Guitarist & Bassist for the Heathen Apostles, The Cramps, Nick Curran & the Lowlifes

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Western Goth Music in London – Live Review

HEATHEN APOSTLES (WESTERN GOTH MUSIC – Live Review) – “Sailing Into Hell”:

Have you laid eyes on the Heathen Apostles before? Neither had I, so I tightened my corset and braced for the spectacle as The Lexington’s stage morphed into a grand theater. The band took their places, ready to unleash their storm.

For a bewildering moment, I wondered if a mistake had been made and that we were all about to see a production of The Crucible…
But then the music starts, and all thoughts of justice governed by fear, prejudice, and suspicion are banished by the powerful chemistry and musical genius that fills the air.

Western Goth Music - Heathen Apostles
Dimly lit and serious-faced, with an intensity so fierce it sends shivers down the spine, the crew aboard this storm-tossed vessel of sound is a force to be reckoned with. Mather Louth, captain of this weather-beaten Gothic Americana ship, commands the stage with vocals that pierce through the fog like a cutlass through the thickest of sails. Her voice guides us through seas of murderous balladry, the brooding lyrics and intricate instrumentation flowing with the ease of a ship slicing through dark, tempestuous waters. Their genre-bending style is as unpredictable as the high seas, each song a rogue wave crashing with elegance and power.
“Capital T” was led by the alluring violinist Luis Mascaro, whose bow dances with the finesse of a master swordsman. “Shadow of the Crows” follows, with Thomas Lorioux’s heavily percussive bass”
Western Goth Music - Heathen Apostles
Amidst it all, the violinist—our ship’s smiling rogue—grins through the storm, his playing as sharp as any rapier blade. And smile he should, for his skill is nothing short of staggering. With a call from Louth—“How y’all doing, London?”—the ship sails into “Death’s Head,” and Louth, trading her well-worn guitar for a bodhrán, spins a tale of love turned sour and a stolen heart, the tremolo percussive beat building into a magnificent, macabre crescendo.

Western Goth Music - Heathen Apostles
Strings fly off the fiddle, fingers a blur of fury and speed. Mather announces that their seventh album, The In Between, has just been unleashed upon the world. The crowd—many dressed in their own interpretations of Gothic Americana, a right old bunch of gothic buccaneers, some with no hair, others with long hair flowing, hats tipped just so, and a few even adorned with a small skull or two—respond with hearty cheers, fully enraptured. In no time, they’re under a spell, completely connected to the rhythm.
Western Goth Music - Heathen ApostlesHeathen Apostles – Western Goth Music

Chopper Franklin and Mather Louth Paintings at Far West Art Show

The Far West art show at the Arcadia Contemporary Gallery on September 9th and 10th will feature two extraordinary Chopper Franklin and Mather Louth paintings (of the Heathen Apostles) by Sean Cheetham. The title of the Mather painting is “There in the Ground, My Buried Heart”, and the title of the Chopper painting is “All of our Vows, in Death Did Part”, both lines from the Heathen Apostle’s song “Deadly Nightshade”. Also featured will be Sean’s painting “Us and Them”.

FAR WEST is the brainchild of visionaries Mark Maggiori and Petecia Le Fawnhawk-Maggiori, both of whom share a profound passion for the American West. The concept of showcasing the finest working artists in Western art is not new to them; in 2016, they successfully curated a standout exhibition at Parachute Market. “Early this year, Petecia and I were discussing all the projects we would love to accomplish in 2024 and she brought back the idea of the FAR WEST show, and we thought it would be fun to pull it off again but this time in New York City.”

Their creative journey began when they crossed paths on a film set deep in the Mojave Desert, near Chloride, Arizona. Since that serendipitous meeting, their Western odyssey has taken them from Los Angeles to Taos, and now back to Arizona, where they share their lives with their young daughter.

Heathen Apostles Paintings at Far West Art ShowSean Cheetham was born in 1977 in San Francisco, studied at the College of San Mateo, in California, and earned a B.F.A. degree with honors from Art Center College of Design, in Pasadena, California. His paintings have been included in numerous significant exhibitions internationally including the National Portrait Gallery in London. He has a devoted following of collectors and art students that are inspired by his work and distinctive technique. Primarily a figurative painter, Sean is known for his technical prowess in achieving accuracy and harmony in his alla prima paintings which he credits to a deep understanding of drawing and his own system of mixing colors which he uses adeptly to govern shadows, midtones and highlights.  In addition to having an exceptional ability to understand, draw, and paint the human form, Cheetham’s selection of subjects typically in familiar urban scenes contributes a truthful and often raw spirit that makes his work distinctive and a contemporary testimony of our time.

Heathen Apostles’ Glasgow Review: Spaghetti Western Sounds

A darkness came over McChuills on Thursday night. A glorious, epic darkness that the expectant crowd drank in, captivated by the mix of Americana, country twang and the occasional spaghetti western sounds of the Heathen Apostles. First and foremost it HAS to be about the music and that box was ticked again and again. Add in a visual look that mesmerised and we had a potent blend that made for a heady gig experience.

Spaghetti Western Sounds of the Heathen Apostles

The four members of the band took to the stage, all dressed in black and for over an hour played songs from their new album The In Between as well as tracks from their back catalogue and a couple of cover versions to boot. To the left, Thomas Lorioux (Frantic Flintstones, Roddy Radiation & the Skabilly Rebels) slapped his double bass with dexterous skill, his fingers a blur on the fret board.

Classically-trained fiddle player Luis Mascaro eked out sounds that were irresistible to the ear while guitarist/mandolin player Chopper Franklin (The Cramps/Mau Maus) was every inch the grizzled rocker. On vocals was Mather Louth, flame-haired and with porcelain skin, an enchanting songstress, a beguiling presence with a voice that melded with the music perfectly.

Spaghetti Western Sounds of the Heathen Apostles

Louth’s opening vocal to Hank Williams Ramblin’ Man sent shivers down the spine. Bellowing in the tunnel shaped room, reverberating of the walls before the band come in. The mix of fiddle, mandolin and bass evoking a haunting effect. In short, I’ve never heard anything like it and the memory will live for a long time, a truly gothic, beautiful take on an old classic.

There was also a nod to the memory of Mark Lanegan, the band doing a cool take on The Gravedigger’s Song but it’s on their own material that the band truly shined. On record, the songs are great but live they seemed to take on a new life. Perhaps it was being in the room. The bass, fiddle, mandolin and guitar elevated the sound to what was a great gig.

Spaghetti Western Sounds of the Heathen Apostles

It’s difficult to pick out a highlight, though Without A Trace was fun, a hoedown hillbilly freak out while Two For The Road was a hands down rocker. Aside from the music, Mather was taken aback and delighted with the crowd singing “here we, here we fuckin’ go” before the encore. A first, apparently, for the Heathen Apostles and hopefully reason enough for them to return in the not too distant future! Special mention to Colin Duff and Under The Wires Promotions for putting the show on – check out their upcoming gigs here.

Overall, a tip top gig by an accomplished band that deserve to be heard. Go check out the Heathen Apostles via their website HERE.

John Welsch
Intocreative UK

Heathen Apostles Western Long Sleeve Shirt

The Heathen Apostles Western Long Sleeve Shirt is the latest apparel offered by the band, made for their 2024 UK Tour. Check them out HERE.

The Heathen Apostles Western Shirt are designed in a slimmer fit and feature the Heathen Apostles logo on the front yokes, and the band name and logo on the back, along with black pearlized snaps on the front, pockets and cuffs. These pieces are the last of this run and are available in limited sizes, and until they run out (check back for a new batch of all sizes).

Heathen Apostles Western Long Sleeve Shirt Heathen Apostles Western Long Sleeve Shirt Heathen Apostles Western Long Sleeve Shirt

Heathen Apostles Playing at Boomtown Festival

The Heathen Apostles are happy to announce that they’ll be appearing at the Boomtown Festival in Winchester, UK. The Heathen Apostles playing at Boomtown will be on the Fogger’s Mill stage on Sunday 11 August at 18:00 (6pm). This will be the last date of their 2024 UK tour.

Heathen Apostles playing at Boomtown
Boomtown (also known as Boomtown Fair) is a British music festival held annually on the Matterley Estate in South Downs National Park, near Winchester, Hampshire. It was first held in 2009 and has been held at its current site since 2011. Its diverse line-up of bands, DJs and speakers perform on many different stages each a part of a district with its own individual theme. Each yearly event is known as a Chapter and expands on the story line from the previous year, told through the sets, live actors and many forms of alternate reality games. The festival site is split into several districts, and the narrative is reflected in the design of the districts, streets and venues, which are populated by hundreds of actors to play the role of inhabitants. The large scale of the sets and infrastructure require six weeks of construction, and a month of disassembly.
The event is centered around a set of common beliefs and principles, mainly supporting the progressive ideas of environmentalism and social equality, as set out in its vision code, The Six Pillars of Boomtown.