Cold Waves X NY at Warsaw

Front 242 at Cold Waves X NY at Warsaw on September 15

The Chicago industrial and metal music scene lost a beloved musician and sound engineer, Jamie Duffy, in 2012. That year, 14 bands came together for Cold Waves, a memorial concert, to say goodbye and to raise money for Duffy’s family. The event was such a success that in ensuing years, it quickly became an annual event, spreading to Los Angeles and New York City, and raising funds for suicide prevention.

Now in its 10^th year, the annual festivals gather different collections of veteran and new-blood artists for each city. These shows generally headline the veterans of the industrial music scene, like Front 242, Severed Heads, Godflesh, Front Line Assembly, Fear Factory, Prong and Pop Will Eat Itself. In recent years, rising innovators in electronic and darkwave music have included High Functioning Flesh, Youth Code, 3Teeth and Author & Punisher.

This year’s concerts began with two nights at Warsaw in Brooklyn. Front 242, the Revolting Corpse (formerly the Revolting Cocks), Portion Control, and Cold Cave represented the old guard at these New York City shows. Actors, Kite, Leathers, REIN, Spike Hellis and Confines were the emerging artists.

Front 242 at Cold Waves X NY at Warsaw on September 15

Front 242 headlined the first night of Cold Waves X NY. Formed in Belgium in 1981, Front 242 became one of the pioneers of electronic body music (EBM). Throughout the 1980s, the band had a profound influence on the burgeoning electronic and industrial music genres. Since the band has not recorded new music since 2003, the Cold Waves performance was a career retrospective.

The Revolting Corpse at Cold Waves X NY at Warsaw on September 15

With this concert, Paul Barker and Chris Connelly said a New York farewell to the most recent incarnation of the Revolting Cocks. The American-Belgian industrial rock band launched in 1985 as a musical side project for Richard23 of Front 242. Over the decades, the Revolting Cocks has split apart and reunited with different musicians several times. This tour is meant to be the very end. For the occasion, the band was renamed the Revolting Corpse.

Portion Control at Cold Waves X NY at Warsaw on September 15

Portion Control formed in 1979 in London, England, and pioneered the use of sampling in electronic and industrial music. The band split in 1987 and regrouped in 2002. Rein said she came to the festival to see Portion Control perform.

Rein at Cold Waves X NY at Warsaw on September 15

Rein, from Stockholm, Sweden, is a new electro singer and songwriter. Her performance fused industrial, electro and punk elements from the 1980s, creating a futuristic sound for the dance floor.

Spike Hellis at Cold Waves X NY at Warsaw on September 15

Cortland Gibson and Lainey formed Spike Hellis in 2019 in Los Angeles, California. While gearing up to begin touring and promoting their first release, they watched in disbelief as themes from their EP, aptly titled Crisis Talk, seeped into reality in the form of a global pandemic. The duo opened the first night of Cold Waves X NY.

Cold Cave at Cold Waves X NY at Warsaw on September 16

Wesley Eisold, vocalist of the hardcore band American Nightmare, formed Cold Cave in 2007 as a vehicle for his own electronic music. He assembles backing musicians for live shows, but has no fixed band. His performance mixed darkwave, noise, and synthpop.

Kite at Cold Waves X NY at Warsaw on September 16

Kite is a Swedish synthpop duo composed of Nicklas Stenemo and Christian Berg. Quite different from the other bands on the bill, Kite’s electronic and largely instrumental music was bright and cinematic.

Actors at Cold Waves X NY at Warsaw on September 16

Actors, formed in 2012 in Vancouver, Canada, performed post-punk music that was perhaps the most commercial music of the festival.

Leathers at Cold Waves X NY at Warsaw on September 16

Leathers is the dream pop project of Shannon Hemmett of Actors. Accompanied by a synthesizer programmer, she performed songs from her 2021 debut album.

Confines at Cold Waves X NY at Warsaw on September 16

Confines was the sole local artist in the Cold Waves X NY program. Confines is the stage name of David Castillo, who is also the vocalist for the post-hardcore band Primitive Weapons and the metallic hardcore band White Widows Pact. He is most recognizable as a principal partner and talent buyer at Saint Vitus Bar. He performed solo.

For two nights, Cold Waves X NY featured an uncommon array of experimental music. The event celebrated the past and present of underground electronic music. The gains of the festival also supported and connected to services those suffering from depression, addiction, suicidal ideation and other mental health issues. After the New York shows, the festival moved to Chicago for four nights and to Los Angeles for two nights, again benefiting mental health organizations and initiatives.

***

The Manhattan Beat covers New York City's live music circuit. All articles are written by Everynight Charley Crespo. All photographs are taken by Everynight Charley Crespo, except when noted otherwise.

For a list of Manhattan venues that are presenting live music regularly, swing the desktop cursor to the right of the home page and click on the pop-up tab "Where to Find Live Music."

For a listing of upcoming concerts for live audiences, visit The Manhattan Beat's September calendar.