CREEPER // ENGINE ROOMS, SOUTHAMPTON
CREEPER’S SANGUIVORE II SELLS ITS SOUL IN SOUTHAMPTON
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(5/5)
CREEPER AT ENGINE ROOMS, SOUTHAMPTON
PHOTOCREDIT: CHARIS LYDIA BAGIOKI
Name a better combo than watching Creeper for their newest album release in their hometown for an intimate show on All Hallows’ Eve – I’ll wait. Halloween came early as bloodthirsty and theatrical vampire rockstars started handing out the treats – with a. few delicious gothic tricks. Just a year after conquering Wembley Arena for Devil’s Night, the UK’s most theatrical misfits returned to their hometown lair of a night of vampiric excess, high drama, and songs sharp enough to draw blood. And what an occasion to do that, just hours before the release of their latest dark masterpiece, Sanguivore II: Mistress of Death, the sequel to their very successful previous album that changed the trajectory of the band.
Supporting them tonight were Buds. (billed FXCKBUDS), a local and wide-rising band who opened the night dressed as ghouls. They came on stage with the energy of a hammer slamming the last nail on a coffin, with snarl and attitude that felt like the apocalypse was imminent. Their music was an exact mirror of their outfits: punky rock chords, rasping vocals, lyrics referencing neon nights and broken chains, ghosts and coffins to bring a solid blood-red warmup to the energy of the night. The audience was already primed and wired for the show, and engaged with the band by pumping up their fists and banging their heads. It is also worth mentioning that most people followed the strictly vampire dress code – and the music was just enough to have everyone sharpening their fangs in anticipation of what was to come.
Dressed in funeral black, sunglasses and with blood dripping from their mouths, Creeper were welcomed into the stage with loud cheers. Following a short VCR revealing the origins of the titular Mistress of Death, the album’s narrative came alive. Starting off their set with the freshly released Blood Magick (It’s a Ritual), it was clear that the room was about to feast on vampiric theatrics. The new album leans heavily on cinematic flair, with the band’s frontman Will Gould – ever the charismatic corpse and undead ringmaster – addressing the crowd between songs with a mix of warmth and wicked humour.
No matter what venue Creeper play in, they are as tight as a freshly squeezed blood bag. Twin guitars, pounding drums, harmonising vocals and Dracula’s keys, their music is a funeral march turned into moshpit. And the crowd is very dedicated to the bit – singing along to every lyric, showing how much the band is loved, especially on home turf. As a response, the audience was treated to a vampire-cabaret night, as Lovers Led Astray and Teenage Sacrifice came on. The interplay of songs between Sanguivore and Sanguivore II was immaculate, as the album’s narratives blended with each other. And the sequel’s ambitions are darker, sexier and even more blood-thirsty than before. The set dipped a bit as The Ballad of Spook and Mercy came on, though the audience compensated the lack of loud instruments by singing along whole verses back to the band, and were treated to even more new songs in return. Creeper performed Mistress of Death and Parasite for the first time live, something that felt extremely special and added a human heartbeat to the spectacle.
One of the things the band is excellent in doing is creating a sense of community that is very rare to see in larger bands. Being a Creeper fan is not just about knowing the lyrics to the songs and wearing black-and-white vampire makeup and sunglasses, it is about embracing the groove, the creativity, the ethos and the message that the band is putting across, all cloaked under mournful and sinful melodies and riffs. And it was very clear, as More Than Death came on that the band recognises how loyal and valued their audience is; dedicating the song to a recently deceased fan and having the audience do most of the singing sent goosebumps down people’s spines, even made a few of them tearful. And as the set closed with the absolute vamp anthems Further Than Forever, Midnight and Cry to Heaven, it was clear that despite the gothic pageantry and the theatrical bravado, there’s an undeniable sincerity at the heart of their music.
Sanguivore has already proven Creeper’s knack for reinvention, but hearing Sanguivore II live is a whole rock opera with bite marks. It was a blood-soaked homecoming show that proves the undead can rock harder than the living, with sharper fangs and dripping with drama, desire and devotion. Even though the band played Wembley last year, with an audience of thousands, it was even more special to be among the few hundreds who got to experience the album release show live – almost as special as sleeping in your own coffin again!
REVIEW + PHOTOS BY: CHARIS LYDIA BAGIOKI
