Headfirst Editor's Pick
"Now here’s some post-punk we can really believe in: the anthemic sheengaze of The Sound meets Andrew Eldritch-esque vocal melodrama on top of Boy Harsher’s synthwave bounce. Theo Vandenhoff tick all the right boxes in a tantalising testament to Cellar Door’s talent barometer, alongside Neko’s bit-crushed post-kraut groove. Big FFO: John Maus, Drab Majesty, She Past Away, Blonde Redead."
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A gig held at The Louisiana on Wednesday 25th March. The event starts at 20:00.
Theo Vandenhoff
Recently emerging as one of Toronto’s most exciting live acts, the
sullen yet danceable post-punk of Theo Vandenhoff is as much a
pseudonymous outlet for frontman/auteur Theo Klaver as it is a
sonic chopping block at the hands of Callum Crombie (guitar) and
Tom Nixon (bass). Despite being based in Canada, their sound lends
itself more to the sardonic European synthpop of Klaver’s heritage
and the metallic Northern English cacophony of where Crombie and
Nixon grew up.
These influences fuse to form their own brand of goth-adjacent
music that is equal parts nostalgic and contemporary, all while
maintaining a staunchly DIY process where each step from
conception to completion is conducted by the members of the band.
After signing with Artoffact Records, Theo Vandenhoff have
announced their debut album Saviour on the Spilled Blood, out on
April 10, 2026. The album is available for pre-order and will be
preceded by four singles: (Portrait of) Amàlia Rodrigues (Dec. 5,
2025), Wong Kar-wai (Jan. 23, 2026), April Showers (Feb. 20), and
Sore (Mar. 13).
Neko
Refreshed from a year's meditation and fuelled by a lethal combination
of extra strong coffee and those lotus biscuits with the cream in the
middle, Neko, the premier act to emerge from Bristol's thriving
Japanese language post rock/electronica micro scene (population 1),
released Windfall, their second EP, on 22 November 2024, following on
from 2023 debut King Louie.
Losing Dogs
Emerging from shadow and static, Losing Dogs is a fusion of euphoria, darkness, anxiety, and groove. Influenced by a collision of post-punk, darkwave, and brooding electronica, Losing Dogs is an exploration of chaos and calm, a soundtrack to the beauty of a slow decline.
Entry requirements: 18+, any under 18s accompanied by 21+ adult 1:1 ratio
Recently emerging as one of Toronto’s most exciting live acts, the
sullen yet danceable post-punk of Theo Vandenhoff is as much a
pseudonymous outlet for frontman/auteur Theo Klaver as it is a
sonic chopping block at the hands of Callum Crombie (guitar) and
Tom Nixon (bass). Despite being based in Canada, their sound lends
itself more to the sardonic European synthpop of Klaver’s heritage
and the metallic Northern English cacophony of where Crombie and
Nixon grew up.
These influences fuse to form their own brand of goth-adjacent
music that is equal parts nostalgic and contemporary, all while
maintaining a staunchly DIY process where each step from
conception to completion is conducted by the members of the band.
After signing with Artoffact Records, Theo Vandenhoff have
announced their debut album Saviour on the Spilled Blood, out on
April 10, 2026. The album is available for pre-order and will be
preceded by four singles: (Portrait of) Amàlia Rodrigues (Dec. 5,
2025), Wong Kar-wai (Jan. 23, 2026), April Showers (Feb. 20), and
Sore (Mar. 13).
Neko
Refreshed from a year's meditation and fuelled by a lethal combination
of extra strong coffee and those lotus biscuits with the cream in the
middle, Neko, the premier act to emerge from Bristol's thriving
Japanese language post rock/electronica micro scene (population 1),
released Windfall, their second EP, on 22 November 2024, following on
from 2023 debut King Louie.
Losing Dogs
Emerging from shadow and static, Losing Dogs is a fusion of euphoria, darkness, anxiety, and groove. Influenced by a collision of post-punk, darkwave, and brooding electronica, Losing Dogs is an exploration of chaos and calm, a soundtrack to the beauty of a slow decline.
Entry requirements: 18+, any under 18s accompanied by 21+ adult 1:1 ratio
Other goth gigs
