Clan of Xymox puts on ethereal show in Denver

I'm in Denver, at a store called FashioNation, when Clan of Xymox walks through the door.

I put aside my goal of finding a pair of creepers to shake the hand of band founder, singer and guitarist Ronny Moorings. When I tell him that we drove all the way from Nebraska for the band’s concert, the Dutchman deadpans, “You drove too far.”

But the show later that night would prove him wrong.

Xymox played 19 songs from 11 of its impressive discography of 17 studio albums. The band started with "Days of Black," the title track from its newest album, which is also the title of the tour.

"Days of Black"

The sold-out crowd at the Oriental Theater on March 16 seemed to quiet down a little bit to become mesmerized by Xymox's ethereal sound. It kept coming in waves. And fueled by the reactions of the crowd, the band kept playing fan favorites like "Louise," "Emily," "Hail Mary," and "Jasmine and Rose," to name a few.

I found myself getting excited about some of my favorites, like "Back Door," "Cry in the Wind," and "Obsession," during which Ronny jokingly said the song was a remake (think Animotion's one-hit wonder, which it's not).

But the highlights for the crowd were the goth classics "Muscoviet Mosquito" and "A Day!" With everyone dancing and singing along (not loudly), the show kept going and going in such a good way.

"A Day!"

Ronny seemed unstoppable, joking with the crowd and almost even taunting them. At one point he was asking the crowd if the band was playing too long and if the audience members needed to get home to take care of their cows. LOL! Love it! But unfortunately, the show had to come to an end.

After 18 songs, Ronny must have felt that was not enough, and came out for a third encore. The band played its cover of Shocking Blue's "Venus" (from Xymox's remakes album "Kindred Spirits") during which the singer and the crowd danced together.

If you're not familiar with Xymox, you should give this great goth band a chance. The band's ethereal sound is at times soothing or exciting.

A quick shoutout to my niece, Lexi, for informing me about the concert. It was an amazing show.

Review and photos by Christopher Windle