“We’ve gone industrial!” exclaims Sophie Gug, one half of Salford goth-pop duo DIE HEXEN who on this particular afternoon have found themselves tucked into a corner of Manchester’s Travelling Man comic book shop. No need, however, to fear that they’ve undergone a massively unexpected change in direction. The reason for this peculiar statement is purely technical – the speakers are crackling and fizzing… an unfortunate side-effect of the PA setup.
The unusual setting is because Die Hexen, along with friends HAMMERS, are performing a free charity gig for the Wood Street Mission who aim to aid families with financial troubles in the local area. The layered, shimmering, ambient electronic sound of Die Hexen, followed by the pulverising metal of Hammers would be an intriguing line-up at any gig venue, but here, surrounded by Marvel and DC’s finest heroes, our curiosity is all the more heightened. Never before have I listened to a sound check while perusing Dungeons and Dragons paraphernalia – something a venue with an entrepreneurial mind should really invest in, by the way.
After the brief light test (using the glamorous method of experimenting with three rows of fluorescent lights) leaves the band in relative darkness, the duo begin their set. The band’s aesthetic, although not fully represented here, is upheld by the other half of the equation, D Lucille: draped in black, with ghostly white painted face and a thin ribbon of black lace covering her eyes, she stands straight-backed in front of the single drum. The typewriter used by Sophie tonight for percussion is a reminder of this band’s unique approach to music and its visualisation.
During the short set, a malaise of compression smothers the synthesised sounds – almost gone are the twinkling, cascading waterfalls of sound that skirt over the top of “Valhalla,” replaced instead by a deadening static. All is not lost, however. Thankfully, D Lucille’s vocals remain mostly unaffected – and what vocals they are. Bathed in reverb, and for the most part remaining low in the mix, there is an almost Celtic power behind her voice, effortlessly exuding an intense emotion and creating an intoxicating heady effect. It transports you out of the venue – away from the Spider-Man compendiums – into the dreamlike musical landscape.
As Die Hexen leave their cosy little corner to enthusiastic applause and hugs from the crowd, the veil lifts and the dreamy atmosphere dissipates. As Hammers begin their energetic and merchandise-shaking set, something springs to mind: for Die Hexen to have created such an intimate atmosphere in this tiny cramped shop, while battling fluorescent lighting and sound issues, was quite remarkable. It goes to show how versatile and ambitious this band is and that given the right venue and sound, they are truly a force to be reckoned with.