While all eyes were focussed on Glastonbury with Kylie and Miley basking in record breaking sunshine, up North things were altogether darker. All swirling smoke and silhouetted figures dressed in black saw a welcome return to the region for Goth legends, Fields Of The Nephilim.
Before Stevenage’s finest hit the stage, The Last Cry were tasked with warming up the highly expectant crowd. Talk about grabbing their chance with both hands. The Last Cry were sensational. Lead by imposing vocalist Andrew Birch, whose melancholic, melodic voice and anguished delivery was mesmerising and won them many new fans with songs from their current album Goodbye and new single Years with a performance that was befitting of a headliner.
The Last Cry had set the bar high and a lesser band may have faltered following them but Fields Of The Nephilim are made of sterner stuff and after the brief Harmonica Man intro it was straight into Preacher Man with Tony Pettit’s bass punching through the swathes of dry ice
With lead singer Carl McCoy looking like a renegade from Jeepers Creepers with a band to match, this was the antithesis of mainstream Pop. Huge crunching riffs and McCoy’s deep, guttural growl created the required ambience further enhanced by the dark, atmospheric lighting.
Dawnrazor and Moonchild, stone cold classics, had the crowd in raptures. The chiming guitars of Love Under Will and The Watchmen opened the scope for McCoy’s baritone voice to show its class while the up-tempo For Her Light and Prophecy brought an added dimension to the night.
Mourning Sun and show closer Last Exit For The Lost were epic in scope and majestic in style. A perfunctory “Thanks” at the end from McCoy was the only interaction with the crowd but after such an intense performance, the music was the only talking that was needed. Utterly brilliant.
Review and Photos By Mick Burgess
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