Words & Pictures: Louise Phillips / Louise Phillips Photography
On November 4th, London’s Islington Assembly Hall hosted a triple-bill of dark rock, headlined by horror-punk icon Wednesday 13. The show, supported by The Soap Girls and The Nocturnal Affair, brought together three distinct bands for a night of gothic rock, raw punk, and theatrical metal.
The Nocturnal Affair
Kicking off the evening was The Nocturnal Affair, a dark rock band from Las Vegas. This was their second tour supporting Wednesday 13 in the last year, so they are familiar faces to this crowd.
Their sound combines heavy, modern metal grooves with a gothic rock sensibility. Vocalist Brendan Shane led the band with a strong, deep voice, cutting through the mix. The band’s tight performance, built from extensive touring, set a heavy, atmospheric tone for the night. Their set highlight was a surprisingly effective cover of the 90s dance hit “What Is Love” (Haddaway), which they transformed into a dark, brooding anthem.
The Soap Girls
Next up, the energy in the room shifted dramatically with The Soap Girls. Hailing from Cape Town, South Africa, French-born sisters Noemie and Camille Debray – Mille (guitar) and Mie (bass/vocals) are known for their fierce, confrontational “rebel rock.”
With a policy that sees them go through temporary drummers faster that Spinal Tap, their core musical delivery was flawless. The Soap Girls embody a classic punk ethos, mixing DIY spirit with unapologetic self-expression. Their performance was political and provocative, with tracks like “Bad Bitch” and “Society’s Junk” challenging social norms. Their set was high-energy, with a key moment coming when Mie dropped to the floor during a bass solo, a piece of rock showmanship the packed crowd loved.
Wednesday 13
As the stage filled with smoke and red light, the anticipation peaked for the headliner. Wednesday 13 has a long history in the genre, which was on full display. He first gained a cult following with his band Frankenstein Drag Queens from Planet 13 in the late 90s. He then found mainstream fame as the frontman for Murderdolls, his project with the late Joey Jordison of Slipknot, before focusing on his successful solo career.
This show was a retrospective of that entire history. Wednesday 13, appearing in his signature cape and macabre makeup, is an “ageless” horror-punk creature. The setlist brilliantly balanced his solo work with nods to his past, making it a perfect show for long-time fans.
The main set included tracks from his current era like “Rotting Away” alongside classics. The inclusion of the Murderdolls track “Summertime Suicide” was a powerful moment, serving as a clear tribute to his former bandmate. This was followed by a raw Frankenstein Drag Queens (FDQ) cover, “197666,” before he closed the main set with the essential “I Walked with a Zombie.”
The encore kept the energy high, culminating in a second FDQ cover, the fan-favourite “I Love to Say Fuck,” and a final, explosive cover of the KISS anthem “God Gave Rock ‘N’ Roll to You II.”
Wednesday 13 Setlist (Islington Assembly Hall, Nov 4, 2024)
Look What the Bats Dragged In
Too Fast for Blood
Rotting Away
I Want You… Dead
The Ghost of Vincent Price
When the Devil Commands
Summertime Suicide (Murderdolls cover)
197666 (Frankenstein Drag Queens from Planet 13 cover)
There’s No Such Thing as Monsters
In Misery
Haunt Me
Good Day to Be a Bad Guy
No Apologies
From Here to the Hearse
Nowhere (Murderdolls cover)
I Walked with a Zombie
Encore:
Bad Things
I Love to Say Fuck (Frankenstein Drag Queens from Planet 13 cover)
God Gave Rock ‘n’ Roll to You II (Argent cover)
The night was a complete success due to the smart booking of the three bands. The Nocturnal Affair provided the dark, heavy atmosphere, The Soap Girls brought the raw punk energy, and Wednesday 13 delivered the world-class theatrical horror show. It was a perfectly paced evening that celebrated the dark, loud, and theatrical side of rock.
About Author
