Review & Photography: Sara Feigin
Creeper, a UK based horror punk band, are currently on their first ever US tour, and they are headlining Webster Hall in NYC. While the venue isn’t very fully, the fans, friends and label execs at the venue are clearly very excited for Creeper to take the stage. For a good portion of the crowd, this will be the first time they’ve ever seen Creeper live before. When the last opening act leaves the stage, the crowd inches toward the stage as to get closer to the action once Creeper comes out. Singer, Will Gould, guitarist, Ian Miles, guitarist, Oliver Burdett, bassist, Sean Scott, drummer Dan Bratton, and keyboardist, Hannah Greenwood take the stage in matching leather jackets with the band’s grim reaper logo emblazoned on the backs. The band refers to themselves and their fans as the “Creeper Cult” and when they come onstage, they stand with their backs to the crowd showing off their logo as if to say, “Welcome, NYC, to the Creeper Cult.”
The crowd knows all the words to every song, they don’t miss a beat and are screaming every word right back to Gould throughout the set. The music is punk with a bit of emo mixed in, and the crowd seems to be even more enthusiastic about the music than the band are. Which is saying a lot, as the band are putting their all into their set. The crowd favorites of the evening seem to be “Gloom” which is a heavier song, and “Misery” which is more of an emotional ballad. Both songs are bit older and the band can’t hide their enthusiasm that a crowd in a country 3000+ miles away from their own knows all the words to their songs, especially the older ones. Getting to witness this show is a magical moment for everybody in the venue. Seeing a band play in a place they never thought they’d play is a life changing moment, even if you aren’t a fan of the band. And Creeper play the kind of set where if you weren’t a fan when you walked into the venue, you leave the venue a fan for life.