SHADOWPLAY FESTIVAL is a new formula, which replaced Gothic Festival held previously in Belgium. The event moved from Waregem to picturesque town of Kortrijk, and more precisely to the complex XPO Kortrijk. For three consecutive days 22 - 24 July, the crowd of fans of so called ‚Gothic scene’ had a chance to enjoy a very interesting line-up of the event.
On Friday and Saturday in the same place NOISE FACTORY took place, which is an overview of the industrial scene.

The festival attracted a large crowd of fans of Fields of the Nephilim, moderately interested in other bands. They use to spend the time until Nephilim appearance on the stage mainly in their own company. Since Friday's gigs on the main stage started with 45 minute delay due to technical problems, the FotN fans had to spend slightly longer time than usual drinking beer and waiting for the show.

The first band to hit the stage was French Krystal System consists of Bonnie Valdor and Seven. The band faced the tough task to warm up festival audience a bit. They did their best, and interesting projector visualisations are worth mentioning.
The March Violets show gathered in front of the stage quite a big crowd of fans, many people knew the band from the very beginning of its existence - the early 80's years.
After more than 18 years of silence the band this year released the EP, Love Will Kill You '. The faithful fans had a chance to participate in several concerts including German Wave Gotik Treffen festival, which gives hope for further surprises from the legends from UK.

German Diary of Dreams well known to our audience representative of Darkwave/Gotic/ Electro gave a good performance. Also these musicians struggled with some technical problems, though. The enthusiasm of fans of a band has been fueled with a new songs from the forthcoming album "Ego: X" - announced to be out in August 2011. The band also plan to have a tour to promote the new release.
Belgian audience jumped to their fellow performance - Suicide Commando.
Extremely energetic and running around the stage vocalist Johan van Roy is considered one of the most significant artists of electro-industrial scene. He began his musical activity as early as 1986, so that in 2011, musician celebrate 25 years of his work.

Fields of the Nephilim entered the main stage with more than an hour delay. Numerous fans of this cult band from the UK could finally begin to breathe and take a part in a unique atmosphere which FotN always create during the shows.
In almost total darkness, which is a particular challenge for the photographer who wants to make a technically correct picture without the flash - and I mean not only myself but the many photographers gathered. This time without the fumes of smoke, the musicians played a classic set, with something fresh as, New Gold Down 'from the album, Mourning Sun', which has already surprised the audience at this year's edition of WGT.
,Mourning Sun 'released in 2005 is the last studio album of this legendary formation so far. With a great hope we are waiting for the next album, whose vision appears from time to time in interviews with the enigmatic leader of Fields of the Nephilim - Carl McCoy.



My biggest interest in the next day of the festival has been attracted by an amazing show of the Swiss formation The Beauty of Gemina. Full of drama and dynamic performance, even though done at a slightly smaller stage of the PEEK-A-BOO magazine. The show gathered almost all persons present at the festival. Magnetic vocals of Michael Sele completely charmed the crowd. The stage was also very well lit, which positively affected the reception of the performance. Technical problems from the day before seems to be forgotten, so we all could enjoy the show. Very pleasurable guitar and bass has been played as well, so that I dare to compare the atmosphere of the concert of that representative of Dark Rock / Wave / Electro to better known from rock bands performances.

Saturday evening however has been dominated by the performance of Love Like Blood, whose recent return has electrified fans at the Wave Gotik Treffen. Those who had no chance to arrive on time to Germany, many showed up in Belgium.
Musicians do admit that these two performances are a symbolic farewell to the fans,as they did not have the opportunity to make it before, and does not mean an active return to the music market. More from Love Like Blood will be available to be read in an interview what Yorck and Gunnar Eysel gave to an AlterNation on the Shadowplay festival.
All gathered, with whom I had the opportunity to talk after the show acknowledge a great show from Love Like Blood.

The third day of the festival was dedicated to the celebration of ‚Shadowplay’- Joy Division's music with a concert of Peter Hook & The Light.
There were also plenty of other interesting performances that day...
A very atmospheric show of Merciful Nuns, the formation led by Artaud Seth known from previous project - the Garden of Delight, or Belgian Diskonnekted - not known to me before a representative of industrial electro EBM scene.
Bloody Dead & Sexy gave an interesting, almost ‚daring’ concert that day also. Undoubtedly reign of the well-lit (in the colours yellow and crazy pink) scene was a vocalist Iahn Rosa, making an amazing things with a tripod from the microphone...
I realised while a concert photo viewing after the show, that at a certain moment the tripod landed quite close to my head! However, performance was so picturesque that during the shooting I have not noticed somehow... trying to catch in the lens running around vocalist. Respect!

English Ulterior presented in true rock 'n' roll style, a very energetic set of their debut album "Wild in Wildlife ". The band this year also appeared on the German Wave Gotik Treffen, and it is hoped that these young musicians will present us some more in the future, not only limiting the performances to the native country.



Fixmer / McCarthy project of Fixmer Terence and Douglas McCarthy (Nitzer Ebb), roused the audience to dance almost to the very end of the festival.
Quite a large number of fans of Clan of Xymox formation seemed to be completely satisfied with the performance of their legendary heroes. The band played a very good show live, but the time was running quick and numerous spectators gathered had to move close to the main stage waiting for the final show of the festival.
As already mentioned, the festival closed the show by Peter Hook & The Light.
Legendary bassist of Joy Division and New Order. During the concert he dedicated a song to the organisers of the festival, which was a very touching moment. I do believe that a lot of younger bands might learn from the veterans how to make audience dancing.
The audience was having a lot of fun and enjoyed the gig a lot as far as I could have noticed, in spite of some have fatigue after 3 days of festival.

Thank You&Respect

Shadowplay FESTIVAL line-up:

Friday July 22, 2011 
Main stage:
KRYSTAL SYSTEM, THE MARCH Violets, DIARY OF DREAMS, SUICIDE COMMANDO
Fields of the Nephilim

Saturday July 23, 2011 

Scene PEEK-A-BOO:
CRUISE [CTRL] LIZARD SMILE, tying TIFFANY, THE BEAUTY OF Gemina, ABSOLUTE BODY CONTROL, A SPLIT SECOND

Main stage:
MIREXXX, SAM, Solitary Experiments, Agonoize, Hocico, LOVE LIKE BLOOD

Sunday July 24, 2011 

Scene PEEK-A-BOO
Thieves OF SILENCE, Merciful Nuns, BLOODY DEAD & SEXY, ulterior,
CRANES, Clan of Xymox

Main stage:
NTRSN, DISKONNEKTED, PLASTIC NOISE EXPERIENCE, FIXMER / Mc Carthy,
Vive la Fete, PETER HOOK & THE LIGHT

NOISE FACTORY - Shadowplay Scene Industrialna 

Friday July 22, 2011

HYSTERESIS, POW [D] ER PUSSY, NULLVEKTOR, EMPUSAE, MONOLITH, MONO NO AWARE, This Morn 'Avoid

Saturday July 23, 2011

KR52 MASCHINENKRIEGER vs.DISRAPTOR, Heimstatt YIPOTASH, FRAMES A SECOND, GEISTFORM, BRIGHTER DEATH NOW, imminent, WINTERKÄLTE