Ghoul Night 2 at X-Church in Gainsborough

November 8, 2024 Kirsten Moreton

November 8 | Written By Phoebe Needham-Chandler

On October 25th at X-Church in Gainsborough, Ghoul Night 2 took place. This free entry event featured an eclectic range of local bands and artists, complemented by the majestic backdrop of an old church. Filled with atmospheric lighting, spooky sounds, and haunting décor, Ghoul Night 2 was the event to attend for Halloween enjoyers.

Described as ‘a space where things can happen’, X-Church hosts a variety of unique events tailored to music lovers and art enthusiasts. Marcus Hammond bought the building in 2005, forming the non-profit company Slumgothic Ltd in 2006. As stated on their website, ‘Slumgothic derives from 'Slum Gothic', a characterisation of an architectural style that built spiritually aspirational buildings with humble materials’. X-Church, as a literal ex-church, provides a quirky, picturesque environment for people to be openly creative; for a Halloween themed event, X-Church offered a suitably eerie venue.

Strongly encouraging spooky covers, the evening’s performances excelled in embracing the Halloween spirit. Endorsee hit the stage first, a talented 2-piece with punk and metal influences. Describing themselves as ‘Ocean doom with an edge of cosmic danger’, musicians Tom Constantine and Will Sutton brought atmospheric sensations of horror and depth to X-Church. The band delivered excellent covers from the likes of Killing Joke and The Cramps, beckoning the room to sing along. Fusing a variety of musical genres within their set, Endorsee captivated everyone with their iconic, heavy sound. Constantine’s exquisite vocal range combined with Sutton’s infectious energy guaranteed a striking performance.

Following Endorsee’s terrific set, X-Church were thrilled to welcome back The Italian Fiasco, who gave yet another outstanding performance at the venue. Taking inspiration from bands such as Talking Heads, this distinctive sounding 5-piece delights audiences with their fabulous stagecraft and magnetic energy. The band’s post-punk influences give them a refreshing, unique sound and appearance, encompassing the avant-garde nature of 80’s new wave with an appealing modern twist. The Italian Fiasco ended their Ghoul Night 2 set with their 2024 single ‘Briefcase’, a snappy, toe-tapping tune which effectively captures the grit and monotony of working a 9-5. Now available on Spotify, listeners can get excited for The Italian Fiasco’s next move.

Binky, another local band whose return to X-Church was highly anticipated, included new songs ‘P*ss Alley’ and ‘Flat Roof Pubbin’ in their Ghoul Night 2 set. Whilst dressed head to toe as one of the Teletubbies, vocalist Dan Guest kept the crowd entertained as always with explicit lyrics and amusing stagecraft. Channelling the Halloween spirit, the band also covered classic tunes like ‘Spooky Scary Skeletons’ and ‘What’s New Scooby-Doo’, receiving a lively response from the audience. With plans to release a new album soon, it’s impossible to fathom what weird and wonderful ideas Binky has in store.

Ending Ghoul Night 2 on an incredible note, DJ Loz made her debut. Playing a range of spooky classics and embracing a fun ‘school disco’ vibe (the kind which makes you want to break dance), everyone was eager to get up and boogie during DJ Loz’s impressive first set. The perfect amount of 80s cheesiness mixed with hard-hitting electronic dance tracks made for a brilliant, unique club night experience; meshed with the gothic scenery of an old church, the atmosphere was truly remarkable.

An immense level of effort went into hosting Ghoul Night 2, bringing music lovers together in an extraordinary location. The space X-Church provides is invigoratingly special, giving local bands and artists the opportunity to perform and express themselves, even if it’s their first time. After hosting similar events such as ‘X-24’, ‘Temple of Doom’, and a variety of open mic nights, it’s exciting to imagine what will happen next at X-Church. For those passionate about supporting the underground art scene, it’s worth following X-Church on social media – it’s a venue like no other.