Although I did not attend the full list of events, missing Friday entirely and bits of Saturday night, I am positive I gathered an accurate picture of the Black Sun Festival. After speaking with various people who attended the events and shows I missed, I can honestly say I did not hear one negative comment in the bunch. Of course there was the usual chatter about vocals being too loud, lyrics not being understood, and of course the requisite “I can’t remember what happened last night.” Overall, though, everyone appeared to be in high spirits as events unfolded.

Rather than write a typical review, I have decided that a list of highlights would better suit the Black Sun Festival and all its frenetic excitement. This event was filled with so many things to do that it was impossible to see and hear them all. Bouncing from one event to the next, from one conversation to the next, from one dance floor to the next was all the excitement anyone needed. The event schedule was almost secondary to the solidarity felt between new event attendees and old friends alike.

1. Voltaire performed with a full band, and was much less witty than usual. When asked about this the man himself stated something to the effect of, “When you’re paying a band of musicians by the hour you tend not to take up all the time with idle chatter.” His bit about the newly purchased beaver top hat and an “EMO haircut” had the crowd rolling with laughter. Voltaire is a consummate professional who never delivers a bad show.
2. One thing that is amazing about an event like this is that various band members feel free to roam the audience each night. Musicians and fans alike mingle, watch other bands perform, and spontaneously dance in the Contempt! room.
3. Even though this year’s Black Sun Festival was also the 5th annual ProjecktFest, many females in the crowd appeared to be cloaked in neon post-apocalyptic bikinis while several men favored the wearing of face masks, respirators, and gas masks. Even if there was a lot of black lace floating around the Contempt! dance floor, the bright neon cyber clothing and plastic hair dominated the crowds. I noticed a fair amount of unisex Mohawks, which gave an air of Cyberpunk to the event – not quite Billy Idol “Cyberpunk”, but more a blending of Cyber, Goth, and Punk. This is the way it should be, many different people coming together to enjoy many different bands.
4. By 12:30am on Saturday night/Sunday morning, the crowd at Toad’s Place had dwindled to diehard Imperative Reaction fans, who were madly dancing to “Torture”, and drunken dancers enjoying the aural pleasures of DJ’s Subvert, Hi-fi Hillary, and Mistress McCutchan in the upstairs lounge. Suffice it to say, at events such as this the hotel parties are almost as important as looking good and dancing while the bands perform.
5. Toad’s Place is a wonderful venue for Black Sun. There are multiple bars which trim down waiting time for alcohol refueling; this is extremely important. The nighttime view outside the windows of the upstairs Lily’s Pad lounge is amazing. You feel as though you are in Maurice Sendak’s “Where the Wild Things are.” The windows are filled to the gills with glowing trees. Outside the club the street is quiet enough that anyone dressed provocatively can feel comfortable standing there for long periods of time.
6. Sunday’s event at Alchemy was inundated with sweat, stagnant heat, and sexual excitement. After taking an informal poll, most women in the crowd seemed to agree that watching a shirtless Andy Deane of Bella Morte was well worth braving the sweltering non-air-conditioned heat. Regardless of their heartthrob status, Bella Morte are a non-stop touring machine with star quality. They always put on an amazing show, they are tight musically, and most of all, approachable until the last hours of the night. I wouldn’t be surprised if they transcend the minutiae of the Goth scene some day soon.
7. Although the Gothsicles are sometimes hard to understand lyrically when they perform live, their universal messages of video-gaming, ‘puter geekdom, and self-deprecation are supremely hysterical. I think everyone should log onto thegothsicles.com and prepare to squint at the tiny font until your eyes bleed.
8. The fashion show, featuring Dementia Clothing, Bettysioux, Vicious Dolls, and Chi Studios, was the best one by far I’ve seen this year. Sorry Convergence 13, but this well-planned show rocked. I only wish that some “performers” had spent a bit more time modeling the clothing. It was hard to see some outfits. Each designer created some extraordinary items, making it really hard to choose a favorite.
9. For me, the best part of an event such as this is the amazing conversations that can be had. Talking about fashion with the multitude of well dressed women is always a pleasure, but when one can talk about the cultural implications of living in uncertain times and how this relates to Gothic clothing choices – all while hearing Project Pitchfork blast from the sound system – one is in a special place and time indeed.

A quick wrap-up of some additional bands that performed:

“We Die in Dreams” by Norway’s Gothminister is a great song. This band has a hard rock vibe that is both enjoyable and a switch from the typical American Gothic sound.

Stromkern is one of the most unique electronic bands I’ve ever loved. As their website states, Stromkern are “like House Of Pain, Yo Yo Ma and Wumpscut in a bar fight...”

Terrorfakt is the brainchild of one man, Hellraver. The aural assault will force your body to shake uncontrollably – in a really good way.

I don’t need to mention The Birthday Massacre, do I? Everyone has this amazingly energetic band in their music collection, correct?

If this is any indication of what the Black Sun Festival has in store for us in the future, then it can only get bigger and better. With so many things going for it, the quiet pre-college time of year, the diversity of bands and DJ’s, and the multitude of surrounding events, I expect next year’s festival to secure a long and exciting career for the crew that semi-silently makes this wonderful event happen.