Cradle of Filth made it a special evening in Flint, MI headlining their latest tour to promote their latest album Existence Is Futile.
The night was set to start with Misfire from Chicago, however, due to Covid-19 they were unable to join the stage for this tour. The first band to start the night was Frayle from Cleveland. Frayle is an atmospheric doom band with soft, dynamic, witchy lyrics. The band is fronted by singer Gwyn Strang, whose voice blends smoothly with the darkness of the doom metal music.
They started the set with “Dead Inside” from their 2020 debut album 1692. Gwyn’s vocals could only be described as enchanting and her stage presence was something to be admired. As everyone watched the set one fan said, “Wow, this is the most magnificent light show I have ever seen here at The [Machine] Shop.” As they pointed out, the light show was a captivating part of the whole experience that no one will soon forget.
While waiting for the changeover, the crowd had time to explore the many wonders of The Machine Shop. Located just inside the border of Flint, the venue is considered to be a world-famous venue. In the twenty years the venue has been open, it has won the hearts of audiences and musicians alike. With sticker-veiled walls and a pipe with a chain as a barrier, it is an iconic venue that is worth a visit should you ever find yourself in Flint.Once the lights lowered, the crowd screamed as loud as they could which meant only one thing. It was time for Cradle of Filth to take the stage. Cradle of Filth is an extreme gothic black metal band that started in 1991 in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. They are led by frontman Dani Filth. Dani was joined on stage by long-time members Marek “Ashok” Šmerda on guitar, Daniel Firth on bass, and Martin “Marthus” Škaroupka on drums. They were also joined by their newest member Zoe Marie Federoff on the keyboard and female vocals as well as fill-in guitarist Donny Burbage.
The set started off strong with “Existential Terror” from the band’s fifteenth full-length album, Existence Is Futile. The set included many fan favorites including “I am the Thorn” from Thornography. The audience was lively and moshing to the songs. Then between songs, Dani took a brief pause to thank those who arrived early for the VIP Meet and Greet, many of whom were right in the front row. He then asked the crowd to open the mosh pit up “as wide as Mexico.” The band continued the show with the ever-popular “Nymphetamine” from the album of the same name. The crowd got to listen to Zoe’s take on the female vocals of this song for the first time, and her voice was adored right away.
The night continued with a mix of songs from previous albums and every other song was from the newest album. This proved to be a good mix of songs that the crowd really enjoyed. They ended the show with “Her Ghost in the Fog” from Midian.
The tour is currently in Canada and will return to the United States for three more dates. The crowd in Flint can attest that this is not a show you should miss!
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