Cradle of Filth & DevilDriver / Double Trouble Live Co-Headline Tour 2023 / Rockhouse Dive Bar Kitchen Venue / El Paso, Texas / 25 March 23

This show without a doubt was the most anticipated event of the year out here in West Texas, El Paso, to be exact, Cradle of Filth with DevilDriver, it was announced two months ago and was sold out in a timely fashion, extra measures were taken to accommodate the crowd by the staff at the Rockhouse, all tables and chairs were removed, a portion of the immediate parking lot was fenced off, food trucks were provided and you were allowed to smoke and drink in this outside area, all this tells me is that we have a monster of a crowd in route, oh yeah, it’s about to get fun. This is a huge production, and the TM ran it as if he was a Drill Sargent, the meet and greet alone with COF ran as smooth as glass, I have to admit, he ran a tight ship. Four bands on the evenings card, no local support, first up was ONI, unfortunately there was a bit of confusion as where I was shooting from, we didn’t get it straighten out until after their set, hence one photo, oh well, it happens. Next up was Black Satellite from New York, this band I covered here in November of 21, they were in support of Nita Strauss, Larissa Vale on vocals is such a treat to shoot, puts on a great show and makes great photos, looking forward to her return.

Now, on a personal note, DevilDriver was the main attraction for me, this would be my fourth time shooting Dez, twice with DevilDriver and once with Coal Chamber a number of years ago, so you can imagine how excited I am to be able to go another round with Dez. I was able to steal a couple minutes of his time early that afternoon, to my surprise, he remembered me and promised me a great show, needless to say, I couldn’t wait. DevilDriver has been around a minute, they are deeply considered pioneers of Groove Metal and or Melodic Death Metal, 10 releases in 20 years, Dealing with Demons Volume One was released in October of 20 and the follow up Dealing with Demons Volume Two is to be released next month officially, I believe it’s safe to say this tour is in support of the newest release. Here’s a cute fun fact, the band was called Deathride in the beginning, a name change was in order at some point, countless submissions were considered, but Dez’s wife had a book on Italian Witchcraft and came across the word Devil Driver, which refers to a set of bells that Italian

witches would use to drive the evil forces away, Dez loved it, said it suited his lifestyle, the rest is history. Dez hit the stage like a runaway train, tonight’s set list was a sheer treat, crowd favorites like Grinfucked and I Could Care Less set the diehards on ten plus, they defiantly were the early highlights and as always Dez’s voice was as powerful as ever, great acts as this prove metal doesn’t age, not to mention our lifestyle is alive and well and if you were in that circle pit DevilDriver generated, the next morning, the bruises and soreness , was no doubt worth it.

Your main event is at hand, and of course its Dani Filth, and his epic extreme metal band, Cradle of Filth. No doubt, the crowd favorite of the evening, this El Paso crowd was biting at the bit, the venue was packed beyond belief, in four years of covering shows here never had I seen it this packed , oh yeah, show of the year so far was as crystal clear, we were in for a severe ass kicking and this is a standard MO for this outfit, I saw them in Tampa in 04 so I had some idea what to expect. Straight outa Suffolk, England, the band was formed in 91, Dani being the only original member left, 13 releases in 19 years, each one two years apart except the latest, Existence is Futile released in 21, 4 years from previous release. Their style is Extreme Metal, Black, Gothic, Symphonic Metal, let’s just say any and all genres of Metal music, COF fits the bill. They have been a huge influence on bands such as Bathory, Celtric Frost, Ice Nine Kills and Merciful Fate to name just a few and when they tour, it’s always Ozzfest and Download , you know, just a couple of small gatherings. The band has been labeled Satanic thought-out the years, but when the dust settles, it’s all for show, shock value, if nothing else, in my world, it’s called a gimmick, just like the notorious T- Shirt with the Nun Masturbating on the front and Jesus is a Cunt on the back, yeah, shock value at its best and those shirts fly off the shelves, talk about marketing. The show starts and our charismatic front man has the audience eating from his hand, it was quite the sight. Shooting this band was a bit challenging, haze and very low light, but it’s to be expected from a band of the style and caliber, black and gothic at best. In the end, what an evening of fun and excitement, every band was on point, the show ran like a well-oiled machine, its shows like this that are so rewarding, yet exhausting, but truth be told, I wouldn’t have it another way.

Cradle of Filth Set List-

Heaven Torn Asunder

Gilded Cunt

Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids

She is a Fire

The Principle of Evil Made Flesh

Nymphetamine

Crawling King Chaos

Born in a Burial Gown

Her Ghost in the Fog

From the Cradle to Enslave