VampireFreaks Announces: Dark Force Fest, 2024.
VampireFreaks announces Dark Force Fest 2024, America’s largest 3-day gothic-industrial music festival and convention. Dark Force Fest will be held April 19th – 21st, 2024 in Parsippany, New Jersey.
Dark-alternative music fans worldwide are gearing up for over 30 top international gothic and industrial bands, including influential classic acts as well as hot new artists that are bringing newfound interest to goth-industrial music.
In addition to live bands on two stages, Dark Force Fest also features drag queen performances, sideshow acts, a live bats exhibit, band meet-and-greets, DJ club events, 100+ vendors, panels, presentations, meet-ups, food trucks, and spooky crafting activities.
Dark Force Fest takes place in Parsippany, NJ (1 hour from New York City), where goths from around the world congregate and take over the massive castle-themed Sheraton Parsippany—including 44,000 square feet of event space and all 370 hotel rooms. The castle will be adorned in gothic décor and art installations for an immersive experience. Rooms in the main venue sold out within 2 days of announcing the dates, but there are still overflow hotels in the area.
The festival lineup includes live performances from:
Stabbing Westward
Stabbing Westward rose to great heights in the mid-’90s alternative boom with their unique brand of industrial rock music, with two gold albums and numerous hit singles. Formed in 1986 by Walter Flakus and Christopher Hall, the band went from underground cult sensation to the heights of critical and commercial success thanks to songs such as “Shame,” “Save Yourself,” “So Far Away” and “What Do I Have to Do?”. To this day, these songs remain anthems of heartache, dejection, rage, betrayal and depression.
Nitzer Ebb
Britain’s Nitzer Ebb is one of the most influential acts associated with the EBM (electronic body music) scene, as well as alternative dance in general. Since the early ’80s, the group (led by enthusiastic frontman Douglas McCarthy) has produced an aggressive, visceral brand of electronic music. The group remains best known for the classic, “Join in the Chant,”—a single taken from 1987’s That Total Age—which became a staple of dance clubs from Ibiza to Detroit.
The Crüxshadows
The Crüxshadows is an American darkwave band that formed in Florida in the 1990s. Known for their unique fusion of electronic, gothic, and synth-pop elements, the band is led by Rogue (their iconic frontman, vocalist, and songwriter). Blending synthesizers, violins, & guitar with passionate and introspective lyrics, The Cruxshadows has generated a unique signature all its own. Over the years, they have defied the odds by topping the Billboard charts in the United States, as well as the DAC and Media Control Charts in Europe.
Additional bands include:
Leaether Strip, Gothminister, Das Ich, Priest, Vision Video, Vampires Everywhere, Then Comes Silence, Ayria, Ash Code, System Syn, Dawn of Ashes, FGFC820, Moris Blak, Danny Blu, Kanga, Auger, Creux Lies, Angels & Agony, I:scintilla, Ego Likeness. Abstinence, Nite, Al1ce, Astari Nite, Mechanical Vein, The Long Losts, October Noir, Biomechanimal, Eva X, Stoneburner, Oberer and Rabbit Junk.
Activities include:
– Over 100 Vendors
– A drag queen show hosted by Onyx Ondyx
– Sideshow performances
– A live bats exhibit and presentation by NJ Batman
– Dj club events playing goth-industrial music
– Panels and presentations
– Arts & crafts activities
– Food Trucks
– Karaoke
Dark Force Fest is brought to you by VampireFreaks. Founded in 1999, VampireFreaks is a world -known brand that has been supporting goth-industrial culture for over 20 years and is one of the leading online stores specializing in alternative clothing.
VampireFreaks is also known for its popular social media networking site, which exploded in the early 2000s before being retired in 2020 to focus on their hugely successful online clothing store. They have over 20 years of experience with event promotions in the NYC + NJ area, including events such as Dark Side of the Con, Triton Festival, Cybertron, and The Black Parade.