When you’re questioning why so many goths we’re wandering round Pasadena this weekend, look no additional than Merciless World. The Goldenvoice celebration of all issues postpunk, new wave and different landed at Brookside on the Rose Bowl on Saturday for its fourth installment, this time led by New Order and Nick Cave and the Dangerous Seeds.
It ran easily, even when the overcast changed into a tough drizzle, making a vibe paying homage to England’s famed Glastonbury Pageant. Gen Xers and followers of the period flocked to the transformed golf course to listen to their favourite artists take the stage as soon as once more, with many solely showing often over the course of a long time.
However, as is the case with all festivals, some acts had it collectively, bringing their finest to followers and entrancing them in a nostalgia-ridden excessive. And a few simply confirmed up. Right here’s an inventory of the performances we noticed on the fest, from finest to not-so-great.
1. New OrderIn a latest chat with The Instances, Bernard Sumner spoke lovingly about New Order’s revival and attributed it partially to the band’s newfound cohesion.
“In the early days, we used to get f— up quite a lot and that f— up the shows,” Sumner stated. “We used to play a really good one, celebrate how great it was, and then the next one would be terrible because we celebrated too much.”
He was spot-on with this level, because the band’s efficiency at Merciless World illustrated. Throughout total set, it appeared every little thing was in the correct place for the new-wave icons, who delivered perfection to followers. From the get-go, “Age of Consent” had all the crowd bouncing round — a formidable accomplishment contemplating that the band was the final to carry out on a moist and muddy day.
However the sky seemingly opened for New Order, who regarded all too cool and informal whereas shouting out, “This is a protest song, and it’s time for a protest song” earlier than treating the viewers to “State of the Nation.”
The set would have been unbelievable sufficient by itself, gracefully becoming “Sub-Culture,” “Bizarre Love Triangle,” “True Faith” and “Blue Monday” right into a one-hour window, however the group introduced greater than that to the desk. After Sumner bowed out to “Temptation,” a minute glided by earlier than the band was again out onstage to play Pleasure Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart.”
Feelings ran excessive in a celebratory and touching efficiency, as pictures of the late Ian Curtis and the phrases “Forever Joy Division” flashed on screens behind the band. Headliners are headliners for a purpose, and there was no higher group than New Order to guide festivalgoers on a victory lap throughout its stroll by means of the previous.
Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo performs at Merciless World
(Dick Slaughter)
2. Devo
Devo was extremely near topping this record, because the band introduced its signature wacky and kooky present to Pasadena. After being pelted by rain, followers gathered across the competition’s Unhappy Ladies stage to welcome the new-wave quintet.
A tape rolled on the screens, that includes returning character “Rod Rooter,” performed by Michael W. Schwartz. Within the footage, Rooter meets with the group, pitching the thought of Devo dolls: “We even got your jumpsuits!”
This was adopted by one other video, as soon as once more that includes Schwartz as Rooter, solely years later.
“That was me 40 years ago, dispensing invaluable advice to the band that couldn’t shoot straight,” he stated, sitting on an indoor bike and sporting a boldly coloured tracksuit. “Now here they are, my biggest career regret, Devo.”
All 4 then danced out onto the stage, sporting all-black fits for “Don’t Shoot (I’m a Man).” It wasn’t lengthy till the musicians donned their signature “devolution” caps, which had been later thrown to the gang because the band launched into “Whip It.” This was adopted by a fast outfit grow to be these yellow jumpsuits, which frontman Mark Mothersbaugh tore off throughout “Uncontrollable Urge.”
Devo introduced every little thing to the desk and gave followers the present they deserved. It’s no marvel Goldenvoice invited the band again after it lighted up the Pasadena stage in 2022, and it seemingly received’t be the group’s final look on a Merciless World lineup.
3. Nick Cave and the Dangerous Seeds
It was all the time going to be a fantastic efficiency from Nick Cave and his ensemble — it’s simply their enterprise. Over all the course of the competition, nobody was in a position to entice a crowd like they had been. All through all the set, it felt like gospel was ringing out throughout the Rose Bowl garden, and Cave would prolong a hand to his adoring worshippers on the stage’s entrance.
“You’re f— incredible,” he stated. “Full of drugs and still able to clap.”
All through its one-hour set, the band performed every little thing from energetic, invigorating tracks like “Wild God” to mellow, meditative numbers like “Joy.” In fact, the group made positive to slot in “Red Right Hand,” which obtained an eruption of cheers. Cave would typically make a mad sprint between his piano and downstage, making a present of it as he danced his fingers throughout the keys.
However the perfomance’s peak seemingly got here with a reside debut of “Hollywood,” a 14-minute music (performed in full) off 2019’s “Ghosteen.”
“We’re gonna try this song, we’ve never played it before,” Cave stated. “It’s extremely long and it’s written for … Hollywood.”
The music, defined in a put up to Cave’s 2018 undertaking “The Red Hand Files,” is a story referencing a sequence of pictures that got here to him whereas sitting within the again seat of a automobile driving by means of Oslo, Texas. In it, a narrator finds himself on a seashore, looking on the solar.
Poetically and nearly prophetically, the put up stated, “Malibu is on fire and the animals have been driven down from the hills to the shore.”
Shirley Manson of Rubbish acting at Merciless World
(Dick Slaughter)
4. Rubbish
Overlapping Rubbish and Devo throughout Merciless World’s units was a call that left many attendees divided. It was no shock that many bigger teams cut up up round 7 p.m. and set off to both the Outsiders or Misplaced Boys levels.
Even lead singer Shirley Manson felt bummed about lacking out on Devo and stated she anticipated a a lot smaller crowd.
“I’m gonna be very honest with you … in rehearsal yesterday we were really freaking out because, of course, the great Devo!” Manson stated. “We are so gutted that we’re playing at the same time as one of our hero bands.”
“We’re amazed that you’re here,” she continued, laughing. “Thank you so much.”
However Rubbish placed on a superb efficiency — it was all smiles amongst those that had chosen the alt-rock group. A bonus was Manson’s outfit, which was undoubtedly one of the best of the day.
5. OMD
Orchestral Manoeuvres within the Darkish was an surprising favourite among the many lineup. The group got here out with excessive power and maintained it all through its total set. This saved followers on the sting of their seats, as did simply the correct amount of commentary from the bandto have interaction them.
“Everybody put two hands up,” lead singer Andy McCluskey stated earlier than performing “Talking Loud and Clear.”
“You have to do it with two hands, otherwise you’ll look like Elon Musk!”
It was an anticipated but hilarious quip from the band, which has by no means shied away from making a political assertion. Years later, it nonetheless felt awkward dancing away to “Enola Gay,” and much more so after the group flashed pictures of the infamous plane and a mushroom cloud on screens.
Throughout “If You Leave,” the screens confirmed pictures of Molly Ringwald as Andie Walsh in “Pretty in Pink,” which was a pleasant nod to the music’s inclusion within the movie’s soundtrack.
6. Alison Moyet
An amazing efficiency from an unbelievable artist — it’s no marvel she obtained an MBE for music service in 2021. Through the set, she floated backwards and forwards between songs from her solo profession and people she made with Yazoo alongside Vince Clarke, who had beforehand served as keyboardist for Depeche Mode.
Maybe essentially the most spectacular a part of her set was her vocals. It’s no secret that a few of these singers’ voices have declined after 40 or so years. However Moyet, although not as crisp, nonetheless delivered on the principle stage. The truth is, the contact of grit to her voice solely added to the songs, which she commanded with gravitas.
7. She Previous Away
The Turkish postpunk duo took the stage round 2 p.m. and granted festivalgoers a nice peek of what was forward of them. For a bunch that shaped in 2006, it slot in comfortably within the lineup, entrancing listeners with sounds paying homage to what its new-wave friends had been creating within the ’80s. To place a cherry on prime, bandmates Volkan Caner and İdris Akbulut adorned their traditional black eye shadow and lipstick combo.
She Needs Revenge acting at Merciless World
(Dick Slaughter)
8. She Needs Revenge
One other postpunk outfit from the aughts, She Needs Revenge attracted fairly the gang. Lead singer Justin Warfield strutted across the stage in an all-black, all-leather outfit that featured a belt with golden ankhs hanging under it. So far as presence, the group had it down.
Its efficiency was strong, and followers applauded when the band whipped out a canopy of the Psychedelic Furs’ “Sister Europe” mid-set. Hunter Burgan of AFI was introduced out and launched as not solely “one of the raddest bass players ever ripping” but additionally “a mean sax player.” In a sentimental contact, the music was devoted to the Furs’ late saxophonist Mars Williams.
9. Demise Cult
This one was an odd one. As a preface, the Southern Demise Cult was a Bradford, England-born band and a pacesetter of the postpunk motion within the early ’80s. The group garnered a little bit of consideration, performed about 20 exhibits, cut up after two years and launched one album, titled “The Southern Death Cult.”
After the breakup, frontman Ian Astbury joined forces with guitarist Billy Duffy to type Demise Cult in 1983. The band launched one EP below this title, merely titled “Death Cult,” earlier than turning into the Cult lower than one yr later. In 2023, Astbury and Duffy would revive Demise Cult for a sequence of exhibits throughout the U.Okay. and a one-off efficiency at what was then the Theatre at Ace Lodge. For Merciless World, the pair adopted swimsuit and carried out below the title Demise Cult, whereas additionally celebrating the music of the Cult and the Southern Demise Cult.
Going into the present, followers had been confused about what they may be listening to from the band, who walked out onstage to the theme from “A Clockwork Orange.” Evidently, most attendees had been followers of the Cult, essentially the most well-known of the three band iterations, and Astbury was seemingly pissed off that the gang wasn’t extra reactive to tunes from Demise Cult and the Southern Demise Cult.
It’s no shock, then, that attendees rejoiced once they heard the Cult’s hottest music, “She Sells Sanctuary,” in addition to others from the band.
It didn’t assist that the solar had simply gone down, leaving the small Misplaced Boys stage dimly lighted, and there have been no visualizers to again the group. This meant followers may hardly make out the band until they had been near the stage.
It’s not that Demise Cult’s musicians had been dangerous showmen. Quite the opposite, Astbury’s vocals had been nice, and everybody appeared to be on the identical wave, besides the gang. Given all of the elements at play, the set was simply odd altogether.
10. The Go-Go’s
Followers arrived in droves, keen to listen to their favorites from one of many greatest undercards on the lineup. I imply, it’s the Go-Go’s; you don’t need to miss “Our Lips Are Sealed” and “Vacation,” even should you’ve simply spent hours within the rain, shelled out $20 on a cocktail and your soles are beginning to scream at you.
It’s troublesome to place a finger on what precisely went unsuitable for this efficiency; the hits had been there and the gang was packed. However each music felt uncoordinated, just like the band may have spent a couple of extra hours in rehearsal. The group was not solely out of sync from the leap however all the set was additionally tormented by suggestions and sound combine points.
“All right, I’m sitting back here motherf— … come on now, I’m working my f— a— off,” drummer Gina Schock stated earlier than diving into “Head Over Heels.” “I wanna see some movement out there, OK?”
However the crowd stood nonetheless. Even when the band completed off with “We Got The Beat,” the musicians’ try to guide a H-O-T-T-O-G-O chant — as that they had completed simply weeks earlier than at Coachella — fell flat on its face.
“You know that one,” Jane Wiedlin pleaded, to no avail.
