Kontavoid carries Cardiff into the void of gothic music
Words & Photos: Ceirios Bebb
★★★★☆
Photo: Ceirios Bebb
Stepping into the dimly-lit Clwb Ifor Bach, you would never have expected it to be so packed on a Monday - but Kontravoid were where everyone wanted to be that night. The room buzzed with anticipation, surrounded by dark, floaty outfits and precision, KISS-like eyeliner that immediately gave a pretty good idea of what to expect through the night, a showcase of some of the finest acts of the gothic music scene.
Photo: Ceirios Bebb
Opening the night, Ordeal by Roses wasted no time pulling the crowd into their intense atmosphere. Their sound was dark and edgy, layered with industrial metal textures and dramatic effects that felt almost cinematic. Props such as chains were used to heighten this metallic sound, perfectly complementing the raw, aggressive vocals. It was a heavy start leading the crowd straight into the void of dance, bass, synth and more.
Photo: Ceirios Bebb
Switching gears, Nuxx followed with a contrasting yet equally compelling set. Trading industrial metal for heavy drum and bass, the shift in sound sparked a physical reaction from the crowd. Arms went up, people got moving, and the room pulsed to the booming basslines.
Photo: Ceirios Bebb
Finally, the room erupted as Kontravoid emerged from the darkness. Cheers and claps filled the venue as he took to the stage dressed in a black cowboy hat, before donning his iconic macabre, ghostly white mask on stage. It was a striking visual to close out a night that celebrated every corner of the dark alternative scene, a reminder that even on a Monday night, the gothic community is very much alive.
With Clwb’s own lights completely turned off, Kontravoid’s own minimal flashing lights cut through the haze, producing a rave-like atmosphere, occasionally lighting up his mask dramatically from within the shadows. Kontravoid’s music is full of dark yet neon pulsating sounds and minimal synth that’s sleek, obsessive, and jarring in the best way. Packed with driving basslines, powerful drum machines, and distorted vocals that give everything a hypnotic feel that pulls you into dancing. The night felt like a journey through gothic soundscapes, moving seamlessly from metal-influenced aggression to echoing electronic rhythms.