LEÆTHER STRIP : THE ZOTH OMMOG NORTH AMERICAN TOUR with DAMASCUS KNIVES, DIE SEXUAL, TENSION MOUVEMENT

Ever since my editor told me about this tour I have been anxiously awaiting this LEÆTHER STRIP show, she told me this was right up my alley and I would really love it, and as always she was right. Nights filled with DarkWave / Industrial / EBM music are always high on my list, and this lineup at SINWAVE came in hot.

Kicking off the show was local act Tension Mouvement, a solo synth project from Charly V (Verde) that gave us a first taste of dark synth music. Wearing a silver mask covered in what looked like the same stuff you would find on a disco ball Charly V played a short but pretty interesting set. No singing, just played off a laptop, but the music was compelling. Charly V was a good intro for what followed for the night.

Duo DIE SEXUAL, a husband and wife act out of Los Angeles, played a dark synthwave set with Anton Floiano on synth and his wife Rosselinni on vocals. This was more of what I was used to at these shows, and I really enjoyed what they brought to lineup. You could feel the S&M vibe this electronic body music band gives off, and in the videos they play behind them. A great addition to this show, check out their 2023 Bound EP and more on the band HERE.

Things started to heat up when the act DAMASCUS KNIVES took to the stage. Damascus Knives is David Christian, who wore a black leather mask with spikes on it and played synths and also provided vocals. Behind him onstage were disturbing videos showing lots of knives and sexual themes, one in particular that seemed to be shown over and over had a knife slicing a female's eye which I tried not to watch because anything with a knife creeps me out lol. I personally loved the sound that David brought to the stage and the crowd seemed to be really enthralled.

Headliners LEÆTHER STRIP, an act I have never seen before, is a one man juggernaut by Claus Larsen. Leæther Strip's dark, EBM and Industrial was Claus playing synth and singing, and fantastic creepy videos played behind him all during is set - from old abandoned hospitals to scary freaks covered in blood. Leæther Strip has been around for about 35 years and this tour featured songs from their first decade with German label Zoth Ommog, so I knew there would be no shortage of great sounds, and the set featured

classic "Strap Me Down" and "Black Gold", and also "Japanese Bodies" from 2023's Cleopatra Records album release Last Station.All Hallows Eve

Toward the end of his set a fan yelled out a request for a song, whereas Claus looked out into the crowd and said, “only if you come up front to the center of the stage”, then told him, “now I want you to dance”, and the dance party commenced. A great set and performance by an industrial legendary innovator.

Leæther Strip will release a cover album this month (October 18), All Hallow's Eve, on CLeopatra, that includes a pretty solid list of winners. Should be magnificent.