The Cruxshadows: They Want You To Think They’re Eurotrash
by Michael McNichols
Chicago, IL 2/10/2007
“Shadows fade, but some things last forever. Do not ask who wears the mask!”
I’m only paraphrasing, but that mere sampling of shitty poetry was what Rogue, lead singer of the Cruxshadows, whined between songs at Metro last Saturday night. I’d expect such verbal diarrhea spurting like a geyser out of a teenaged goth girl’s mouth, not a grown man’s.
Rogue (real name Virgil Roger duPont III, yeah, no wonder he uses a pseudonym) had styled his hair into spiky strings that flailed all over his head like a drunk Madonna had gotten her hands on it. He looked like a retarded anime character come to life up on stage in front of me. And this was the man trying to command my and everyone else’s attention in the entire crowd.
I’d never heard of the Cruxshadows before attending their show, but I’d imagined a chaotic dark metal band. Instead, I got techno, industrial, gothic rock hell.
Which wouldn’t have been so bad in of its self.
Except the Cruxshadows had to insult me with bad poetry and theatrics. For one song, Rogue even flipped a kabuki mask up onto his face and pranced around like a ballerina on acid. And he wasn’t alone.
Two back-up singers with long, pink hair and their faces caked with whorish makeup joined Rogue in his feverish, unholy ballet. And since his voice drowned out theirs almost completely, it seemed that apparently all they were needed for was to dance alongside him.
Couldn’t the Cruxshadows have just locked them up in cages and lifted them up off the floor if they’re just going to dance? Actually, they should have stripped for everyone. Let’s not pretend that they had some grand artistic purpose like the violin solos that led off a few songs.
Is there anything that marks a pretentious fucking band more than a violin solo? I’m not saying a violin can’t be used in rock music. I’ve seen it done several times, but never under a spotlight with all emphasis placed upon it like when Rachel McDonnell played hers.
How seriously am I supposed to take the violin player when she’s wearing plaid shorts that her ass hangs out of? She should have just been dancing along with the other girls rather than wearing a stern, constipated look on her face while stringing her violin like she was Mozart reborn.
Behind her, Jen Jawidzik slammed down on the keyboard and George Bikos played the guitar. Bikos’s had long, orange hair stuck in a few spikes and Jawidzik had painted her face to resemble a zombie, but both seemed content to hang back and let their music speak for itself. I’ll admit that was refreshing even if their music wasn’t.
The keyboard played so loudly I couldn’t even pick out the guitar, which made me wonder what the point was to having a guitarist out there at all. Not that I liked the keyboard better. The same, generic techno beat hammered on in every song. And, no, sound effects do not make a concert better. Just fucking sing and play dammit!
All their songs sounded the same and overly long like they thought they’d sell out their artistic genius by cutting off that extra two and a half minutes. In fact, I wondered if it wasn’t just all one really, really long song with breaks in-between.
During one, toward the end of this excruciatingly painful, acid reflux-inducing performance, Rogue addressed the audience in a subdued, clear voice barely resembling his wailing, whining singing one. He apologized for the band showing up late due their tour bus losing a tire.
Also, he mentioned how they’d experienced similar problems touring through Europe, getting lost at sea, trapped on top of a mountain, and how they’d somehow been booked to headline a heavy metal show in Budapest. Laughing, he said he got why the fans there didn’t like their act much.
I assumed that he’d broken character and that this was Virgil speaking instead of Rogue. For a few brief minutes, he showed a calm, self-depreciating wit and I actually started liking him, but then he and the band launched back into their evil eurotrash act.
Obviously, I related far more to the human being Virgil than the goth god he was playing up on stage. The flickering lights, smoke, dancing girls, and bad sound effects ripped off from Run, Lola, Run. I’m supposed to take all this seriously? The Cruxshadows certainly did. None of them even cracked a smile once while playing.
I couldn’t help but laugh at them. They reminded me too much of depressed art school students dancing to techno and never growing up. I felt like I was listening to the modern art equivalent of rock. You know like when someone glues Christmas tree ornaments to a rock, paints a green stripe down the side, and then proclaims it his masterpiece?
Yet, to my shock, when Rogue stepped down off the stage and wandered through the crowd while singing, nobody mobbed and tore him limb from bloody limb. In fact, most people there just danced to the music.
I even noticed that many fans dressed and styled their hair a lot like the Cruxshadows. I suppose I come from a different crowd. Someone else would have written a much more positive review of the “high musical art” of the Cruxshadows.
To each their own, I suppose, but that means I’m free to hate the Cruxshadows as well.
- No related posts
At least their music is alot more openminded than you seem to be when reviewing a show. Would you rather their stage show was the same thing you see at 90 percent of other shows? Even if you don’t like it you have to see that at least they try something different. You mock the violinists skirt but don’t even mention that even though you might not like the solo’s they are well played and the crowds adore them. Your review is more of a rant and whiny bitch fest more then you actually discussing what happened at the show. Did the fans like it? Ask anyone else at the show what they thought? Hell I’d like to see you get up on stage and manage to get 1/10th of the fans that the Cruxshadows have. I don’t even particularly like their music but at least they work hard at it and try and do something you can’t walk into pretty much any other club anywhere and see.
Wow…. I have never heard a more retarded review…. You should join Slant Magazine.
The Cruxshadows are the most influential band ever. They have inspired thousands. I discovered this band a couple years ago and already I have met all the members many times and can say I know them very well. They are dedicated and loyal. Michael McNichols, You need to get your facts straight. As a matter of fact. You need to piss off you liberal wanker. If you dont like the music then piss off. Bet you never expected anyone to actually read your narrow minded views. Well, I did and frankly I am heavily offended. I wont be back to this site to read your pointless response so dont waste your time.
…that’s Pathetic!
after how you talk, i can’t believe what you were doing there!
there are thousands who accually like their music, and about what you say about them “not smiling”, have you ever even touched an instrument? it’s accually hard to play correct, AND smile the whole goddamn time!
didn’t you even see the other who were there? they probably loved the music, and here you come and act like a whiny b*tch!
i think everyone would be happier if you would shut your mouth about what you didn’t like, and opened it on what you DID like.
Suzy~
Hmmm… I am a fan of the cruxshadows. I adore thier music. However, I completely respect your opinion, I actually thought your presentation of it is amusing. A link to this article has been posted on a Cruxshadows fan-forum. I’ll warn you, the fans take this band a little too seriously(which is why I don’t participate in their online fan community), you’re in for a lot of stupid comments as narrow and uneducated as they will claim your opinion to be. Say it anyway, because censorship is bullshit.
Who are you to make judgments?! Who died and ordained you the “god” of knowledge?! Keep those horrid way wrong, just because you aren’t living as grand a life as CXS, thoughts to yourself. Whoever you are, you sound like a sad jealous drama starter. And with that out look on life you will never find happiness.
Live, Love, Be, Believe
~Hannah
Every time I read something written by a teenager it makes me really, really sad. Do they put meth in your school lunches? Oh, right, they don’t actually teach anyone how to read, right and wage an intelligent argument anymore. Clearly though, that class on ‘Affected Commenter Naming’ was well taught.
Why did you go to a Cruxshadows show in the first place? It is quite obvious their music and the goth scene is not your cup of tea. I find their music inspiring. Rogue is very sweet and down to earth with his fans. Perhaps thats why we don’t see the need to rip him to shreds, He always takes the tme to share at least a hug with his fans. As for the violin solo, Rachel is a very good violinist, she deserves to be in the spotlight.
I believe you went to just poke fun at the goths. This is precisely the reason that most mundanes should be banned from Goth events. They are just there to give goths a hard time
Everyone is entitled to their opinion and if you did not enjoy the show you are more then welcome to post your views in public forums.
However your “review” crossed the line into disrespectful. Those people (whose music I happen to love and find inspiring, and I am by no means an angst ridden teenager listening to it in a darkened room!) are doing something that most people can’t….they successfully captivate audience and build dedicated followings wherever they play. I assume, since you feel so free to criticize their “apparent” lack of talent, that you were only there on a much needed break from your own tour?
What was your point in mentioning Rogues’s name? Do you think anyone ever thought Rogue was his given name? What he chooses to be known as is up to him, that is the persona he chooses to be on stage, and really, what right do you have to even comment on it?
And finally, I hate to be the one to tell you but, while you criticize his “whining” on stage, consider how this post makes you sound….
No one is forcing you to listen to music you don’t like, so just grow up and let other people listen to what makes them happy
your ignorance, conceit, and close mindedness worry me. Unfortunately, it’s people like you- biased, unruly, and judgmental assholes, who compose a lot of the American population (not to slander the US in any way shape or form).
I wish you knowledge
dreadfully yours,
Jess
dude you’re just a moron who doesn’t know good music when you hear it. if you didn’t like it to begin with, why did you fragging stay though the whole thing? you’re critical thinking skills obviously need to be returned to the third frigging grade. when I read what kids write, it makes me want to smack them, when I hear this band, it makes me feel better about life and the world. this band has inspired and helped so many people with their songs! including me.
First of all, the quote that you mentioned and the “kabuki mask” you referance is referring to the song “Wake The White Queen” which was wrote for a Neil Gaiman tribute album. The song referances the movie Mirrormask. And if you’ve seen the movie, you’d understand the reasoning for the comment and the mask.
I’d like to propose a task. Find me another internationally known band that is hailed as the forerunners of their genre that is as humble and attentive to their fans. Before I knew who they were, I was a 16 year old girl curious about their music at a sci-fi convention in Atlanta, GA. And Rogue sat down and talked to me for near an hour. Name one band that popular who’s lead singer would take time out of his own day to spend an hour talking about his music to a young girl curious about it.
I accept the fact that not everyone is going to like their music, they’re not everyone’s cup of tea. But I agree with the poster that commented that your review was over the line of being just flat out disrespectful.
Feel free to insult the music all you want. Sure, a lot of the songs sound the same, when you’re only listening to a small portion of it. And I’m sure songs referancing Greek, Roman, Christian, Egyptian, and several other sets of mythologies could bore some people. But when you step over the bounds of reviewing the music and start insulting the people creating the music, it is no longer a review.
dude, this is one of the greatest bands of all time. Maybe if you opened your eyes and your ears you might one day give a band the respect they deserve
I usually don’t interject in threads on my own site, but I figured I would make some sense of the situation.
This review is not written by one of my regular writers, nor is the music reflective of what we cover here on Life In A Bungalo. I was contacted a little over a year ago by the writer who was interested in contributing to the site with music reviews from the Chicago scene.
I told him that was fine, but that we really only cover garage rock, punk, and psychobilly. We went back and forth on a few bands and I allowed the Cruxshadows review because they kinda have that dark goth style that some of the bands we cover share.
He went to the show, panned it, and mocked the band. The review is slanted, but he does a good job describing the situation and the show. Is he taking some creative license with the review? More than likely. Normally, I would pull it down, but after hearing what they sound like on iTunes I can’t argue that the band does not rock. At least not in the way we feel bands should rock.
I’m going to stand by the review and leave it up. But I do want to thank you guys for singlehandedly spiking my visit rate and boosting advertiser and non Cruxshadow reader interest.
I hope you take the time and peruse the rest of the site and leave feedback elsewhere.
For the record, this writer no longer writes for Life In A Bungalo.
Take care
-g-
You are entitled to your own opinion, but so am i. I LOVE the CRUXSHADOWS. their music is spiritually moving, even if it is techno. If you are wondering yes, i do have a life. I am graduating from HS in a few weeks and am going on to college to be a marine biologist. I am a very happy person indeed. Sometimes i do get depressed but it is part of life and i move on. Dwelling on things is not good.
The point i am trying to prove is that i am not some school girl goth who is not going to grow up and neither are they. They are very good musicians but you just have to have the right kind of mind set. For instance i HATE hip hop and rap and pop music, but that does not mean they are bad musicians just that it is not my type of music. I do not hate the people who sing the music, i hate them for how rude they are to people like me before they even get to know us. They know nothing about us yet they assume they know it all just as you have done. I admit that i do not know a damn thing about you so i can not call you a jerk or say that you have a bad taste of music. All i can ask is that you ease up a bit on the Cruxshadows and try to know them and why they play the music they do.
Thank you very much and have a fantastic day!
“Normally, I would pull it down, but after hearing what they sound like on iTunes I can’t argue that the band does not rock. At least not in the way we feel bands should rock.”
You are entitled to your own opinions… if a Goth is entitled so is a mundane norm. And CXS may not “rock” but that might also be because they are not a rock band. I remember when I first heard them so long ago, I didn’t know what to make of the electronic sounds and “odd” voice of the lead singer. Seriously, try listening to them again, and this time open your ears and hear the message behind the not rock music. The Cruxshadows ARE different. Instead of singing about killing each other and hate for man kind and how sexy they are and how they want to jizz off on their girls, the Cruxshadows carry life, meaning, promise, and hope. If everyone was meant to sound or dress the same, don’t you think this would be a very sad boring world? If that’s how “WE” think then I want nothing of it. If Di Vinci was told to only paint, we might not have airplanes today. What if normal people hadn’t liked Nirvana? And this was written about them. Put yourself in our place and think about how disrespectful and demeaning this sounds, not only to the hard working talented band members, but also to the dedicated fans.
i couldnt agree with u more on the crutch fu–s as i refere to them i can not belive how many claim they are a great band i djed at a gothick night with virgil years back and as dark and depressed as he was he didnt know anything about the scene the music he knew the cure sisters of mercy and his hero peter murphy but had no knowledge of the indie greats i played every nightys i love gothic music that is real but the theatrics and lack of instrumentation in the songs he writes what a joke i must give credit where credit is due he made it and there are people who love his music but thats true of many trendy pop bands and thats all he is is a trendy get the kids in black together pop band a bad one at that
Wow. I have never heard a more Biased, Slanderous, Foolish, and Horrible Lie in my life.. You Say they’re Eurotrash, Showing you have no clue about who the bad Members really are.
There’s no Excuse for the Lies you Wrote in that Review. Live. Love. Be. Believe.
“Normally, I would pull it down, but after hearing what they sound like on iTunes I can’t argue that the band does not rock. At least not in the way we feel bands should rock.”
Then you are just as bad as the reviewer. As has been said many times before this isn’t a review so much as a set of insults, and you deem this music not very good, and so keep this here to show how everyone out there should dislike the band because it does not conform to your likes of music.
The Crüxshadows, like a lot of bands, are a matter of taste and nothing more, and I enjoy reading views from both sides of an argument, there is not one thing out there that everyone enjoys and likes, and this is nothing different.
I don’t find this a review in any way, shape or form though, the music is not reviewed, the act barely reviewed, its all aimed to be insulting and demeaning to the band and “goths” in general. The image built up to me by the “reviewers” comments was that he is a poser wannabe goth, who listens to metal an expects all gothic music to be dark, depressing emoish metal with screaming. How long will it take people to understand gothic music is not about being depressed, not about how heavy music can get or how much screaming you can do without becoming sore, its about dark, deep and meaningful music.
Personally I believe this enter page should be removed from the site, if nothing else but to show respect, while I’m all for a good review which shows both sides of the argument, I am certainly not for a one sided, biased insulting rally against anyone.
Finally, “christ 777″ I doubt you know anything about goth music, as you said yourself you play indie, and you think his music is a joke.
Anyway, at the end of the day, its all down to opinions, but only in so much that those opinions do not become slanderous insults.
Live. Love. Be. Believe.
I simply don’t understand why anyone would focus so much time and energy and a band they didn’t like. Go post something about how awesome your favorite group is.
For what it’s worth… I am a fan.
Perhaps the lyrics seem esoteric if you don’t know history and religion well enough to discern the references. That’s one of the things I like best about their material, actually… It’s like an inside joke for the educated.
And anyone who finds fault with the dancers or can’t appreciate Rachel’s musical ability because she’s an attractive female… well, maybe you’re just so used to internet porn and video game characters that you’re overwhelmed by human girls. I promise it will get better after you lose your virginity.
Live, Love, Be, Believe
Staci
Heh….
I just find it ironic that one of the first complaints was about the bands lyrics being whiney.
I stopped listening to much of the so-called goth, punk, industrial, etc. because I was sick and tired of the nihilistic, post-modern downers that many of the songs (and frankly, the bands themselves) were.
A friend got me to listen to Winterborn, and I was impressed. Sure, the situation in the song is nothing less than a desperate last stand, but the song, like many of theirs, actually values and praises the concepts of sacrifice, honor, and heroes. There is a streak of positive outlook in all of their songs.
Frankly, It’s hard for me to think of other bands in the genre that spend LESS time whining and complaining.