Cruel World Festival
GenreNew wave, gothic rock, post-punk, alternative rock
DatesMay
Location(s)Brookside at the Rose Bowl
(Pasadena, California, U.S.)
Coordinates34°09′54″N 118°10′01″W / 34.165°N 118.167°W / 34.165; -118.167
Years active2022–present
Organized byGoldenvoice
Websitecruelworldfest.com

The Cruel World Festival is an annual music festival held at the Brookside at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. It was founded in 2020, and is organized by Goldenvoice, a subsidiary of AEG Presents. The festival revolves around the new wave, post-punk, gothic rock and alternative rock genres. In the park, several stages continuously host live music.

Cruel World Festival showcases popular and established musical artists as well as reunited groups. The first edition on May 14 and 15, 2022, featured Morrissey, Bauhaus and Blondie among more than 25 artists. A second edition of the festival took place on May 20, 2023, featuring Siouxsie and Iggy Pop as headliners with a run of 20 other artists including Billy Idol, the Human League, Love and Rockets and Echo & the Bunnymen. The 2023 edition was ended early in the night due to nearby lightning strikes. Siouxsie's headlining set that evening was rescheduled for the following day, with Iggy Pop and Gary Numan also returning. The 2024 festival is scheduled for May 11 with Duran Duran as the headliner.[1]

History

On February 11, 2020, Goldenvoice announced the inaugural Cruel World Festival set to take place on May 2 at the Dignity Health Sports Park grounds in Carson, California, outside of Los Angeles.[2] The festival was first postponed to September due to the worldwide pandemic, then canceled entirely in May.[3] In June 2021, Goldenvoice announced that the inaugural festival would finally take place on May 14, 2022, with minor lineup alterations and a new site at the Brookside Golf Course at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.[4]

The inaugural edition featured more than 25 bands, with headlining sets by Morrissey, Bauhaus and Blondie and appearances by Devo, the Psychedelic Furs, the Church and others.[4] The festival was a way to "revive the '80s", with "some of the biggest names" from the 1980s new wave and gothic rock scenes.[5] As tickets sold out for the first day, a second day with the same line-up was added for Sunday, May 15.[6] Los Angeles Times wrote: "Cruel World time-travels back to that moment when synthesizers were supplanting guitars and rebel teens born into baby boomer hegemony were hungrily seeking new sounds, ideas and hairdos".[5]

In January 2023, the second edition of Cruel World Fest was announced for Saturday, May 20, 2023, to take place at the same location, with tickets going on sale on Friday, January 27.[7] Siouxsie and Iggy Pop were announced as headliners, joined by Billy Idol, the Human League, Love and Rockets, Echo & the Bunnymen, Gary Numan, Gang of Four and many others.[7] It was Siouxsie's first United States performance in 15 years[7] and her only confirmed U.S. performance of the year.[8] It was also the first Love and Rockets set in 15 years (with Bauhaus having broken up between festivals) and Daniel Ash stated that it would be the beginning of the final ever Love and Rockets tour.[7][9] Near the end of the night, during Pop's performance and before Siouxsie's scheduled set, the festival was ended abruptly by authorities, due to "extremely severe weather conditions" that included lightning strikes.[10] Early in the morning of May 21, the promoters of the festival announced on social media that Siouxsie and Pop would return later that day, "with Siouxsie performing an extended set."[11] Sunday also featured Numan returning for another performance, as well as a set from Club Doom Dave.[12]

Lineups

Date Performers Notes
May 14 and 15, 2022[13] "Outsiders" stage: Morrissey, Bauhaus, Devo, The Church, Public Image Ltd, TR/ST, London After Midnight, Sextile, Automatic, The KVB

"Sad Girls" stage: Blondie, The Psychedelic Furs, Violent Femmes, The Damned, Blaqk Audio, Cold Cave, English Beat, Black Marble, Soft Kill

"Lost Boys" stage: Berlin, Jay Aston's Gene Loves Jezebel, Drab Majesty, Missing Persons, 45 Grave, Christian Death, The Meteors

 Echo & the Bunnymen were initially scheduled to perform but had to cancel, due to travel visa delays.[13]
May 20, 2023[14] "Outsiders" stage: Siouxsie, Iggy Pop, Love and Rockets, Echo & the Bunnymen, Gary Numan, Molchat Doma, Modern English, Twin Tribes, Ela Minus, Glass Spells, Gvllow, Aurat

"Sad Girls" stage: Billy Idol, Squeeze, Gang of Four, The Vapors, Animotion, Riki

"Lost Boys" stage: The Human League, Boy Harsher, ABC, The Soft Moon, Berlin, Urban Heat, Wax Trax! Records

 Adam Ant and the Motels cancelled and were replaced by Squeeze and Berlin, respectively.[15] Siouxsie and Pop, along with Numan, returned the following day for a second show.[12]

References

  1. ↑ Alvarado, Holly (December 4, 2023). "Cruel World 2024: Duran Duran, Interpol, Blondie, Simple Minds will play Pasadena". The Orange County Register. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Cruel World Fest Has An Incredible Lineup Of Classic Goth And New Wave Bands". Stereogum. February 11, 2020. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
  3. ↑ Pearis, Bill. "'80s-alternative fest Cruel World has been canceled". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
  4. 1 2 Turman, Katherine (June 21, 2021). "Morrissey, Bauhaus, Blondie To Headline Cruel World Festival In May 2022". Spin. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  5. 1 2 Roberts, Randall; Exposito, Suzy (May 14, 2022). "At the Cruel World festival, artists and fans relive and revive the '80s". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Cruel World 2022 festival adds second date due to "overwhelming demand"". NME. June 25, 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Cruel World Fest To Feature Siouxsie Sioux's First U.S. Show Since 2007". Spin. January 23, 2023.
  8. ↑ Young, Alex (April 26, 2023). "Siouxsie Sioux Confirms First Tour in 15 Years". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
  9. ↑ Callwood, Brett (May 18, 2023). "Dark World: The Sisters of Mercy sandwich Cruel World as a dark wave envelopes LA - LA Weekly". LA Weekly. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  10. ↑ Larsen, Peter (May 21, 2023). "Cruel World Festival in Pasadena shut down over severe weather alert". Pasadena Star News. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  11. ↑ Cruel World Festival [@cruelworldfest] (May 21, 2023). "At the direction of Pasadena Fire Department, the venue was evacuated due to unsafe weather conditions and lightning strikes in the area, verified by the National Weather Service. Siouxsie and Iggy Pop will be back at the Rose Bowl Sunday, May 21 with Siouxsie performing an extended set. This will be her only North American performance in 2023" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  12. 1 2 Rocha, Isai (May 21, 2023). "Cruel World Fest Continues Sunday After Abrupt Evacuation". LA Weekly. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  13. 1 2 Fadroski, Kelli Skye (May 11, 2022). "Cruel World Festival announces set times; Echo & the Bunnymen drop off the bill". Pasadena Star-News. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
  14. ↑ Hatfield, Amanda (May 15, 2023). "Cruel World fest 2023 set times (Siouxsie, Iggy Pop, Love and Rockets, Echo and the Bunnymen, more)". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
  15. ↑ Fallon, Maura (May 23, 2023). "Cruel World Festival Spins Through Cruel Weather with Siouxsie, Iggy Pop, and More: Recap & Photos". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
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