South of Salem and The 69 Eyes. It’s a match made in goth heaven. Tonight’s the first of a quick run across the UK. Billed as a co-headliner, there seems to be a lot of crossover between the fans with neither South of Salem or The 69 Eyes shirts dominating. Indeed, even when one band plays, the “opposing” fans are into it and there seems to be a healthy number of people remaining after “their” band’s performance. It’s gladdening to see; too often you see a huge portion of people leave after the first act because they’re not interested in the other. Maybe people with goth inclinations are nicer or have more open minds.
South of Salem are hardly strangers to KK’s and are here almost as often as I am. Their goth-tinged hard rock has allowed them to stand out from the rest of the UK scene, backed by their thrilling and dynamic live show. There’s a bit of an elephant in the room tonight with the recent shock departure of founding member Kodi Kaspar and no word on a replacement or downsizing to only one guitarist, especially with tonight being night one. However, once they all take their places during the usual opening ritual of atmospheric intro tape and launch into “Let Us Prey”, all is revealed. Newcomer Ed Van Egan is covering the token blond slot tonight and whether his appointment is temporary or permanent is anyone’s guess. But with only two rehearsals under his belt, he nailed it. As the set progresses, you literally see him loosen up in real time. Not exactly stiff to begin with, but he sinks into the role with comfort and ease and by the time the band depart the stage, it’s like he’s been part of it for some time. He plays his parts straight down the line, not trying to be bold by putting his own spin on it. Instead, he’s respectful to the material by playing it faithfully and backed up by a boatload of skill. He prowls the stage gracefully, interacting with the other members and the crowd lap it up.
The acoustics are uncharacteristically muddy for KK’s with Joey Draper’s vocals practically buried in the mix but after a couple of songs, the issues are ironed out. Tonight, the band play an even mix of debut album The Sinner Takes it All and Death of the Party, as opposed to their last visit here which saw them play the latter in full (in fairness, there’s not a bad song on it). Whilst personal favourite “Left For Dead” is missing tonight, they hit all the usual marks with “Jet Black Eyes”, “Static”, “Hellbound Heart” and “Pretty Little Nightmare”. They also thrown in their own interpretation of Savage Garden’s “To the Moon and Back”. The original already sounded a bit moody but this is darker and more muscular and there’s not a single bit of snobbery as everyone sings along.
It leads into the part of the set where the band bring it down for a moment of respite. “Villain” is presented acoustically with only Joey Draper’s vocals and Denis Sheriff’s guitar. There’s fresh weight to the song without bitterness and out of their entire catalogue, lends itself best to this incarnation. Blending perfectly into “Demons Are Forever”, it’s introduced as always with its message of solidarity and strength from Draper. The number definitely puts “power” into power ballad.
Naturally, the set ends with “Cold Day in Hell” and if they didn’t, it would be a bit like Guns N’ Roses closing their show with a song that isn’t “Paradise City”. The crowd, which has been up for it from the start, up the ante and the band meets them at that level. Draper, the ever-commanding frontman, doesn’t have to encourage the crowd now but he rides the wave and continues to hype them up. Basslines from Darren Aldwell menacingly rattle, almost acting as a third guitar at moments, locking in with James Clarke’s foundation-shaking drumming. Needless to say, the five people give everything (when have they not?), weathering the recent storm and coming out victorious.
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The props are ushered away, and The 69 Eyes ramp up the goth stylings for the night with a much more stripped back show. However, they have just as much stage presence as their predecessors, albeit a bit more stationary. And as previously stated, those who were showing their unabashed enthusiasm for South of Salem continue it for the Helsinki Vampires or even ramp it up. Whoever conceived this double-header, take a bow.
Like South of Salem, it takes a couple of songs for the vocals to punch though fully, but the band aren’t fazed. They hit the ground running, intent to capitalise on the momentum built by the Bournemouth quintet. After the high-octane rock, the darker tone brings the mood down as they power through song after song, barely pausing for breath. It’s a reminder of how intentionally po-faced goth music is. It’s a contrived and tiresome aspect of the music but the Finns don’t quite walk into full-blown pretension like other bands (looking at you, Sisters of Mercy). Instead, they approach the door and as they go to knock on it, they turn to the audience and give a knowing wink.
By the rough halfway point of “Still Waters Run Deep”, the mood has been set and we’ve gotten all moody and gothy. But now, they lift the facade, a bit of humour and energy is injected. Elements of punk come through, and they start to sound a bit more rock, less one-note and serious. Moreover, it’s what their touring partners would sound like if they were Finnish.
Likewise, follow-up number “I Love the Darkness in You” goes into glam punk and is reminiscent of Billy Idol’s output from the last few years whilst “Wasting the Dawn” is where they truly play with dynamics. Jyrki 69 is the consummate frontman, offering some typically dry Scandinavian humour, his demeanour matching the set as it progresses. And it’s this which makes you appreciate they’ve meticulously crafted the set to create not just a gig but an experience, delivered by an incredibly competent band. You can see why the line-up has endured, and their chemistry is the sixth member.
Given The 69 Eyes had more time on-stage, it’s very much their night, and they own it as such with fans of both bands enjoying every moment. Whilst promoted as a co-headline show, South of Salem felt like the support tonight on account of their shorter set. Whether this was always the case or a reaction to the personnel change is anyone’s guess but, frankly, we don’t need to know. It’s a thrilling night with another great show from South of Salem and a great introduction to The 69 Eyes.
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Pics by Gavin Lowrey
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