S.L.R. Magazine

COLD CAVE CHRISTENED ANGELENOS AND BLESSED THEM WITH THEIR DARKWAVE SYNTH SOUNDS OF GOTH FOR THEIR FIRST PART OF THEIR 2026 TOUR AT THE BELLWETHER IN LOS ANGELES, BY DON MARCELO

A dark and ominous aura filled the skylines and streets of Los Angeles on this night. The night had the smell of Halloween and the sidewalks were filled with zombies and scalawags. But there was no Freddie Krueger to be seen. And there was no Michael Myers hiding behind the surrounding buildings next to the…

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A dark and ominous aura filled the skylines and streets of Los Angeles on this night. The night had the smell of Halloween and the sidewalks were filled with zombies and scalawags. But there was no Freddie Krueger to be seen. And there was no Michael Myers hiding behind the surrounding buildings next to the Music venue. And there definitely was no Jason Voorhees roaming the cavernous streets of LA on this night, Friday The 13th of February 2026.

But one thing was for sure, fans of young and old made their way through to the music venue, The Bellwether, ready to be entranced with some dark and heavy sounds of goth and synth-wave for COLD CAVE’s 1st show of their U.S. Tour 2026.

Written by Don Marcelo

Promotional poster for Cold Cave featuring a large red heart on a black background, with concert dates and locations for performers Buzz Kull and Rosa Anschütz.

Rosa Anschütz – 1st Support Act

https://www.instagram.com/rosaanschuetz/?hl=en

The first act of the night in support of COLD WAVE is Berlin’s own enchanting Artist Rosa Anschütz. Her melodic sounds of synth waves wet the palates of the audience for the main event. Her beautiful voice and motion and movements on stage kept the audience mesmerized throughout her entire set. At one point while she was talking to the audience she said, “This is my First time playing in LA”. Angelenos gave her a warm cheer showing their love and support for this artist. We hope she can come back and play for us in the future.

Photos by © Don Marcelo Photography 2026.

A singer performs on stage, holding a microphone with a dramatic expression, illuminated by red stage lights and surrounded by a smoky atmosphere.
A singer performing on stage under dramatic lighting, holding a microphone and looking up towards the lights.
A singer performing on stage, holding a microphone, with dramatic lighting creating a vibrant atmosphere.
A singer performing on stage with a microphone in hand, dressed in a black outfit with a fur-trimmed sleeve and a shiny belt, illuminated by stage lights.
A performer singing on stage with dramatic lighting, wearing a black outfit with fur accents and sequined pants.
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A performer on stage bathed in green lights, striking a pose with a dramatic expression.
A female singer in a black outfit holding a microphone, looking upward under soft stage lights in a dramatic black and white setting.
A musician performing on stage, looking up with dramatic lighting. The performer wears a black top and shiny pants, holding a microphone.
A singer performing on stage, holding a microphone and singing passionately, with dramatic lighting and a focused expression.
A singer performing on stage with a microphone, wearing a sleeveless top and a fur accessory, with dramatic lighting and smoke effects.
A performer on stage, holding a microphone and looking upwards, illuminated by soft purple stage lights.
A performer on stage with dramatic lighting, wearing a black outfit and glittery pants, interacting with the audience.

BUZZ KULL – 2nd Support Act

https://buzzkull.net

facebook.com/buzzkull

https://www.instagram.com/buzzkull/?hl=en

After Rosa, The Artist known as BUZZ KULL, aka Marc Dwyer, from Sydney, Australia entertained the audience with his own artistic vision of dark synth wave. Despite the fact that he was engulfed in darkness on stage for most of his performance, the audience still experienced a cinematic and powerful show with his silhouette prancing, singing, head-banging, and dancing around the stage. He was a master on stage full of wild energy with a commanding aggression of style and sounds. He moved everywhere from one side of the stage to the other full of intense passion. Not a dull moment with his performance and his music. Definitely an artist who needs to come out more from the underground electronic, industrial synth-wave music scene.

Photos by © Don Marcelo Photography 2026.

A musician performing on stage with a microphone and synthesizers, surrounded by dramatic lighting and smoke.
A musician performing on stage with electronic equipment, illuminated by stage lights and surrounded by smoke.
A performer singing passionately into a microphone while standing behind a synthesizer, with dramatic stage lighting creating a vibrant atmosphere.
A silhouette of a musician performing on stage with electronic equipment under blue stage lights.
A silhouette of a musician performing on stage with blue lights shining in the background.
A silhouette of a musician performing on stage, surrounded by blue stage lights and electronic equipment.
A silhouette of a musician working with electronic equipment on stage, illuminated by blue stage lights.
Silhouette of a musician performing on stage with electronic equipment under blue lighting.
A musician performing on stage with electronic equipment, illuminated by blue stage lights.
A male DJ focused on his equipment while performing on stage, illuminated by blue lighting in a dark environment.
A musician performing on stage with a synthesizer under blue lighting.
Black and white image of a musician performing on stage, silhouetted against bright stage lights with equipment in the foreground.
A performer on stage holds a microphone while standing in front of a setup of music equipment, illuminated by blue stage lights.
A silhouette of a DJ performing on stage, with dramatic spotlighting and a smoky background, captured in black and white.
A silhouette of a person at a music performance, standing behind synthesizers and equipment, illuminated by a blue spotlight.

COLD CAVE – The Headliner

https://coldcave.net

https://www.instagram.com/coldcave23

https://www.facebook.com/COLDCAVE

https://www.youtube.com/@ColdCave

https://shop.theheartworm.com/collections/cold-cave

The Music Venue, Bellwether, got packed all of a sudden after the great performance by the support acts. A sea-full of deviants, all wearing dark and black clothing, rose from their graves and came out of nowhere. They were all set to get spellbound by COLD CAVE’s dark and heavy and mysterious synth-wave sounds. 

As the band got on stage, all the ghouls of the night cheered and howled for this band, full of excitement and love and ready to sing and dance along with them. I was reliving my own youth full of dark, happy, depressive, emo memories. I, along with the entire audience, couldn’t wait to be entranced by their sounds.

The stage lighting set the mood of the night, full of dark and somber aura with lots of back lighting and effects and fog that complimented their music. Though one might think because their style is moody due to their appearance, their music isn’t depressing nor was it menacing. It was more joyful, dark and moody at times but definitely not depressing and enjoyable to listen to, I thought. I’m not familiar with their music at all until about a year ago, even though I grew up listening to a lot of death rock/goth/industrial sounds in my teens. But I truly enjoyed their music, style, and stage presence. It wasn’t your typical industrial synth group who just stood there and did nothing. These guys performed extremely well with lots of action and energy and constantly engaging with their fans all night long.

At one point, an audience member named Michelle shouted to COLD CAVE and said, “Today is my 30th birthday.” Wesley Eisold, the lead vocalist of COLD CAVE and the permanent and founding member of COLD CAVE since its establishment in 2007, then dedicated one of the songs especially for her and said, “This one is for you.” He even got in front of Michelle, knelt down, and serenaded her parts of the song. What a delight to see for an artist expressing his love for one of his devoted fans.

Amy, the other half of COLD CAVE, gave more of a reserved approach with her singing and playing the keys/synth and bass, while Wes commanded more of an energized approach on stage. The other members Anthony on Synth and Guitar, Matteo on Drums, and Brian on Synth performed  extremely well, often in the same level and mood as Wes.

COLD CAVE gave us 2 songs for their encore. The highlight of the evening was when Little Cold Cave, Rainier Lee Eisold, the son of Wes and Amy, gave an outstanding performance singing alongside Wes on Stage for the 2nd to the last song. Like Father, like Son. What a way to end the evening for all of  COLD CAVE’s fans to remember.

In Conclusion, COLD CAVE gave a heartfelt and memorable performance that most Synth-Wave artists / goth and death rock bands / Industrial bands don’t know how to give unless you are a die hard fan of that genre where you are biased towards that style of music. Like I said, I grew up listening to a ton of death rock/goth bands/industrial rock bands from the 80’s and 90’s such as Skinny Puppy, Christian Death, Love and Rockets, Bauhaus, March Violets, etc. And I’ve seen them all and I love them all. But for me, some of those bands just didn’t have that “IT” factor on stage. COLD CAVE gave an outstanding performance with true grit and passion where one can truly enjoy their sounds and presence on stage, even if you are not a fan of that genre and style. Just my 2 cents.

Photos by © Don Marcelo Photography 2026.

A musician wearing sunglasses sits at a keyboard, singing into a microphone, with low lighting and an exit sign visible in the background.
Silhouette of a musician playing an electric guitar on stage, surrounded by dramatic lighting and a patterned backdrop.
A female musician playing an electric guitar on stage, wearing sunglasses and a black outfit, with dramatic lighting.
Silhouette of a musician playing a keyboard under dramatic stage lighting with smoke in the background.
A vocalist performing on stage under dramatic lighting, wearing a black cloak.
A silhouetted performer wearing a dark cloak, holding a microphone, with bright stage lights shining in the background, creating a dramatic atmosphere.
A performer on stage dramatically holding a fabric or garment against bright lights, with a drummer in the background and a decorative screen behind them.
Two performers on stage during a concert, with dramatic lighting and a patterned backdrop.
A vocalist performs on stage with a microphone under bright, dramatic lighting, while another musician plays an instrument beside a large decorative backdrop.
Two musicians performing on stage, one playing a keyboard and the other pointing while singing, with dramatic lighting in the background.
A performer on stage under bright lights, with beams of light shining down, and a microphone in hand.
A musician in dark sunglasses plays a keyboard on stage, with dramatic lighting and smoke effects in the background.
A musician performing on stage with a keyboard, wearing a black leather jacket, under dramatic lighting, with a patterned backdrop.
Drummer performing live on stage with a large decorative backdrop displaying the word 'LOVE' in intricate design, illuminated by stage lights.
A performer in a dark outfit sings into a microphone under a spotlight on stage.
Silhouetted performer singing into a microphone under stage lights.
A singer performing on stage under a spotlight, with a dark background and artistic light effects.
A silhouette of a performer holding a microphone, with dramatic stage lighting and rays of light creating a moody atmosphere.
Silhouette of a singer performing on stage, illuminated by dramatic lighting and visual projections in the background.
A singer performing on stage under dramatic lighting, wearing a black hooded outfit, with a microphone in hand.
A drummer performing on stage with dramatic lighting and patterned backdrop.
A silhouette of a musician holding a microphone, illuminated by dramatic stage lighting.
A musician with long dark hair wears sunglasses while playing a keyboard on stage, with a microphone set up in front of them and a guitar positioned nearby.
A musician performing on stage while seated at a keyboard, wearing sunglasses and a black outfit, with a microphone in front.
A singer performing on stage, holding a microphone, with dramatic lighting and a patterned backdrop.
A drummer performing on stage with a decorative backdrop and stage lighting.
A performer reaches out to a fan during a concert, illuminated by bright stage lights.
A musician performing on stage at a concert, standing behind a keyboard with dramatic lighting and a large backdrop displaying the word 'LOVE'.
A female musician wearing sunglasses stands on stage holding an electric guitar, dressed in a black outfit with patterned tights, under dim lighting.
A singer performing on stage in black and white, holding a microphone with dramatic lighting illuminating the scene.
A musician performing on stage in front of a large, illuminated backdrop with intricate designs and the word 'LOVE'. Spotlights shine down, creating a dramatic atmosphere.
A musician performing on stage with a keyboard under dramatic lighting and smoke effects.
A drummer performing on stage with a spotlight illuminating the scene, background features ornate patterns.
A drummer performing on stage in front of a large, ornate backdrop displaying the words 'COLD LOVE' in a decorative font.
Silhouette of a drummer performing on stage with a decorative backdrop.
A singer performing on stage with arms outstretched, illuminated by dramatic lighting, while a stylized backdrop is visible.
A silhouetted performer on stage with a microphone, gesturing dramatically, against a backdrop of illuminated graphic text and stage lights.
A performer at a music concert stands behind a keyboard, illuminated by stage lights, with a graphic background.
A performer in sunglasses seated on stage, appearing contemplative against a backdrop of fog and abstract visuals.
A musician performs on stage with a microphone, while a guitarist is visible in the background. The audience is seen from a low angle, capturing their enthusiastic reactions. Bright stage lights create a dramatic atmosphere.
A solo musician wearing sunglasses performs on stage, holding a guitar. They are dressed in black with patterned leggings, surrounded by smoke and dramatic lighting.
A performer in a hooded cloak stands under a spotlight, holding a microphone and singing. The stage is dimly lit, creating a dramatic atmosphere.
A musician performing on stage, wearing sunglasses and a black outfit, with a drummer partially visible in the background. A large, decorative backdrop with intricate patterns is illuminated behind them.
A female musician wearing sunglasses performs at a keyboard, holding a microphone, with a guitar visible in the background.
Musician performing on stage, wearing sunglasses and playing a keyboard in low light.

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