As the weather in Denver Colorado stays on the colder side, I made my way to The Oriental Theater for an evening of music with The Birthday Massacre.
Starting the evening off were, The Midnight Marionettes. They are a Denver based goth-industrial-rock band. They started their set with, ‘Streams’ from their 2018 album, They Only Come Out at Night. Their sound along with the vocals of lead singer Starla, were haunting to listen to which appealed to me right away. Through out their set which was very interesting to listen to, their music was not deafening but a dark, haunting sound that was in a way relaxing. As many opening acts are, their set was short but very enjoyable. The crowd enjoyed them as well showing their appreciation at the end of bands set.
The Midnight Marionettes are:
Starla – Vocals
Mikey – Drums
Roger – Guitar
Justin 3rd – Bass
Setlist:
1.) Streams
2.) Doll Haus
3.) Darkness
4.) Champagne Eyes
5.) 13 Ghosts
6.) Mysterium
7.) Truth
With a smooth transition, Julien-K took to the stage to present their mix of industrial, metal, and electronica sound. They opened their set with ‘Harmonic Disruptor,’ from their 2020 album of the same name. The energy from this song was only the beginning of what was to come. Moving right into the song ‘Cross,‘ again from the 2020 album, Harmonic Disruptor, the energy level from the band carried out into the crowd. A little farther into their set, the was a technical issue with Ryan Shuck‘s guitar but was quickly remedied and it did not hurt the energy flow from the band or the crowd. Finishing their set the did a cover of the song, “Blue Monday”, a cover of a band called Orgy , of which they are former members.
On a personal note, I discovered Julien-K in 2006 when they collaborated with Chester Bennington to perform an exclusive version of the song “Morning After“ for the move, Underworld: Evolution soundtrack.
Julien-K are:
Amir Derakh – Guitar/Synth
Ryan Shuck – Vocals/Guitar
Galen Waling – Drums
With a packed house and another snow storm brewing outside, The Birthday Massacre took the stage under red and violet lights and opened their set with, ‘Superstition’ from the 2014 album of the same title. Right from the start, the band moved about swaying and interacting with each other and the crowd. Their set was a great mix of old and new and the crowd loved it. Their music is a mix of a variety of genre’s from, gothic, alternative, industrial, electronic, and synth-pop. Which makes for some very interesting music ranging from dark, sad but beautiful, romantic to a heavier electronic sound. While they would catch their breath, Sara ‘Chibi’ Taylor, took to the microphone and talked with the crowd saying, it’s been way to damn long since they last toured and were so happy to be on the road again. Continuing with their 20 song set is a personal favorite, ‘Leaving Tonight’ from their 2012 album, Hide and Seek. A song that is on the darker side of life and brought a range of comments on the YouTube video.
During a later break, Chibi brought a young girl up on stage, she was about 5 or 6 years old and it was her very first concert. Her father had put together a great set of ear muffs with blinking lights for her to wear, smart father. See the photo gallery. Later you could see her sitting on dad’s shoulder’s watching the show. From their newest 2022 album Fascination, the band played the title track, ‘Fascination’ which is the first time they are playing it live on this tour. Finishing off an evening of great music was, ‘In the Dark’ going back to their 2010 album, Pins and Needles. The roar of appreciation from the crowd was great and well deserved.
This was my 5th time seeing The Birthday Massacre live and I never have been disappointed, catch them on tour, I believe you will have a great night of music.
The Birthday Massacre are:
Sara ‘Chibi’ Taylor – Vocals
Michael Rainbow – Rhythm Guitarist
Michael Falcore – Lead Guitar
Owen Mackinder – Keyboards
Philip Elliot – Drums
Brett Carruthers – Bass Guitar
Setlist:
1.) Superstition
2.) Destroyer
3.) Kill the Lights
4.) Counterpane
5.) All of Nothing
6.) Stars and Satellites
7.) Enter
8.) Leaving Tonight
9.) Crush
10.) Video Kid
11.) One
12.) Last Goodbye
13.) Fascination
14.) Looking Glass
15.) Pins and Needles
16.) Red Stars
17.) Blue
Encore:
18.) Midnight
19.) Under Your Spell
20.) In the Dark
Follow the Midnight Marionettes here:
Follow Julien-K here:
Follow The Birthday Massacre here:
I have been dabbling in photography since I was a kid. Box cameras, instamatics, then 35mm film cameras. In the late 70’s I went to a concert and took pictures, no one cared at first. That came to end in 1980. When the first digital cameras came out, I got more interested and serious about photography. For years I did nothing but landscape and even started selling my work with some success. In May of 2014, I walked into a small concert venue and asked about photographing a band that was going to play there. Little did I know then how my life was about to change. My 2 passions, music and photography turned into a wonderful journey. 7+ years later, I have meet artists from all over the world, photographed bands from over 20 different countries. I am living the dream of being a concert photographer. To this day, when I step in front of the stage to cover a show, I still get as excited as a 5 year old on Christmas morning!
