A suitably gothic double-header approaches, as The Awakening and The Royal Ritual play Belgrave Music Hall
Something wickedly good this way comes, just in time for Halloween, as goth legends The Awakening and fast-emerging outfit The Royal Ritual team up for two live dates in the UK, the first of which is at Belgrave Music Hall on the 24th of October.
It’s not the first time the bands have played on the same bill, as both acts performed at the inaugural Glōm Fest this year, with The Awakening headlining dates in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Vancouver BC.
Glōm Fest is a festival with a difference, not tied to one location or country, instead seeking to bring innovative underground acts to audiences around the globe via curated line-ups of like-minded artists. It had its inaugural event this year, and 2026 is well into its planning stage.
Leeds has assured its place in musical history due to its outsized role in what became goth, post-punk, and industrial, and The Awakening and The Royal Ritual view the gig at Belgrave Music Hall as an inspirational pilgrimage.
Leeds' dark alternative and goth scene was home to many of the bands that formatively influenced both acts' music, and the city also holds a special place in the heart of The Royal Ritual’s David Lawrie.
“I completed my BA and MA in Music Production at Leeds Conservatoire, and I am excited to be performing my first shows in Leeds and London as The Royal Ritual, alongside Dan Kentley, who also studied his BA in Music Production with me,” says David.
"Leeds was my first taste of freedom as a young adult. Everything about it was exciting to me, not least the abundance of musical influences and opportunities. To be able to play such an iconic venue in a city that I hold so dearly to my heart is a true privilege,” he continues.
Together, both bands will provide a night of suitably expansive and atmospheric dark rock and industrial music, an unmissable early All Hallows' Eve treat for fans of acts such as The Sisters of Mercy, Eureka Machines, and Ghost Dance,
The Leeds date is followed by an appearance at the world-famous Bush Hall in London on the 26th of October. Tickets are available on Dice.