On the weekend of both Ozzy Ozbourne’s emotional finale and Oasis’s long-awaited (by some) return, the first Scottish gothic music festival for nearly twenty years, the inaugural two-day Deadinburgh Festival, got underway at the Hive venue in the Scottish capital in the late afternoon of Friday 4th July 2025, after a somewhat difficult genesis. Promoter Eric admitted in the run-up that organising the event had been more difficult than he had imagined, and the original plans which had included films, burlesque performers and a gothic market were stripped back to two simple sessions of music showcasing thirteen acts, to the dismay of many but keeping intact the core musical offering which was, after all, the main attraction to many spectators. Poor communication had resulted in rumours that the event may not even take place at all, but a week before the first night was due to take place, set times were confirmed and the event finally began with a first night eclectic mix of five artists whose music showcased the broad spectrum of acts still willing to shelter under the much-maligned gothic umbrella.
Day One - Friday
First up were local act Burning The Filth, whose word-of-mouth reputation had been enhanced by two promising EPs and reports of incendiary live performances. Self-described as “anarcho-crust goth”, their unique sonic palette could also be termed “post-apocalyptic doom punk”, with gloomy heavy riffs, pounding drums and ominous basslines topped with a distorted angry vocal performed through a gas mask. At their most effective with the hypnotic repetitive stoner chorus of Dead To Me from the first EP and the thrashier Cursed Life from the second, BTF’s live performance has the same unsettling yet thrilling effect as Souls At Zero-era post-hardcore titans Neurosis. Although one song (Fire) was sung in Greek, in effect it made little difference as the lyrics were largely indecipherable throughout anyway, but the band put everything into their set to get the festival off to a memorable start.
If Burning The Flesh are in Scotch whisky terms an inspired blend, second act on the bill Byronic Sex & Exile is more of a classic cask-aged single malt, with debonair goth dandy Joel Heyes clearly relishing the rare privilege of performing at a festival which he hasn’t had to organise himself. The prolific Yorkshireman’s welcome return to Scotland coincided with the release of (yet) another excellent EP, Vampyros Wesbos, which both lyrically and musically explores similar themes to his other recent work, creating his own unique niche within broader gothic musical culture. Always a reliable stage performer, the set began with the usual candelabra-lit audience-examining walkthrough, a throwback to the early days of goth when theatricality was a key component of live performance, a factor overlooked by too many of those on the current scene. The set proper began with A River Of Blood Ran Through The Sony Backlot from the new EP, after which the classic goth rock of Vampire Guitars raised the tempo further, and Death Or Joy was as usual enhanced by some impressive sword play, after which the red wine swigging artist removed his frock coat to a heckle of “I thought the Burlesque had been cancelled” from minor media celebrity and inveterate scene cheerleader The Blogging Goth who was in attendance. The all-too-short set ended with an impassioned Leviathan to an appreciative crowd which grew in number during the performance.
To push the already weak Scotch whisky analogy even further, the middle act on the bill, Fife’s A Murder Of Crows add peaty notes to their own musical distillation which they describe as “Celtic horror punk”. Lyrically the band are drawn to the spookier elements of Celtic folklore and they ally this to a folky punk sound with Celtic rock undercurrents, with their excellently-titled last EP Gaels, Ghouls and Gaols giving a clear indication of their appeal. With a keytar and a full set of kilts on stage, A Murder of Crows were always going to be different to more traditional gothic fare on show over the weekend but their up-tempo ceilidh of songs about the last Scottish beheading, a witch chased off a cliff, the Scottish Bigfoot et al gradually won over the crowd. There was even an unlikely outbreak of slamdancing during one song, led by visiting German goth Heiko.
With the crowd suitably warmed up, local legends Twisted Nerve took to the stage for their customary dark punk goth’N’roll shananigans with charismatic frontman Craig Paterson on top form. Having recently lost guitarist Dunsy, TN have recruited the equally talented Mike from Gothzilla as his replacement, and it was very much business as usual for the only act on the first night to have participated in the original 80’s (albeit untitled back then) gothic wave. The band tore through their usual high octane set to raucous appreciation from the now-packed main room, with Craig as usual exhibiting more swagger than Jagger, more scarves than Steven Perry and more poses than Peter Murphy. With Norbert (47 years in the band and counting) and Dave Grave the drummer keeping the rhythm section tight as usual, Mike coped well in only his second outing with the band, even treating everyone to an extra solo vocal chorus of Seance! As is often the case, they ended with an anarchic cover of New Rose and whilst it is often said in goth circles that Jesus Loves The Sisters, on a night like this, clearly the De’il Loves The Nerve.
Friday night headliners and former Whitby regulars Zombina and the Skeletones were making a rare Caledonian appearance and made the most of the opportunity with the instantly appealing corny graveyard cheesy organ garage rock sound which has sustained them over more than a quarter of a century. Founder members Zombina and guitarist/songwriter Doc Horror (along with the rest of the band) bring a cartoonish technicolour post-Cramps/B52’s soundscape to life, with the kooky psych-tinged groove of Don’t Kick My Coffin (‘coz I don’t wanna wake up) typifying both their dark lyrical humour and the tight melodic musicality which underpins their performance. You half expected to see the Mystery Machine parked up outside the Hive, as Zombina and the Skeletones would have made for a much more appropriate Scooby house band than the Hex Girls themselves. With the usual horror stage make-up and creepy song titles, despite there being only three Skeletones on this occasion (with the addition of a drum machine backing track), Zombina’s typical scouse humour carried the band through various technical issues which included an errant wig and a disappearing backdrop. Whether on newer tracks like I’m Horrified or old classics like Zombie Hop (now twenty years old), ZATS zipped through an enjoyable high energy set to end the first night’s proceedings on a high.
Day Two - Saturday
The second day’s bill began with three local goth acts often featuring as reliable support bands for touring goth acts playing in central Scotland, but relishing on this occasion the opportunity to play to those in the audience who had travelled from further afield. With a 2.30pm early start, there were only forty or so hardy souls in attendance for opening act 13 Tombs, Scotland’s self-styled tongue-in-cheek ‘undisputed kings of deathrock’, who entertained the early (and in some cases, hungover) revellers with their drum machine driven goth’n’roll straight out of Leven. With barely a break between songs, the duo blitzed through a dark garage punk set whose highlights included Dead Roses (about a haunted house) and the inevitable set closer, Monkey Pus. Singer Mark’s energetic enthusiasm ensured that the band received a similarly positive response from the crowd, setting up Day Two very effectively.
I have seen the next act Voodoo Twins several times over the past couple of years and always been impressed by their slick presentation and musical professionalism, but this was without a doubt their best performance yet, from the goth makeover of the band’s wardrobe through the pace of what was a very tight set to Daz’s improved vocal. Their muscular spacey post-punk sound and the intricate song structures on the best of their early compositions featured on last year’s compilation Chapter One again elicited a very warm response from the early gatherers, many of whom would have witnessing them for the first time.
The same would almost certainly not be the case for the following local band, Gothzilla, an act synonymous with the smaller UK goth festivals. Although they were not the first band to suffer from the shorter set times which a busy festival line up requires, cutting the likes of Today Is A Good Day To Die, Judy and The Edge of Forever amongst others from the usual setlist certainly affected the pace of their contribution, which on this occasion still included their unlikely cover of The Thompson Twins’ The Gap. The gig was also the perfect opportunity to unveil Mike’s replacement on guitar, Greg Friel, who has long been part of the Gothzilla project as producer of their excellent studio recordings. Classics such Tightwire, Dark Is Rising, Cast No Shadow and It Is What It Is all engaged the growing audience , and the set climaxed with the inevitable crowd participation on the epic electronically-enhanced Temple of Sound.
Having had to take an enforced wee break from the festival, I unfortunately missed Chaos 8 as a result, but will hopefully catch them soon, as they head in a new musical direction without guitarist Pauly Williams, who has joined Big Paul Ferguson’s new vehicle Light Of Eternity.
London gothic doom band Cold in Berlin’s gigs are usually discussed in hushed, reverential tones, and described as an experience rather than a mere concert, partly as a result of singer Maya’s habit of conducting her trance-like vocal performance from the middle of an unsuspecting crowd. Playing their first Edinburgh gig in nearly a decade, the musical tone was set by opener Messiah Crawl, with Maya’s dramatic vocal soaring above the perfectly-executed melodic stoner sludge backing of Adam (guitar), Lawrence (bass) and Alex (drums). The following two tracks When Did You See Her Last? and Spotlight, both from their outstanding 2024 EP The Body Is The Wound, saw the first of Maya’s mesmerisingly theatrical walkabouts, allowing the parting spectators to witness the white-robed high priestess of gothic doom’s vocal talent at unusually close quarters. The combination of the bone-crunching riffs, the complex time structures and the otherworldly immersive vocal experience makes for a compelling spectacle which was on this occasion over all too soon.
Which of the Vale, the only purely synth act of the whole festival, had the distinctly unenviable task of following Cold In Berlin but brought some welcome calm to proceedings with a competent set of ethereal and atmospheric cold wave. Although a little one-paced, their songs were very well-received by the audience, who clearly appreciated the delicate vocals and cinematic soundscapes.
Scene stalwarts 1919 have enjoyed one of the most successful comebacks of the last decade, with livewire frontman Rio Goldhammer a key part of their renewed appeal. Regulars on both the festival and Scottish gig circuits, their judiciously winning mix combines the more primitive tribal songs from their original eighties era with the more melodic and political songs from their more recent releases. Beginning with a reworked yet visceral Tear Down These Walls, 1919 hurtled through a punishing set which demanded Herculean efforts from original drummer Mick Reed and legendary Leeds figure Ding on bass, whilst now-established guitarist Sam skilfully evoked original guitarist the late Mark Tighe’s Geordiesque six string genius whilst stamping his own mark on more recent songs like Borders and Jackie from most recent album Citizens of Nowhere. Singer Rio is never one to be contained by a relatively small stage and during the latter song set off one of several exploratory walkabouts, scaling the high shelf above the audience on one occasion in what was the most intense and focussed set I have seen ever the band deliver. In particular, the classic Cry Wolf, new song Satellite Man and a notably ferocious Bloodline (which Goldhammer jokingly referred to as his Sex Pistols audition) were played with a power and energy which were a stunning reminder of the original goth movement’s punk roots.
It was left to goth royalty The March Violets to close a memorable festival in suitable style, with Rosie Garland confidently commanding the stage and enthralling the audience with her strong vocal performance and amusingly dark well-rehearsed song introductions. With Mat Thorpe’s vocals improved from their last Scottish visit (but still too quiet!) and Tom Ashton’s guitar genius shining through both ancient offerings like Crow Baby and Grooving In Green and no fewer than five tracks from last year’s Crocodile Promises LP, the Violets kept the audience turkey-trotting through a hugely enjoyable set that mixed in deep cuts like Fodder and Strangehead alongside 80’s alternative chart number one hits Walk Into The Sun and euphoric final encore Snake Dance. All in all, a fitting finale to two days of life-enhancing musical entertainment.
Against all odds, the Deadinburgh Festival was clearly a huge success, posting Sold Out notices and quite evidently enjoyed by the three generations of gothic music fans in attendance. Credit first and foremost to the promoter, but also to the bands, the Showtech sound engineers and the staff at The Hive, a suitably dingy suite of cellars in Edinburgh’s creepy Old Town. On this evidence, goth music not only continues to survive but to thrive, with a small but committed fan base and a variety of artists whose talents continue to expand a genre (which is often erroneously viewed as purely retrospective) in a multitude of different musical directions.
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