CRADLE OF FILTH
+ Cathedral + Octavia Sperati.
The Forum, London.
Saturday 3rd December, 2005.


Unfortunately, due to the doors opening slightly later than expected, the all-female metallers Octavia Sperati had finished before most people made it inside. If they were as bad as Cathedral this is definitely a good thing - but I seriously doubt it. Nobody could be this bad! And quite frankly, there's no excuse for it. It may be only the third date on the tour, and the poor sound quality may have been working against them, but there is just no excuse for a performance this bad. The music was flat and lifeless. The singing (if you can call it that) was tuneless and one-dimensional. In fact it's debatable whether Lee Dorrian has even heard the term 'stage-presence', let alone knows understands its meaning. His idea of 'entertainment' seemed to be spreading his arms into the shape of a cross and shoving the microphone into his mouth to make stupid groaning noises. He just comes across as bored and completely uninterested in being there - either that or complacent enough to think that simply turning up deserves ecstatic applause. Whichever the case, it seems exeedingly ungrateful and childish considering the headliners. You'd think that ANY band supporting Cradle of Filth would shit themselves and play their arse off. You certainly wouldn't expect them to spend their time fucking around with the microphone.

The only respite from this pile of tripe comes with favourite, 'Hopkins (Witchfinder General)'. They throw themselves into this with just about everything they have and disappear off stage with at least reason to be proud. Why they saved it for the last song is beyond comprehension, especially since it is well within their ability to destroy venues like this.

After that dire performance it is up to the headliners to make amends. Of course, if there's anyone who could rescue this evening it's Cradle of Filth. They're not the biggest British metal band for no reason! And rescue us they do. Opening with the eerie orchestral chanting of Satyriasis before erupting into the formidable and scarily catchy hellfire of 'Gilded C*nt'. The first 20 minutes offer an almost ceaseless barrage of explosive power as they storm their way through the spine-tingling 'Medusa and Hemlock', 'the punishing brutality of 'Cthulhu Dawn', and the hideously enchanting 'Born In A Burial Gown'. Scorching guitars deliver an onslaught that's almost tangible - the riffs forcing their way into your mouth down your throat! Meanwhile Adrian Erlandson must surely be a demon in human form on the drums. How can anybody play so fast and so hard, for so long? Amid this infernal cacophany Dani Filth, wearing what looks like an over-sized loin cloth (thankfully he's hiding his belly this time with a leather corset) leaps around the stage, repeatedly ejecting his innards as he screams, howls, roars and grunts his way through the set list - demonstrating almost beyond a doubt that he has the most impressive vocal range of any man alive. All the while, trolls or gargoyles (or whatever it is they're supposed to be) roam the stage, clambering over monitors, risers and scaffolding.

The sound is still far from perfect, making some of the tracks difficult to identify at times, and also obscuring some of the more subtle and intricate parts - this is a real shame because aside fromthe theatrics this is what make Cradle of Filth such a unique and exciting band. But if they are actually aware of this, they simply make up for it by playing harder - like men possessed by the Satan himself! It doesn't seem to bother the crowd either, and mosh-pits ignite spontaneously throughout the show.

Despite the disappointing start to the evening, and the slightly disorientated trapeze acrobat during 'Nymphetamine', Cradle of Filth proved once again that they are the masters of extreme metal, and they put on a performance tonight that more than paid for any misgivings. They are a truly awesome band, and to see them live is something extraordinary.

4/5