There’s one fest that always delivers — both on artists and authenticity. It’s a fest that welcomes all alternative music and lifestyles, whether that be in the goth, punk rock, darkwave, New Wave, synthwave, or good ‘ol nondenominational nonconformist categories. Presented by Goldenvoice, Cruel World just concluded its fifth year in Pasadena, California.
And what an experience it was.
Living up to its usual eccentricity, people poured in the gates right at 11am to catch early acts, like Wisteria, Social Order, Deceits, Kite, N8noface, and Actors.
With gray skies overhead and cooler temperatures than previous years (so much better when clad in black), attendees mingled in gothic regalia, ranging from Robert Smith-esque bedhead hair to full horns and corsets, reminiscent of the movie Malificent. I even spotted a couple raving sharks…
I was stoked to see Depresión Sonora again… until they were having technical difficulties, delaying their start time. I had to run across the grounds to catch the first song of Light Asylum before heading to the media tent to have a private tête-a-tête with Justin Warfield and Adam Bravin of She Wants Revenge. #Priorities. Regardless, what I saw of Light Asylum was impressive… very much a Blade Runner vibe. Missed Provoker altogether, though. Again, #priorities.
By the time the SWR interview wrapped, I was able to catch the onset of the myth, the man, the legend Mr. Midge Ure (of Ultravox, Thin Lizzy, Visage) before crossing over to the Sad Girls Stage for Turkish band She Past Away — a true treat to see in the States!!!
Nation of Language filled the gap before Blancmange graced the stage for the first time in the U.S. since 1986. Across the way, Mareux brought more darkwave energy to the day… and the rain.
What seemed like a light drizzle turned downpour by the time Stereo MC’s got onstage. But, paired to their chill grooves, the rain was less of an inconvenience and more of a kinetic experience. It was like Stereo MC’s set the soundtrack for the elements… but it was so damn cold, I couldn’t stay long and decided, instead, to take refuge in the Record Safari tent for a bit.
After the heavy shower, the after-drizzle had me hauling ass to the merch booth to get not only a hoodie, but a tasseled parasol in an attempt to protect my cameras. It did an adequate job, parasol for the win! By this time, I had missed Alison Moyet although I was able to get in the Buzzcocks action at Sad Girls, injecting punk rock attitude into the day and livening up everyone’s dampened spirits.
Looking like a drowned poodle, with wet hair after applying ample amounts of hairspray (putting me in the same boat as the aforementioned Robert Smith-esque attendees), I marched over to catch the end of ‘Til Tuesday, introducing “Voices Carry” as the song that “made them famous in airports everywhere”. LOL. It was then OMD time — my first time seeing them! However, She Wants Revenge was up across the way; I had to boogie from the OMD pit after the first song if I was going to make it in time. I had already missed Chelsea Wolfe, too. I figured, at that point, if I left OMD, I couldn’t look back. I didn’t want to take their hearts away or promise them just one more night before we go our separate ways… #hadto.
She Wants Revenge, being one of my favorite bands, naturally rocked my socks clean off. Justin Warfield gradually stripped down over the first three songs — a bold move, considering the weather. Halfway through the set, SWR brought out Hunter Burgan (of AFI) to play sax on a cover of “Sister Europe”, originally by The Psychedelic Furs (who I saw perform on the same stage in a previous Cruel World year). Unsure it that was purposefully meta or just accidentally awesome. Either way, it was a sick surprise.
Madness is the only entity that could’ve taken me out of my SWR trance. And they succeeded. The ska ensemble (skasemble??) came out dressed in suspenders and bow-ties, among other quirky items of clothing. Despite being in their 60s, it seemed like the band members’ energy levels stayed locked at age 20… what would ska music be today without these pioneers?!
Speaking of industry trailblazers, up next on the Lost Boys Stage were darkwave founders Clan of Xymox before the idiosyncratic, inexplicable world of DEVO took over. Everyone, please take a moment to don your red hats…
What perhaps was the biggest tragedy of the day was that DEVO launched into their set 10 minutes before Garbage got going on the complete opposite end of the festival grounds. This overlap definitely divided the crowd up, prompting the goddess that is Shirley Manson to acknowledge her undying appreciation and affection for DEVO over the mic, bowing to the legends across the way. And her costume was BEYOND. God, I want to be her “When I Grow Up”…
Closing out the Lost Boys Stage for 2025 was Death Cult (doing just Death Cult songs until the very end when they closed with “She Sells Sanctuary”), before the allegorical enigmatic collection that is Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds took full-force. Jumping over pile-ons and screaming in fans’ faces, Cave’s performance was on par with a religious ceremony. One fan even shouted that Nick Cave “saves her life every day”; he replied that ‘she saves HIS life every day’. The Go-Gos then put forth a vastly different display — laughing, singing, and twirling around as they powered through hit after hit.
And, like a wilted rose, the fest’s last petal left called for New Order.
To everyone’s surprise, they took the stage to… a JOY DIVISION SONG???!??! 🤯 “Transmission” might not be the same without Ian Curtis (RIP), as well as Hooky on bass, but the sheer shock that New Order chose to honor their roots as they headlined THE festival of all New Wave festivals was like witnessing history. “Age of Consent” was second up, followed by “Isolation” — another Joy Division track. New Order was delivering every darkwaver’s pipe dream and we savored every second of it.
With another year at the Rose Bowl in the books, every Cruel World keeps getting better — rain AND shine. Honestly, I prefer the rain. Shirley Manson was happy (#hadtoagain). All’s well that ends Cruel, it seems. Can’t wait to grab my black eyeliner and fishnets for next year!
Photography by Kristy Rose
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