I love Scotland. I’m just over the border in Newcastle, and I can hear faintly, from over the horizon, the sound of music fans going absolutely nuts all the time. So I wasn’t at all surprised when news emerged of a dedicated goth and alternative festival cropping up there. I know plenty of bands, DJs and friends of a darker ilk there – I was only surprised it wasn’t Glasgow! Still, wherever it may be, the Scots give good party…
I was also pleasantly surprised when organiser Eric offered me a ticket to the inaugural event – and an extra one for Professor C. So we were Edinburgh bound, and whilst transport there was reasonable from the North East, accommodation did indeed bite hard. The Scottish capital has a stranglehold on tourism and it did take a fair amount of searching, discounts and some handy vouchers to secure a place. Top marks to Ten Hill Place who were welcoming, professional, quiet, perfectly placed and operating their own brewery. Top marks all round, but my advice for accommodation is shop early and shop smart!
The event itself was wonderfully centrally located, at Hive Nightclub on Niddry Street and not far from Waverley or the Royal Mile. It had excellent neighbours in the form of Bannerman’s and Banshee Labyrinth, although more on them on later. It had a killer ambience, being built mostly underground and into Edinburgh’s famous vaults. So why didn’t I come away with a good impression?
Confront the negatives first. Crucially for a lover music event, I found the sound system consistently under par, particularly with vocals and occasionally but all through the weekend, beset with technical problems. The lighting rig was pretty basic, save for an industrial strength strobe that really needed a health and safety warning. There weird outbreaks of bad smells (maybe that’s an Edinburgh thing?) that spoke of bad plumbing and even overcome the scent of a hundred sweaty Goths in a subterranean vault.
Finally, and criminally, there was a definite lack of seating. Most goth crowds are folks well into middle and late middle age – with a real need to park it occasionally! But there was nothing beyond a single row of benches opposite the bar, and the VIP “pit” – a single table booth that at least encouraged complete strangers to chat! So others chose to sit on the stairs up from the performance area or linger inn the narrow corridor overlooking it, causing real congestion in “Merch Alley” where bands hawked their wares to punters passing from the main doors to the bar and turning it into a risky choke point. Logistical hurdles seemed to be the bane of this event sadly…
OK, let’s cleanse the palette and talk about some of the stellar acts I saw. Each and every band got a live, as-it-happens review that went straight to Instagram and Facebook. So I’ll highlight some of the real standout acts – and I am delighted to say no performance really disappointed! I was impressed with the volume of acts, the quality, and the variety of sounds.
When it comes to flying the black banner of goth, you can’t get better than Byronic Sex and Exile. An industrious artist who clearly works as hard on his wardrobe and his stage presence as he does his enthralling songs, I think there’s a strong case to see Joel higher up the bill with more scope for his dark arts!
Top marks also to Twisted Nerve, who logged an absolutely solid, confident performance of some classic gothic rock with a rebellious punk twist. Legendary veterans from the city itself, it was brilliant seeing these virtuosos put on a professional show to a completely packed room. Overlooked gems in my eyes!
Once the bands wrapped up however, I had forgotten we were to be relocated to the Banshee Labyrinth further down the street. Hive had their regular student nights locked in, and the trade-off was evicting and shipping us to another venue to enjoy after-show DJs. This is always a key component of a good festival for me, and yet something I’ve seen fumbled time and time again. I know from bitter experience as well that once a crowd has slaked its entertainment thirst on band after band, asking them to move just a few meters down the road is essentially a death knell – and that’s before you end up lost in the Labyrinth itself, unable to find the one small poky room reserved for the festival DJ!
It seemed doomed from the start, and after an initial unwise decision – indulging in shots with some festivalgoers aus Deutschland – I did share some scornful comments on Facebook! These have now been deleted with sincere apologies for losing some of the objectivity I try and retain as The Blogging Goth. I had hoped to cap the first day of the festival with a good old stomp on a goth dancefloor, and felt like obstacle after obstacle had been placed in the way. But, I acknowledge the logistics of organising an event like this are challenging at the best of times, and the first outing of a brand new festival is a gruelling process. It’s all a learning curve!
Into Saturday then, and much chin-stroking as I tried to schedule my day. I was here to review the event, and I was determined to see each and every band. But that would mean an unbroken attendance at the venue of seven hours! Somewhere I’d need to let a band down and go grab a quick dinner. In my comments to the organisers, I did ask if the venue had considered opening their second room, having an additional stage, staggering the bands and starting later. Whilst it would have meant even more hard decisions about clashes, I might have at least managed to pick a time to actually fuel myself for the endeavour!
But I steeled myself, and had a thoroughly good time listening to each and every band – seriously, each act brought their absolute A-game and even if their style wasn’t to my liking, I couldn’t take any of them down for not trying their damn hardest. If I had one criticism, it would be the merit of spacing out these acts – Saturday afternoon was an absolute procession of killer act after killer act, from Midlothian rebels Voodoo Twins, through stalwart champions Gothzilla, epic sound architects Cold in Berlin to the masterclass headline performance of March Violets. The whole festival could have benefitted from one or two filling out Friday’s already excellent roster, and reduced the pressure on Saturday’s timetable!
At its conclusion therefore, your humble scribe headed hotelwards directly after the triumphant performance of the March Violets, unable to give Banshee Labyrinth’s afterparty a second assessment. But it reflects a poor assessment on me, who learned long ago on the mean streets of – er – Whitby, never to exceed on the first night! There are lessons in this weekend for all involved…
Lessons which already sound like they’re being learned. Hats off to Eric, the mastermind behind Deadinburgh, who messaged me on the Sunday keen to get my thoughts. He absorbed with good grace many of the comments I made here, and has come back to me to confirm Deadinburgh 2026 at a new venue nearby, La Belle Angele. I’m particularly enthused that they run a kink/alt night which bodes well for the atmosphere.
Ultimately, I am hopeful about the future of this event. There were indeed obstacles to overcome, from the complaints about the venue previously to a failure to get the fringe events like markets and burlesque off the ground, but the team have shown a willingness to acknowledge and learn from these setbacks. As the comments show, punters are primarily fixed on the credibility of the line-up – I know I am!
So I’m delighted to be publishing my review on the same day the event has started announcing the 2026 roster. There’s a heavy showing of classic gothic rock acts, particularly the elusive yet legendary Ausgang and firm festival favourites Inkubbus Sukkubus. To see such a prompt announcement far in advance is most heartening that Deadinburgh 2026 will build massively on their inaugural showing. Early Bat Tickets are out already to save you in advance – see you there…?
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