Vampyria II: the Return of the Blood Sucking Undead was always going to be an extreme event. All its promotional advertising pushed it as the Mother and the Legend, the largest vampire event in the world, darker, bloodier and sexier than the Dracula Centenary Celebration event of 1997. Aiming at a target audience of 1500+, and boasting some of the biggest names in current vampiredom, it could be argued that V2 had lived up to its extravagant claims before even the first ticket had been sold. For the organisers and promoters, Louis and Louisianax of Dark Angel Productions, this was the zenith of a shared dream, a desire reflected in the company's logo to unite vampires throughout Europe and the world.
Pre-production of the show was marred by what jokingly became known as the 'Curse of the Pharaohs', and there were times when it felt as though somewhere along the way some very important Egyptian deities had been thoroughly offended by the flavour of this event. However, despite losing both cast and crew members, all at virtually the midnight hour, most of these people were replaced somehow within hours of the doors opening on Sunday 27th September 1998.
That said, there were also early hints that the Egyptian angle had been accepted by those great ancient ones. Curious coincidences abounded right up to the day, for example the recording session for the Egyptian Book of the Dead track by Sekhem Horus was celebrated with Sphinx lager (supplied by a man completely unconnected to the band or show and unaware of its content).
It was obvious to those privy to such details that a great and powerful magick had been invoked by this event, and as the day drew closer and the tickets were all sold out, the world's press invited, and the final wrinkles ironed out, it is fair to say that all those involved waited with baited breath for the curtain to rise on this momentous day.
Dark Angel Productions' arrival could not have been less ceremonious had they tried! Scrambling from the back of a darkened transit van and unloading the countless crates of merchandise, equipment and beer (for the bands and technical crews!), stars and crew pitched in together to get the venue ready for the onslaught of what is now believed to have been in excess of 1700 people (ticket holders, plus crew, stall staff and of course, the cast). As the morning wore on it became apparent that the show was once again (as last year) running late. The crew were jumpy thrown fully into their roles the night before, they were all understandably nervous and while the host was being attended to by his costumier, stylist, make up artist and props manager, his partner Louisianax slipped quietly outside to check out the gargantuan queues which were forming as the opening time came and went unnoticed. Inside the building, last minute sound-checks were taking place, later than planned owing to the late arrival of parts of the stage, which needed to be specially constructed for the day.
And then it was begun! People poured into every area of the beautiful Grade I listed Victorian theatre that is the Camden Palace, and the epic Grand Opening Ceremony commenced about 45 minutes later than planned. After some fine Egyptian music to set the scene, the video screen dropped down and images from 'Interview with the Vampire' filled the screen, specially edited to Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody', appropriately retitled 'Vampyrian Rhapsody'. Having set the standard last year for turning completely non-vampire songs into vampire anthems by adding appropriate visuals (The Spice Girls and Meatloaf got the treatment last year) this was a wonderful reappraisal of both the film and the track, which are both utter classics on several levels. Combining the two created an immediate sense of pathos, and an emotional charge ran through the hearts of those who had waited so long for this event: the organisers, the hard-working crew, the cast, and those who had attended last year's dramatic show.
After this video a short video, cut by the team filming the event on the day, showed a clock tolling the hours from 4pm when the event was due to start (a bit late, but still effective) to 12 midnight. From now on the event would be running on vampire time, ending at 7am, dawn. As the vampires fled into the streets they would psychologically be thinking it's breakfast time, and when they hit the road it would be dark and the beginning of the night. Breakfast time for vampires, who still had the whole night ahead to party or feed. Perhaps this effect was wasted on a large part of the audience, but it was one of the ideological gimmicks that set Vampyria II apart from other vampire events, and to those of you who did get the message it undoubtedly added a frisson to the day that amplified the message of vampire community to be found inside the venue.
After this profound statement, in which we got our first glimpse of Pharaonic Louis rising from his sarcophagus to the sound of thunder and Verdi, the beat took over, and to pumping techno the three delectable Princesses of Darkness (Eileen Daly, Emily Bouffant้ and Teresa May) took to the stage. In their arms they carried bouquets of white roses and carnations, spattered in blood, which they teasingly offered to the eager audience at their feet. Cameras flashed all around the lip of the stage as the gorgeous girls danced in rubber around the gold-covered altar, tossing flowers into the gathered masses.
Then to the dramatic strains of Verdi's 'Requiem' the Master of Ceremonies His Vampiric Eminence, Louis Ravensfield appeared. Encased in black PVC and covered in sumptuous gold and red full-length sleeved cloak, with gold neckplate and waistband glittering, and Egyptian head-dress complete with gold crown in glossy red and gold lam้, it is fair to say that this Vampiric Pharaoh, King of all vampires, both physically and figuratively lit up the stage. The cameras went mad again as Louis ascended to his golden throne and sat surrounded by his three Princesses to welcome everybody to the event of their infernal lives.
No long speeches this time he had been rehearsing something much more special this year. But first 'King' Louis summoned his entertainment onto the stage two voluptuous belly dancers, who writhed and glittered their way through a 7 minute long and very varied performance. After this they were dismissed and the Princesses returned with a gauze-wrapped victim for the fanged Pharaoh. Having stripped the victim (model Carol-Ann Kerr) completely naked to the excitement of the press and the delectation of at least half the audience! they proceeded to lay her out upon the altar for sacrifice. Louis stood in the time-honoured posture of Osiris mummiform, and then produced a knife with which he cut into the chest and belly of the victim, to the obvious alarm of those closest to the stage. Pretty soon there was blood everywhere and Pharaoh was drinking his favourite tipple the hot red elixir of life. Having seemingly killed the naked woman he then restored her to (un)life with a bowl of blood, and after being paraded in front of the attentive audience she was led from the stage.
Louis returned with Trevor Bamford (Midnight Configuration/Brother Orchid), Kneill Brown (Disgust/Brother Orchid) and Lee Barrett (Extreme Noise Terror) to enact one of the most eagerly awaited parts of the show, the debut live performance of Sekhem Horus.
Sekhem Horus was Louis' brainchild to combine Egyptian magick and necromantic ritual from the Book of the Dead with heavy Black Metal music. With the persona of Louis as Lord Sekhem, and the musical imagination of composer Kneill, this was always going to be a winner in many eyes, and as the band took up position it was only Louis' ability to pull this off (with almost no live rehearsal) which stood in the way of a runaway success.
What can I say? Louis not only succeeded in pulling it off, he actually drew favourable comparison from some die-hard Black Metal fans to some of the legends of the genre, including Dani of V2 headline band, Cradle of Filth. And though the music was perhaps a bit extreme for some parts of the audience they at least all gave him their silent respect during the performance, and whilst their hearty applause was slow in coming the audience were understandably expecting more than one track! it was appreciated when it came. Even the Collinson twins, watching from their private balcony at the side of the venue, approved!
And talking of the Collinsons, they were next on stage after Sekhem Horus had surprised everyone, and it was now their turn to get a shock. They were making only their second appearance in the UK (the first being at the Bray open day earlier this year), and how appropriate that it should be twins chosen for this second vampire extravaganza. This was made all the more amazing when coupled with the fact that Dark Angel Productions were informed last year when deciding on special guests that one of the delightful twins was no longer upon this mortal coil! But they were not to be the only special VIP guests this evening. During the video clip from 'Twins of Evil' used to introduce the girls onto the stage, Frieda (Madeleine) had repeatedly due to a bit of clever video editing told her sister Maria (Mary) how she wanted to meet Count Karnstein. Lo and behold, who should appear on stage but Count Karnstein himself, Damien Thomas. Still dashing, and resplendent in his 'Twins of Evil' outfit with cloak, he strode onto the stage and embraced the twins, who were clearly overwhelmed at seeing him again. There was a wonderful air of reunion as both parties had not seen each other since originally making the film back in 1971. This was the first of several occasions throughout the event which could be said to live up to the ideals of unity and community which Dark Angel Productions are so keen to promote in the vampire world.
Straight up after all this came a 10 minute fetish show from top London rubberwear designers House of Harlot, which was very well received. A dazzling array of clothing thankfully very little in the conventional black was shown off in a variety of little vampire scenes set to music, including a cat fight between a baby-doll clad Teresa May and rubber clad vixen Emily Bouffant้, culminating in Eileen Daly gliding onto the stage to claim her prize. Also featured were a fantastic blue/green cyber nun's outfit, including the tallest wimple you will ever see, and also some togs for the braver men in the audience to consider wearing.
Crowd favourites Inkubus Sukkubus turned in their customary excellence mid afternoon, and their popularity and the pure catchy danceability of their music had the dance floor pounding with hundreds of happy feet. There is a terrific atmosphere whenever the Inkies play live, and if you are open-minded enough to let yourself fall under their spell you are assured of a fabulous time. As they did last year, they created a magickal aura around the stage, pulling in even more new fans who had never heard them before. Even members of the camera crew who were in to film the event for network release were impressed. This band is one of the most spectacular in terms of the reaction they have over their audience that you could ever hope to see. Once again it was a great honour that they played at a Vampyria event. For those of you who latched onto the magick, they will be appearing at Vampyria III in 1999, doing hopefully a unique acoustic set. For those who couldn't wait that long, the band's brand new 6th album 'Away with the Faeries' was available at their stall upstairs.
Events in the rest of the building were running on apace. The lovely Collinson twins and dashing Damien Thomas were busy signing autographs, whilst on the upper gallery attendees had the opportunity to view the artwork display by highly talented cult artist John Bolton, and meet the man himself. Throughout the duration of the event a wide variety of stalls gave attendees the opportunity to purchase V2 merchandise, band shirts, clothing, jewellery, CDs, videos, magazines and even have your teeth cast for made-to-measure fangs.
Host Louis Ravensfield quite categorically states that the highlight of the show for him was the stage show of El Chupacabra. Given that this was the only truly funny point of the day, and given that the segment had been cancelled the day before when the dancers pulled out, this is perhaps all the more appreciable. Literally five minutes before the time allotted to this performance, two of the girls from House of Harlot's show and Louis' right hand man of the day Brian Dineen were asked if they were prepared to dance to the song and its accompanying track. Bang! Five minutes later they were out there dancing, blowing whistles, blasting a klaxon and generally causing a riot! All completely unrehearsed! All the backstage crew were in fits of laughter, the Camden Palace crew who had known nothing at all about this segment looked amazed. There was only one man who could have staged something so ludicrously funny in the middle of a deadly serious vampire event. Even if the audience didn't know what was going on or just didn't understand it it certainly marked the turning point in the stress levels of all the hard-working crew. Running V2 seemed a lot easier after this light-hearted little escapade! Since it was highly impractical, indeed impossible, to have had the legendary and mythical South American blood sucker live on stage, this performance was the preferred, indeed only, option. The track accompanying the performance was the 'Macarena', with all of the lyrics changed to fit El Chupacabra. To quote directly from the song: "There's a bug-eyed creature that we call the Chupacabra, four feet tall like a mutant Chihuahua, in Mexico City, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua, eh... Chupacabra!" Perhaps this short explanation will, to those in attendance, make it all a little clearer? And good news for those of you who did understand and enjoy it, El Chupa may return at Vampyria III to make more contact with his audience!
Since Bloodstone was released in July 1998 it has already become the largest vampire magazine in the UK. How fitting then that the first ever vampire Oscar awards should come under the aegis of this great publication. The Oscars were originally intended to be a recognition of the greatest achievements in the vampire community, but the field of selection was simply too vast and the selection committee instead made a joint decision to award instead the leading lights of the current pick of vampire related media. This perhaps explains how 'Razor Blade Smile' a film that did not premi่re until a month after V2, and which therefore would have been seen by very few of the audience scooped three awards: for Best Film (director Jake West); Best Female Vampire in a Film (Eileen Daly as Lilith Silver); and Best Male Vampire in a Film (Christopher Adamson as Sethane Blake). This stance also accounts for the honouring of a first novel by an unknown author 'In the Sanctum of the Night' by D K Korps over popularly well-known names such as Anne Rice, Kim Newman and Freda Warrington. It was felt that the award winner showed the most promise and imagination in his treatment of the vampire mythos. The Bloodstone Oscars should be seen as an endorsement of these media, and a recommendation to go and find out for yourselves why the film and the book were thus honoured. Cradle of Filth scooped Best Vampiric Band, and the assembled audience certainly knew who they wanted this award to go to and their cries filled the auditorium. The special Lifetime Achievement Award was announced but unfortunately the recipient the inimitable Ingrid Pitt had been at another convention in Blackpool all day and was stuck in traffic on her way to London at the time the Oscars were presented.
Just after the Oscars, before the headline band went on stage, we showed the short film 'Creepy Crawly', and allowed director John Carr to introduce it. This is his film film, and is a surreal black and white fantasy which is narrated like a fairy tale, telling the story of a girl who falls prey to a beast in the forest and becomes a mutant vampire creature. All this is intercut with shots of a demented Renfield type character eating insects. Eerily reminiscent of early 20s film, this is a unique little gem and Dark Angel Productions were proud to be able to give it its public premi่re at Vampyria II. John Carr reports to Bloodstone that he is already working on a second vampire feature, title as yet unknown.
Despite running almost an hour late at the start of the show, by the time headliners Cradle of Filth were due on stage everyone had all but caught themselves up, and the band went on only a few minutes behind schedule. Although limited by a smaller stage area than many conventional gig venues the dancers had to have special platforms constructed high above the stage that morning and overbearing lighting that washed out a lot of the impact of their customary stage show extravaganza, the Filth put on a loud, wild and thoroughly enjoyable set, including encore. Many tracks from the latest release 'Cruelty and the Beast' were mixed with classics from their previous three albums to the delight of the strong Cradle contingent in the audience. Even V2 host Louis got a chance to get down into the makeshift mosh pit and have a headbang to his favourite Black Metal band, Egyptian robes and all! It was during this that Dani dedicated 'The Black Goddess Rises' to everyone who had performed on stage at V2 (so at least someone else appreciated El Chupacabra?!), and especially the host and organiser Louis. While it was great to draw in the extra crowd because of this band, it was a shame that a few of their fans didn't fully appreciate the concept of the event, and had bought tickets solely to see Cradle perform.
The downsides to the event were few, so ignoring the rather intense heat inside the venue, the long queues for food throughout the day (which subsequently ended in the venue running out of it!), and the occasional 'people pile-ups' on the stairs, perhaps the worst point was the way the crowd dispersed so rapidly after Cradle of Filth quit the stage. Ingrid Pitt did turn up towards the end of the event and was given her award offstage in a flurry of chaos as many of the group's fans stampeded from the venue without a thought for the Closing Ceremony of the event. The best laid plans of mice and vamps... On the plus side there were cheers for the Oscars ceremony and several people made a point of shaking Louis' hand on their way out, and thanking him for a great event. Overall all we heard was thanks, praise and expressions of total enjoyment and amazement. Thanks must go to all those who gave their support and respect to the entire event.
This event was a real labour of love, and a colossal gamble and it came good. V2 was the most publicly acknowledged vampire event ever, the largest ever, and the most press and publicity dominated. After the disappointing reaction to V1 in the press, it was gratifying to see so many newspapers, magazines, radio and even TV stations in attendance, both from the UK and Europe. As the highest point of the Vampyria trilogy, V2 certainly lived up to all its boasts and claims. The format of the trilogy was decided a long time ago, and it is altogether fitting that all the energy, enthusiasm, dedication, effort and support that went into this event reaped such fabulous responses from virtually everybody in attendance. This is the greatest acknowledgement and accolade the Vampyria team can accept, the knowledge that they gave 1700 people the vampiric day of their 'lives'.
Interest is already high regarding Vampyria III: Blood, Sex, Death the Myth, and we look forward with anticipation and a rueful longing for what will be the most profound and symbolic of the trilogy. Plans are already underway for V3, which will see a departure from the formula thus far used for the first two events. The circle spins, obscurity follows fame, and only those whose names are known to the Dark Angel Productions empire will know about V3. An adventure of spirit, soul and psyche, where all the senses will be indulged and seduced. An event which strikes right for the heart of the vampire mythos, in the shadowy Crone-shaped world of our folkloric ancestors. V3 will be the final part of the trilogy, the end, but also the beginning...
We hope to see many of you new Blood Brothers and Sisters there. Bring nothing but yourselves, take away an eternity of experience and memories to fill a new millennium.
see also on this site: His Vampiric Eminence Vampyria Overview Twins of Evil Vampire Society
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