Death metal sell-outs?
Death metal band, Cradle of Filth, has merchandise that are proving to be more popular than their music.
The images used on their shirts are voluptuous half naked, bloodied women writhing in ecstasy with demonic eyes and protruding horns. Slogans such as “Dead Girls Don’t Say No” gives the band free media spotlight. Controversy sells.
Fans have been convicted in Europe of “religiously aggravated offensive conduct” for wearing the long sleeve shirt that has a masturbating woman in a nun’s habit and the slogan “Jesus is a C**t” on the reverse. Not surprisingly, Catholic organisations have tried to ban the purchasing of their merchandise - adding to the media hype.
Judge Roderick Newton charged Dale Wilson £150 in March, 2005, for wearing the blasphemous shirt. “It simply won’t do, wearing a T-shirt which would be offensive to anyone regardless of whether or not they are religious.” Dale Wilson thinks it's all a joke.
Dani Filth, the only remaining original band member, was more flippant about the situation. “Defaming organised religion openly in public is now a crime? ...God works in mysterious ways, even through us.”
When questioned about the band’s image he said “Art work is visual stimulation; people like it, people buy it. Obviously you’re gonna get some success…There was a demand for the merchandise and it works vice versa as well.
“We try and create intelligent lyrics, really ace artwork, good music, good production, to give everything a solid all round package.”
One is reminded how Paris Hilton garnered attention and popularity through a leaked sex video and has gone on to release an album, two other "leaked" sex vids, perfume and merch.
Dani Filth, originally, Daniel Lloyd Davey, believes “there will always be a place for the values of the church and the belief in something…let them dance around as a token to their cold, sterile God, but the rest of us will get on and live our lives.” In relation to letting Christians get on with their lives, he was silent.
Nigel Wingrove, the man behind the images that have made Cradle of Filth popular, looks like an ordinary forty year old, his hair is slicked back and he’s wearing a cardigan. It’s a struggle to imagine this man taking pictures of naked women impaled to crosses or being whipped by neo Nazis. That’s his day job.
Wingrove talks about Dani Filth’s idea to print his images on to clothes “Putting strong images on t-shirts, …people could transform themselves very quickly, very cheaply, and be associated with something and that was a brilliant marketing skill.” Is Cradle of Filth, the band, the marketing gimmick for the product, the T-shirts? “I didn’t say that, the T-shirts just got them the attention they needed.”
Metal was originally conceived to side step the process of packaging and to focus solely on music.
Cradle of Filth has been the sell out band for critics because of the gloss sheen they have on their vampiric ‘image’ and their publicity stunts. One such stunt was visiting the Vatican adorned in their blasphemous shirts. Another is the album lift out for Midian, the band members are arranged in Da Vinci’s formation for the Last Supper and are ‘feeding’ on a woman dressed as the Pope.
In their official DVD, Heavy Left Handed and Candid, the band state that their early success was launched when they started selling their wares. The shirts used to sell out while their EPs travelled from one gig to the next untouched.
An passionate metal head on a forum stated “If C.o.F spent half the time on their music that they do on their image they would be a semi-decent band.”
Daniel Lane, features editor for Metal Hammer, helped promote Cradle of Filth when other magazines treated the band as a joke. He said Dani Filth always had ideas for the way he wanted to portray himself and for photo shoots. “You’re a product at the end of the day. Dani is a very good businessman, Dani realises that better than anyone.”
Fans have been convicted in Europe of “religiously aggravated offensive conduct” for wearing the long sleeve shirt that has a masturbating woman in a nun’s habit and the slogan “Jesus is a C**t” on the reverse. Not surprisingly, Catholic organisations have tried to ban the purchasing of their merchandise - adding to the media hype.
Judge Roderick Newton charged Dale Wilson £150 in March, 2005, for wearing the blasphemous shirt. “It simply won’t do, wearing a T-shirt which would be offensive to anyone regardless of whether or not they are religious.” Dale Wilson thinks it's all a joke.
Dani Filth, the only remaining original band member, was more flippant about the situation. “Defaming organised religion openly in public is now a crime? ...God works in mysterious ways, even through us.”
When questioned about the band’s image he said “Art work is visual stimulation; people like it, people buy it. Obviously you’re gonna get some success…There was a demand for the merchandise and it works vice versa as well.
“We try and create intelligent lyrics, really ace artwork, good music, good production, to give everything a solid all round package.”
One is reminded how Paris Hilton garnered attention and popularity through a leaked sex video and has gone on to release an album, two other "leaked" sex vids, perfume and merch.
Dani Filth
Nigel Wingrove, the man behind the images that have made Cradle of Filth popular, looks like an ordinary forty year old, his hair is slicked back and he’s wearing a cardigan. It’s a struggle to imagine this man taking pictures of naked women impaled to crosses or being whipped by neo Nazis. That’s his day job.
Wingrove talks about Dani Filth’s idea to print his images on to clothes “Putting strong images on t-shirts, …people could transform themselves very quickly, very cheaply, and be associated with something and that was a brilliant marketing skill.” Is Cradle of Filth, the band, the marketing gimmick for the product, the T-shirts? “I didn’t say that, the T-shirts just got them the attention they needed.”
Metal was originally conceived to side step the process of packaging and to focus solely on music.
Cradle of Filth has been the sell out band for critics because of the gloss sheen they have on their vampiric ‘image’ and their publicity stunts. One such stunt was visiting the Vatican adorned in their blasphemous shirts. Another is the album lift out for Midian, the band members are arranged in Da Vinci’s formation for the Last Supper and are ‘feeding’ on a woman dressed as the Pope.
In their official DVD, Heavy Left Handed and Candid, the band state that their early success was launched when they started selling their wares. The shirts used to sell out while their EPs travelled from one gig to the next untouched.
An passionate metal head on a forum stated “If C.o.F spent half the time on their music that they do on their image they would be a semi-decent band.”
Daniel Lane, features editor for Metal Hammer, helped promote Cradle of Filth when other magazines treated the band as a joke. He said Dani Filth always had ideas for the way he wanted to portray himself and for photo shoots. “You’re a product at the end of the day. Dani is a very good businessman, Dani realises that better than anyone.”
Death To Your Speakers
Try their offical site, Really Long Link
or just do a google search.
Cheers