Cruel World Festival 2023 review - Pasadena, Calif.

photo: P. Ghana

On May 20, an estimated 70,000 people attended the second annual Cruel World Festival at Brookside Golf Course adjacent to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. It was co-headlined by Siouxsie and Iggy Pop with a dozen new wave and post-punk acts that first found success in the late-1970s and 1980s and newer acts.

Siouxsie attracted scores of goth rock fans from her time fronting The Banshees and The Creatures. Around the festival, black was the predominant color for all manner of clothing, shoes, and makeup. Due to inclement weather, the event was stopped while Pop and the Human League were still on stage, and everyone evacuated. Siouxsie and Pop returned the following night for full performances along with Gary Numan. 

Iggy Pop and his young band - a different lineup than his recent Hollywood Palladium gig - managed to get through a half dozen songs before being interrupted. The 76-year-old rock legend kicked things off with a frantic “Five Foot One” (from 1979’s New Values), where the horn section came in handy. They also gave Iggy’s proto-punk songs with The Stooges such as T.V. Eye” and “Raw Power” an appealing revue-style quality. It didn’t take long for Pop to shimmy around shirtless. A pair of tunes from the solid new album Every Loser – the high intensity “Frenzy” and low-key “Strung Out Johnny” – fared well before the PA went out. Prior to doing “The Passenger,” Pop asked the audience, “If I was hitchhiking, would you pick me up?” He brought out the young son of collaborator Josh Homme to dance round, another sound issue occurred and that was it.

photo: A. Goldberg

Billy Idol gave longtime guitarist Steve Stevens many opportunities to shine during solos and extended intros (“Flesh for Fantasy,” a lush “Eyes Without a Face”). Female backing vocalists sweetened the sound throughout, most notably during a slinky hit cover of Tommy James and the Shondells’ “Mony Mony” and “Hot in the City.” The band really rocked out amid a fierce “Rebel Yell” and “100 Punks” by Idol’s 1970s band Generation X. The singer also brought out his grandchild and had the crowd sing “Happy Birthday.”

The live resurgence of Britain’s Love and Rockets after 15 years away generated plenty of excitement among concertgoers. Recent months have seen its past studio albums reissued on vinyl. During advance interviews, singer/guitarist Daniel Ash (pictured, top) said the trio (which joined Peter Murphy to lead the Cruel World 2022 bill as Bauhaus) would utilize cutting-edge visuals. Indeed, the musicians’ features were immersed inside images on the big screens and provided some cool mystique at dusk. They opened with a moody “I Feel Speed” and sounded strong on the industrial grind of “No Big Deal” (both off 1989’s hit self-titled album). Psychedelic patterns were projected amid an exhilarating, fuzztone guitar-laden “Kundalini Express.”

Last year, Echo and the Bunnymen cancelled their Cruel World appearance, so many enthusiasts were eager to see them. The Liverpool group segued from the grand “Nothing Lasts Forever” into Lou Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side.” Ian McCulloch’s thick accent made his frequent between-song banter mostly undecipherable, but occasionally you could pick out a few words. “Never Stop” was apparently written as a negative response to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s 1980s reign in England. The rollicking keyboard-led “Bedbugs and Ballyhoo” was a set highlight. The screens on each side of the stage inexplicably did not show the band, making a less enjoyble experience for anyone beyond a few feet away. McCulloch’s vocals were iffy at times, but masterful guitarist Will Sergeant’s effects on “The Cutter” and a gorgeous, crystalline “The Killing Moon” made up for any minor shortcomings.

              photo: George A. Paul

“What are we doing here?” asked Glenn Tilbrook with a sly grin, before Squeeze started a stellar 55-minute early evening set at the Sad Girls stage with “Take Me I’m Yours.” The sharply attired British pop/rock band replaced Adam Ant, who bowed out just days before the festival due to “unforeseen circumstances” and cancelled his North American tour. 

The booking was so last-minute that Tilbrook told a fan beforehand he had originally planned to spend a quiet weekend at home. Although Tilbrook’s absent guitarist/singer/songwriter partner Chris Difford was absent - he probably couldn't hop on a plane from England on such short notice - and his low voice was missed on some old hits.

Still, it didn’t detract much from one of the day’s most delightful performances. Squeeze enthusiasts sang along loudly from start, especially on best-known American rock radio hits “Hourglass,” “Black Coffee in Bed” and “Tempted.” The latter began in a stripped-down arrangement before Tilbrook was joined by the band. They got rousing receptions. Keyboardist Stephen Large jabbed at the ivories during a spacey “Slap and Tickle” as Tilbrook added rocking flourishes. He did the same on “Pulling Mussels (From the Shell).” Squeeze took the exuberance level down a few notches for the idyllic romantic ballad “Letting Go” from 1991’s underrated Play. Hearing Difford’s incisive lyrics on “If I Didn’t Love You” and “Goodbye Girl” again in Pasadena reminded why the pair were anointed as “the new Lennon & McCartney” during their heyday.

Gary Numan doesn’t delve into his early catalog much in concert and festivals are no exception. Opening with the harrowing title track to latest album Intruder, he followed it with the sinister industrial-tinged “Halo” and “Everything Comes Down to This.” The singer let the music do the talking, made dramatic gestures, and worked both sides of the stage frequently. One woman near me shouted “play some of your old stuff.” As if on cue, Numan delved into a pair of songs from his 1979 career-defining new wave effort The Pleasure Principle: “Metal” and American hit “Cars.” The crowd roared with approval. 

Gang of Four, an influence on Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nirvana, Rage Against the Machine, Franz Ferdinand, and countless alternative rock bands put out the box set 77-81 in 2021. Gang of Four reunited with original singer Jon King, drummer Hugo Burnham, mid-‘80s-era bassist Sara Lee as well as guitarist David Pajo (Slint, Zwan) in 2022. Taking the stage to the sounds of a fanfare and siren and a backdrop that rotated images of flags and various slogans, their late afternoon Cruel World set was a standout. King, animated as ever, writhed, and hopped around the stage, lassoed his microphone around, made dramatic gestures and sang with authority. “Return the Gift” was fierce and two female backing vocalists injected some soul into the funkified post-punk sound during a wiry “Not Great Men,” danceable “I Love a Man in Uniform” and some chanting amid “Natural’s Not in It.” Pajo proved to be King’s perfect instrumental foil, eliciting tight feedback and jagged guitar lines. “Anthrax,” where Pajo held his guitar aloft and “He’d Send in the Army,” the point where King bashed a microwave to oblivion (a longtime concert statement against consumerism) were prime examples.

Modern English is considered a one-hit-wonder here for its frothy, acoustic guitar-based singalong “I Melt with You,” but there are other appealing sides to the U.K. band. Its Cruel World set concentrated on ethereal and hypnotic selections from early ‘80s albums Mesh & Lace and After the Snow such as “Someone’s Calling” and “Carry Me Down.” The alluring “Hands Across the Sea,” with melodic guitars, was a highlight and “Melt” obviously went down a storm. 

photo: George A. Paul

The Vapors, another British act that many people only know for the worldwide 1980 hit “Turning Japanese,” was a pleasant surprise in Pasadena, where original members Dave Fenton and bassist Steve Smith were present.

The rare U.S. appearance included several terrific rock and power pop-leaning tunes. A few politically minded ones recalled The Jam (the bands toured together and shared a manager back in the day) along with soaring harmonies.

Smith provided some interesting commentary, recalling the last time they played in town was at Perkins Palace and lyrical inspirations. Fenton’s son Dan (pictured, left) brimmed with enthusiasm on lead guitar. They performed the appealing horn-infused title track from 2020's Together - the first Vapors album in nearly 40 years. Set highlights included “Waiting for the Weekend,” “Jimmie Jones,” “News at Ten” and the previously mentioned top 10 single, which had fans bopping all around.

When The Motels cancelled their festival appearance earlier this month, Berlin stepped in. The LA synth-pop group, which also played Cruel World 2022 on the same side stage, did a solid set to a large crowd despite sound issues. The always vivacious Terri Nunn professed her love of goth rock before “No More Words,” easily wailed through “No More Words,” and impressively prefaced signature ballad “Take My Breath Away” with a few a capella verses.

Early arrivals to the event caught a performance by Animotion. The synth-pop group was introduced by former KROQ/106.7 FM and current SiriusXM DJ Richard Blade, who is synonymous with this music (he also did the honors for a few other acts). Lead singers Bill Wadhams and Astrid Plane played up a mild sensual chemistry on serviceable renditions of hits like “Obsession” – co-written by Michael Des Barres – "I Engineer” and “Room to Move.” Their cover of the Soft Cell-popularized “Tainted Love” was a misfire though.

My review originally appeared at rockcellarmagazine.com

Photos courtesy of Cruel World/Goldenvoice, unless otherwise noted.