the group's Facebook page, Demona Mortiss was formed in 2007 by Russian-born composer and vocalist Elena Vladimirova. The band, which incorporates various influences into its music including metal, industiral and Goth Rock, has managed to remain fairly obscure in spite of its Los Angeles roots. The same Facebook page points out that the ensemble  is currently in the studio working on its first full-length album, which will be entitled Angelic Parasite. The following video, which features a live performance of Demona Mortiss' Lost, is currently the only one I know of that features any of their songs in its entirety. Still, it was enough to more than wet my appetite and I'm looking forward the up coming release of Angelic Parasite. Enjoy!      

  





5 comments:

  1. You posted some wonderful music, Nightwind. Demona Mortiss is a wonderful band. Have you ever listened to Gothminister? If not, you might find the band to be rather talented. I found Demona through looking for similar artists to Gothminister.

    -Midi

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  2. I've heard of Gothminister but can't say that I had knowingly listened to any of their music; at least, not until this morning. They were pretty good but I still favor Demona Mortiss. I enjoy female vocalists.

    Thanks for the heads up and I'm glad you enjoyed the videos.

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  3. Have you heard any of the new LAM stuff? Apparently, Sean is the only one left. I have an idea of what happened with Tamlyn & Eddie, but I'm not sure about the others. By the way, I have alot of respect for you given your reference to Tamlyn as "she".

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  4. Thank you. I can't say that I've heard much of LAM's newer stuff, but I've heard that the music has changed quite a bit. Of course, LAM is often referred to as a "project" rather than a band. It goes without saying then that many of the project's musicians have come and gone in quick order.

    I would be interested in knowing why Tamlin left the project. She made some valuable contributions, in my opinion.

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    1. From what I heard, Sean wanted a "boy band", and Tamlyn's lifestyle choice made that not an option. As for the rest, I know Eddie has had issues with drugs/alcohol (which is why he left the first time), but I don't know what happened with Mike, but rumor has it he wanted more musical input, and even wrote some songs. He went on to form a side-project, Covet, though I'm not sure if they're still around. There always seemed to be a constant rotation of drummers. Apparently, Sean is the only one left. In my opinion, it seems like it would be a completely different band, so I haven't heard any of the new stuff. LAM came about around the time I started going to clubs, so I have sort of a soft-spot for the older stuff. I've seen them live 3 times, the last being July 2003. Wow, seeing that written seems so long ago! I took took time away from the scene a few years later, and I don't do clubs anymore, so I'm kind of out of the loop, so to speak.

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