The Damned are now confirmed as the last gothic stage headliner for Alt-Fest, 15-17th August at Boughton Estate in Kettering. To reflect the sound of the stage, the band has chosen a special set-list, featuring tracks that have not been played live for many years. More additions come in the form of hardcore punks Dead Kennedys, industrial metallers The Defiled and many more.
With a catalogue that spans, and even helped define, goth, punk, krautrock, psychedelic, garage rock and more, The Damned have something truly special up their sleeves for Alt-Fest. As well as playing a selection of songs from the Phantasmagoria and Black albums, the band will perform a ‘people’s choice’ track to be decided by social media ahead of their gothic stage headline set.
A hearty slab of hardcore punk has been added to the main stage with the confirmation of Dead Kennedys. The San Francisco quartet is awash with underground credibility as one of the first hardcore bands to make waves internationally. They will be a sure fire crowd-pleaser among the tribes gathered for Alt-Fest.
Also confirmed are The Defiled, joining Alt-Fest’s metal stage in a more modern day barrage of industrial metal. Next up are heavyweight quintet Heart of a Coward, Wales’ loudest export Revoker plus Hawk Eyes, who opened for none other than System of a Down in 2013.
Alt-Fest’s gothic stage line-up reaches completion with a UK festival exclusive from 80s gothic, post-punk outfit Theatre of Hate and ambient, experimental German duo Other Day, a UK debut and 2014 exclusive booking. A raucous confirmation comes in the shape of the reformed gothic anarcho-punks Rubella Ballet, whilst She Past Away (UK debut show and festival exclusive) leave their native Turkey for Alt-Fest’s fields. The poetically named cold-wave group Soror Dolorosa and Vienna’s Whispers In The Shadow (UK debut show and festival exclusive) complete the gothic proceedings.
Last but by no means least joining the S.O.P.H.I.E stage are Brighton’s dub-infusing metallers Collisions.
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By Scotty Moore
FestPop Publisher & Founder