Live Review: Corrosion Fest - Morecombe 2022

The Alhambra, Morecombe, UK
11th and 12th March 2022
Corrosion Fest 2022 with Inkubus Sukkubus, Balaam and the Angel, In Isolation, Long Night, Fleisch, Novus UK, 1919, IAMWARFACE, Gothzilla, West Wickhams

The UK has a long-standing romance with seaside town Goth festivals with the twice-yearly world-famous Whitby Gothic Weekend. However, the weekend in Whitby seems to have stalled somewhat, with many Goths viewing the weekend as little more than a fancy dress weekend after the invasion of none-Goth visitors to the town seeking a Halloween style party. So, lately there has been several newer events in coastal towns that Goths can get their fix from without a drunken badly dressed Dracula or pirate throwing up on their Gothic finery. I sincerely hope all the festivals survive, including Whitby, and I welcome these newer events - especially when so well organised as this festival turned out to be.

I loved the newly revamped venue; it works very well as a live music venue and has great light and sound systems. Unfortunately, the pandemic has not stopped tormenting us and there were line-up changes, last minute stand-ins and a general “we won’t be beaten’ attitude was in abundance.


Day One

NOVUS is a long-standing band within the scene and I always enjoy seeing the band on stage. The threesome provided the perfect mix of powerful vocals and melody, NOVUS have a fantastic ability to entertain. If you’ve lived under a rock and not seen the band play live you must rectify this!

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Next band up is FLEISCH. It’s a while since I last saw the band play, there is now a different line-up and a noticeable shift in musicianship. I can clearly say FLEISCH were always a good band, in studio or playing live, but listening to them play tonight I noticed a hike in energy, something not explainable but certainly a like explosion, a certain edgy quality that screamed listen to us. They have often been likened to RAMMSTEIN, and with a member of the top UK tribute RAMMLIED they are certainly guilty as charged. I’m not sure if this is a permanent change in the line-up. I’d previously chatted to some festival goers that had not seen FLEISCH play live, I made sure they were aware they were in for a treat - afterwards I only heard positive comments from those same people. Brilliant band that deserves much bigger things.

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RHOMBUS could not attend the festival. To finish the first night, we were treated to the legendry INKUBUS SUKKUBUS, entertaining dark souls since 1989 with their pagan Goth Rock sounds. Like many of us, they still have incredible energy as they advance through the years! Intoxicating performance, very impressive indeed - as always. Great entertainers with a huge catalogue to lay in front of us for our listening pleasure. As always, I loved every minute, a perfect end to the opening night.

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Day Two

KLAMMER could not attend the festival due to a Covid outbreak in the band, I wish them all a quick recovery. WEST WICKHAMS have filled the gap, along with GOTHZILLA. WEST WICKHAMS are a new band to me - a two-piece band that describe themselves as Psychedelic Garage Noir. I’d need to listen to them again, and I intend to dig out their studio work. It was an interesting performance, probably some unfamiliarity explaining the lack of grab within me. Elements of post punk shows lots of promise, a young band and I was pleased to have been introduced to them. Good stuff.

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GOTHZILLA perhaps don’t need any introduction to regular UK Goth festival goer. Full of energy and a certain level of cheekiness means GOTHZILLA is a band that doesn’t take themselves too seriously. Don’t let that fool you, they may be up for a fun time, but they are a serious proposition as a band - amply proven by this impromptu performance. The chaps had intended to have a weekend of watching bands on stage, not being one of them! Ok, this performance wasn’t the sharpest I’ve seen them perform, but it had a certain edge to it that made it probably their most memorable gig! Well done guys, a highlight of the festival for me.

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This festival provided a great line-up, but for me I was very excited about IAMWARFACE. I’m a huge GARY NUMAN fan and after seeing IAMWARFACE supporting NUMAN I have been a big fan. The guys didn’t disappoint - hard-hitting as always; a powerhouse of a performance! Searing riffs and pounding beats, IAMWARFACE is seriously gob-smacking. Without doubt my favourite performance of the two nights - highly recommended. 

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1919 were up next, a post punk band that I have seen play live in recent years, but not in their early days. As before, they offered an extraordinarily striking performance full of post punk swagger and confidence. Loads of energy, great beats and overall sound. Oh, and a PVC pink jacket.

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I have listened to the next band, LONG NIGHT several times on CD. They are a very talented bunch, but this genre does little for me and I find it all a little unexciting. I always feel like shouting “move it up a gear!”, it’s just a little dreary and one dimensional to my ears. Ah well, I was determined not to be negative and I wanted to enjoy their performance - and surprisingly I did. On stage they somehow transform and I became absorbed by it all. Visually on stage they work well - but sonically they are no less than perfect. The level of musicianship is awe inspiring. Am I a new fan? I wouldn’t go that far, but they have become a clear leader in their genre as far as I am concerned - very, very impressive. They certainly were welcomed by the largest crowd of the festival in front of the stage, I wasn’t alone in my thoughts.

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Next up was IN ISOLATION, another Post Punk band that I find enjoyable, but somehow, I just can’t quite grasp them whole heartedly. When I first saw them play live, I was cold to the band, I hadn’t heard them beforehand. I made comment that I just couldn’t quite connect with the band’s sound, but I expected that I would with future performances. Well, after seeing them play live several times, including this gig, I am starting to understand them. There’s a great band there, I know that. Just a band that isn’t quite for me somehow, I enjoy listening but they don’t fire me up. Great performance though.

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The legendry BALAAM AND THE ANGEL are dark souls that have been around for almost an eternity. I hate to say this, I really do, but I was left cold by the announcement of the headliner of the festival. Their sound and approach somehow don’t gel for me. I stood and listened to them play that night, they are no doubt a tight band that do what they do very well, but in the spirit of diplomacy they just don’t do it for me. Sometimes it’s hard to pinpoint what the issue is, but the more I tried to be enthusiastic about the bands gig, the more I found myself collecting my coat and having an early night. Sorry damp firework band for me, fizzle time (Note to organiser IAMWARFACE would make a great headliner). Loads of the crowd were enthusiastic, I guess I was just a party pooper.

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So, the end of a great all-round festival with a diverse bunch of bands to appeal to most music tastes – isn’t that what makes a successful festival? I think it’s a recipe for a long-term future with a very good chance of taking the crown from Whitby in the seaside Goth event stand-off. The sister festival later this year is Bats in the Attic, the same venue, same great organisation and will likely seal the deal and make Morecombe a complete alternative to Whitby Goth Weekend for many Goths.

All pictures by Kevin Stevens