Dani Filth recently opened up about a particularly challenging tour experience. He recalled the disappointing turnout when Cradle of Filth toured with Emperor in an interview with Metal Hammer.
The frontman reflected on the stark reality of playing to nearly empty venues during what should have been a significant tour for both bands.
“It’s amazing how many people come up to me and say, ‘Hey, I was at the Bradford gig!’, and I’m thinking, ‘You and everybody else!’ There was, like, 60 people there,” Filth said.
The situation became even more dire at other stops on the tour.
“Believe it or not, in Edinburgh, we played to four people,” he continued. “There were more people in the bands than there were in the audience, and I think one was a dog. Very bad news.”
This experience reflects the broader challenges that extreme metal bands faced during the early 1990s when building their audiences in the UK market.
Concerts Metal reported that this tour was part of Emperor’s Midsummer Tour in 1993. The tour included stops in Bradford, Edinburgh, and London alongside Cradle of Filth. The tour represented an important moment for both bands as they were establishing themselves in the black metal scene. The poor attendance clearly didn’t match their artistic ambitions.
Cradle of Filth’s struggles with challenging live performances weren’t isolated to this particular tour. Metal Update documented that the band experienced similar difficulties during their Milwaukee show. Technical issues and poor organization led to a disappointing performance that highlighted the unpredictable nature of touring for extreme metal acts.
The band’s perseverance through such setbacks demonstrates their commitment to their craft and fanbase. Decibel Magazine noted that Cradle of Filth’s early touring days were marked by collaborative efforts with other bands. This included their participation in the Anathema/At the Gates tour in 1994, where they joined as an opening act despite not being well-known at the time.
These early touring experiences helped shape Cradle of Filth’s resilience and eventual rise to become one of the most recognizable names in symphonic black metal. The experiences were often challenging. The band’s ability to laugh about these difficult moments years later speaks to their growth and success in the metal community.
