Local gig putter-onners I’m Not From London treated Rough Trade to a night of bewitching harmonies and gothic glamour, presenting the reformation of ethereal 90s dark wave band Miranda Sex Garden, with support from Notts own Hurtsfall and Modern Coven.
To begin this review I must get a confession off my chest: previous to this gig I am sad to say I had no idea who Miranda Sex Garden were.
I like to think of myself as pretty musically savvy, and I certainly had my days of flirting with goth for several years, but somehow this is a band that passed me by. However, with a friend down south fiercely ordering me to attend, and two brilliant Nottingham acts supporting, I was sold. And besides, what better way to fill the gaps in my musical schooling than taking a chance on a random but highly-esteemed act?
If there were any more need to lure me out to Rough Trade on a stifling July evening, a little online reading made a good case. Formed in 1990 by Katharine Blake, Kelly McCusker and Jocelyn West, the trio originally performed as madrigal singers - a style of beautifully harmonised a capella vocals that developed in Italy in the 14th century - but throughout their initial decade long run, their musical stylings evolved to incorporate violins, bass, keys and percussion, creating a weightier sound that leant towards genres including gothic rock, folk and dark wave. With their Wikipedia citing collaborations with Brian Eno and Leigh Bowery, and performances alongside Hole, Depeche Mode, and Einstürzende Neubauten, how could anyone with a penchant for the darkness (no not those guys) stay away?
Had these songs been sung 400 years ago, I am sure these women would have been branded sirens and tried for witchcraft
But to begin our evening, I rushed through the doors just in time to catch Modern Coven (@modern_Coven_), a duo I’d had the pleasure of seeing once before, playing with The DSM IV at The Grove. If Sir John Everett Millais’ famous painting Ophelia was set to music, Modern Coven would be it. Soft, clear vocals and exquisite harmonies, set to gentle guitar, the set was more recital than gig, and hypnotic as they come.
The name Modern Coven is beautifully apt. In fact, as soon as the pair started I was amused to see four men take quick strides towards the stage - a normal occurrence for the start of any gig, but had these songs been sung 400 years ago, I am sure these women would have been branded sirens and tried for witchcraft.
This wasn’t a performance to dance to, but more one that lets one’s mind wander, with flickering pictures of myth, magic, and forests of Olde England. I quickly made mental comparisons to the ethereal vocals of Queen Adreena’s Katie Jane Garside, or the BBC Live at the Proms Bowie concert, where Anna Calvi and Amanda Palmer gave a stunning rendition of Blackstar that still haunts me.
Towards the end of the set, a backing track of bass and drums was added, bringing a cinematic quality. While I already love the stripped down sound, in the future I am hoping they carry on bringing in this deeper, heavier backing, which felt like an electric, industrial heartbeat pulsing over something soft and delicate.
In a time when casual and unconcerned sets the tone of most stages, it’s refreshing to see a band revive the expressive, hair-flipping stage presence somewhat lost since grunge quashed the dramatic ostentation of 80s stars
Next up, we had Hurtsfall (@Hurtsfalluk), who are described on their Instagram as 'goth & soul'. Bringing that gloriously dark 80s sound that revels in bittersweet romance, they are reminiscent of The Cure and Sisters of Mercy with a little Tears for Fears thrown in for good measure.
Led by singer Sam Harrison Emm’s masterful showmanship, I've caught Hurtsfall a couple of times recently, and they are always a pleasure to watch. In a time when casual and unconcerned sets the tone of most stages, it’s refreshing to see a band revive the expressive, hair-flipping stage presence somewhat lost since grunge quashed the dramatic ostentation of 80s stars. As they move through their set of dark, but danceable ballads, the audience are compelled to pull out their phone torches for Calling Out, creating a pretty litter of white light above our heads.
Particular standouts of the set include Lost Souls (Driving All Night) which was inspired by 90s vampire novel of the same name by author Poppy Z. Brite, and the cinematic ode to a legend, Robert Smith’s Eyes, which sounds like falling in love. To finish we were treated to the racing 12 Long Years, which gave me the Sisters of Mercy fix I’ve not yet managed to catch live.
And finally… Miranda Sex Garden (@mirandasexgarden_official), the moment we’d all been waiting for. The atmosphere in the room felt particularly charged by this point, and it was clear that this was a band that many had been waiting with anticipation to see once again.
I was not expecting to hear such a vast range of influences so seamlessly blended; psychedelic, folky, gothic, primal, and even with hints of the vaudevillian, Miranda’s sound is highly unique and alluring
As mentioned, I’d dipped my toe into their back catalogue only briefly, but I was not expecting to hear such a vast range of influences so seamlessly blended; psychedelic, folky, gothic, primal, and even with hints of the vaudevillian, Miranda’s sound is highly unique and alluring.
Newly reformed in 2022, the band are now a six piece, with three original members, frontwoman Katharine Blake entered with wild blonde hair, wearing a PVC corset dress - a style which harks back to the band’s alter ego act ‘The Waltzing Maggots’ who performed regularly at London fetish emporium The Torture Garden, I’m told by the internet.
Just to ensure that the audience was truly desirous, the band entered the stage to an escalating build-up, and then we were off in a trance.
Oozing a dark feminine charm throughout the night, her performance gave hints of Riot Grrl, Bond chanteuse and earthly high priestess all at once. Ignoring the beautiful vocals for a moment, I couldn’t quite get over the fact she played a recorder throughout various songs - perhaps the only person to have taken the instrument seriously enough to command an artful noise from the simple plastic pipe.
With big crescendos, soul-throttling drum rolls, wistful violins and jaunty organs, this felt like music for dancing around bonfires, connecting with the land, and invoking the ancient. For ninety minutes, the audience swayed, spellbound and then spent.
If we are seeing a revival in Nottingham of splendorously gothic gigs with bands like this, then I'm all for it, and Ill be looking forward to the next instalments presented by I'm Not From London in coming months.
Interested in more gorgeous goth gigs around Notts? I’m Not From London present a gothic Americana night with Heathen Apostles playing at The Chapel on Monday 4 August, Kavus Torabi and Modern Coven at Billy Bootleggers’s on Tuesday 12 August, and The DSM IV, also playing at The Chapel, on Saturday 13 September.
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