Cradle Of Filth + Wednesday 13 + Raven Black @ Corona Theatre – 30th March 2019

Twenty minutes until show time, and you could feel the anticipation in The Corona Theatre last night. A solid 3 band line-up, bringing a larger than normal crowd in ealy for the openers.

Starting the night off, was a female fronted metal act from California called Raven Black. Lead singer Raven, barely standing over five feet tall, resembled a goth porcelain doll. They mesmerized those who hadn’t heard of the 4 piece band before and had the crowd moving closer for a better view. Halfway through the set Raven introduced us to her friend Asshole, a stuffed teddy bear larger than her. Leading into the song “Dollhouse”, she danced around the stage as a broken wind-up doll.

The other members completed the circus freak show look with their ominous makeup and masks. After wrapping up a very playful set, and gaining plenty of new fans, they invited the crowd to join them for a meet and greet at the merch table.

A quick stage changeover and the room was filling up fast for the next band, Wednesday 13. A horror metal/punk act with the obvious influence of Alice Cooper, Kiss, and a touch of Marilyn Manson. It was their second time back here in less than a year, this time getting to play a bigger venue. As the lights went out you could faintly see a cloaked figure emerge from backstage.

The audience roared as the band took their positions. Fronted by Joseph Michael Poole, who was clearly used to commanding a large crowd, from previous experience being the lead singer for the Murderdolls. He got everyone cheering for Cradle of Filth when he exclaimed that they were backstage listening for how loud Montrealers could get. With a few costume changes including an eerie mask on the back of his head and masked bandmates. Slowing things down for the song “Serpent Society”, Joseph adorned devil horns and a pitchfork as he pointed in an anointing fashion at the crowd to they sing the words with him. 

Cradle Of Filth took to the stage at roughly 9:20pm to the ravenous chanting of the crowd. One by one, the members appeared through the fog machines and hazy lights, each bowing or saluting the crowd. Finally, a cloaked figure emerged on the riser between Cradle Of Filth’s drum set, which was strangely surrounded in plexiglass, and the keyboardist on the right of the stage – that figure was of course vocalist Dani Filth.

Suffolk, England’s merchants of filth have been battering eardrums with their music and the devilishly high pitched screeches of Dani Filth since 1991 and only appear to be getting better with age. Their backdrop depicted a naked young woman cover in blood in a vampiric fashion, which is the sort of illustration the band has always used.

Now touring for their twelfth studio recording, “Cryptoriana”, and playing three tracks off of the record on the evening “Heartbreak And Seance”, Wester Vespertine” and “You Will Know The Lion By His Claws”) – Cradle Of Filth played an eight-song set going as far back as 1996, playing the title track to their Dusk And Her Embrace album, and ended the night with a six-song encore. If you’re keeping track… that means the encore was nearly as long as their actual set.

The painted white faces and busts squished tightly into corsets that you’ll find at any given show of this genre were in abundance, some seemingly unable to move due to said attire. The crowd was seemingly blase to the ridiculously overpriced beer, and several patrons swayed between walls and people in an attempt to remain upright. (C’mon! $11.50 for a can of Corona… at the Corona! The convenience store across the street sells packs of four for less!)

Always quite a spectacle, Filth were theatrical in a minimalistic sort of way, yet enough to convey their image. How Dani Filth is still able to scream and sing like that after all these years is a mystery in and on itself. Under neon-hued lights, Filth left their fanatical fan base chanting for more even after running past the venue’s curfew. It was a night to behold and one that will resonate for some time in the minds of those that were there.

Amusingly, setlists that were in high demand were folded into paper airplanes by guitarist Marek Smerda and sent gliding into the grabbing hands of those that had stayed in an attempt to acquire a souvenir. 

Review – Samantha Morris
Photos – Kieron Yates

Share this :