From Dusk Till Doom Festival Organizers Speak about the Upcoming Edition of the Fest, for the 1st time in the Middle Eastern Metal Media

Caption: The official Poster of the upcoming "From Dusk till Doom Belgium" Festival

Middle Eastern Doomsters, I present to you a beautiful gift from Belgium, the full details of one of the rising European Doom Metal Festivals, From Dusk till Doom in Belgium. Actually I knew the presence of this festival while preparing for my interview with Spanish Death Doom Metal band Evadne. So, I would like to get closer to those European Festivals, that's why I contacted the organizers of this festival, and the whole participated bands.

I aim to give the Middle Eastern Metal fans more chances to feel that those European rising, and big names closer.

So please guys welcome our dear friends, and Metal brothers: From Dusk till Doom organizers, Clouds band, Fading Bliss band, EchO band, Descend into Despair band, Evadne band, Hamfred band, and Old Wvrms.

What is the Story of "From Dusk till Doom"?

Maybe this is the first question you want to ask, what is the story of this festival?, who are the organizers?,  What do they want to achieve?. So, I had the chance to speak with Mike Evelette, one of the Festival founders, and organizers. Mike narrated to us the story of forming the Festival,

“It's very easy, me and my friend Chris are fans of Doom Metal. In 2012, we go to a doom festival to see Saturnus and we're discovered Ophis band. 

Mike continues,

“We discuss a long with Oli and Phil from Ophis and a moment we have an idea, Make a festival.

The next year, the first edition borned with Crimson Swan, Marche funèbre, Fading Bliss, Ataraxie, Ophis and Officium Tristé. The first idea is just to make a only one edition !”

Mike clarified the occasion of organizing more editions from the Festival, 

“In 2015, after a lot of questions and hesitations, we decide to make the second edition with a great headliner, Shape of Despair.

Caption: Evadne band Live

"We decide to create 'VIP' package, a concept. Doomers come to the headquarter , and we manage them. We organize an after party with bands and VIP, We choose a local beer for the festival, same for the food and the slow festival concept is born.

The second edition is a real success with 25+ VIP, 200 people at venue and a lot of nationalities, so From Dusk come an international meeting point of underground metal guys.”

Actually, I showed my impress towards the name of the Fest, it is really catchy and magnificent so I asked Mike about the name choice.

Mike answered, 

“When we prepair first edition, we search a name, It’s not easy. We don’t like name like ‘Doom over…’ We want a special name that it represent Doom scene… 

A moment, Chris says ‘from Dusk Till Doom’. We agree this name and after we realize that it’s similar as From Dusk Till Dawn, the great quarantino’s movie.”

Caption: Evadne band Live

Starting a festival or to be more consistent, starting underground Festival is not easy, so I asked Mike to share his memories with the first edition of the festival with us.

“This is a special edition, we had the idea after seeing Ophis at ‘Dordrect Doom Days’. We had a discussion with Ophis’s guys ‘Phil’ and ‘Oli’. So, we decide to create a fest! 

We just wanted to do one edition. At this moment, Chris and I did not have no ideas about logistics (sound, lights, backline,..). We asked to Denis, singer in Fading Bliss, to join team for the ‘logistic’ and the From Dusk team was born. The fourth is the first with just Chris and I in the organization.

Caption: Fading Bliss band Live

Mike added, 

“Hopefully, we have a lot of friend. For the crew, we try to choose friends that are not in metal scene for entrance, bar, backstage. For this edition, From Dusk Till Doom’s organization is just Chris and I. 

Last edition, we were 3 guys in the organization. We’ve decided to add two guys the D-day, one for the band’s contact and the other for the supervision of the venue.

But, From Dusk start on Friday, we are going to pick up bands at the airport and the Fest finishes on Sunday… It’s a long week end but we love it.”

Caption: Fading Bliss band Live

Next, I asked Mike about the process of formatting FDTD lineup, 

“Sometimes, we receive submissions from the bands and sometimes, we decide to contact directly the bands. For example, we contacted Shape of Despair and Esoteric for the last editions. Crimson swan and façade are bands from submissions. 

Caption: EchO band Live

"For each edition, we have a list of the bands we want and we try to have a special set of the headliner, we search exclusivity.

We have a lot of discussions about bands. We try to have bands that we know to be good on live. 

So far, the Fest includes only European bands, but we tried to have 2 bands from US. For this edition, we want to have ‘Daylight Dies’. I am a big fan of them.

Caption: Descend into Despair Live

"But, the travel costs are very high, we tried to make a mini tour for Daylight Dies with our contacts in the doom scene, it was not possible for this edition, but we will start again!.”

So, it is the time for talking abut this edition lineup, headlined by the iconic Clouds, Mike expressed, “In our selection of headliner’s band, Clouds is one of the special band we want ! 

But we wanted this band with Hamferd because John of hamferd sings in two songs of Clouds. 

When Chris has seen that Hamferd plays at the same moment, normally we add this two awesome bands.

Evadne is one of my favorite doom band, I listen a lot the two last album ‘A mother named death’ and ‘the shortest way’. I decide to contact the band and it’s very very simple to arrange a deal with us, thanks again to them ! 

Caption: Hamford band Live

The same for (EchO) and also easy to conclude the deal, thanks again ! Fading Bliss is the local resident band. For Descend into Despair, guys play in Clouds and normally we add them at the line-up ! 

It still needs a little bit of funeral doom for this edition. Oldd Wvrms is a local band but guys have a long experience in metal scene. They’ve played in a lot of great Belgian bands. 

They plays a sludge doom very obscure, From Dusk always amazed with his opening band (Crimson Swan, façade, Treurwilg). I think that Oldd Wvrms will assume the mission.

Caption: Clouds Band

Then, Mike talks about the challenges that face them, 

“It’s very complicate to organize an underground event in Europe. It’s complicate to have sponsors, venue, etc. But, we have a lot of energy and a lot of contacts, thanks again for all people help FDTD really ! We have a great chance to have a special venue with good guys in the management of it.

There is a lot of concurrence and a lot of concerts now in the underground scene, people have every weekend the choice between 3,4 concerts. 

Doom metal is a little scene in Belgium but we want to make this music know. It’s the same for our Belgian’s friends of Marche Funèbre and their festival ‘Darken the moon’, stay doomed guys.

Caption: Oldd Wvrms band Live

Regarding their dreams as organizers, Mike highlighted, 

“So, From Dusk Till Doom is an amazing story about two friends love doom metal scene. 

If we had met ten years ago and we would have been told that ten years later, we would have organized a festival with groups such as Shape of Despair, Esoteric, Clouds, Officium Tristé, Ophis, Ataraxie, Eye of Solitude, Faal, Evadne, Hamferd. We would have answered that you are crazy or funny.

So, why not bands like ‘Swallow the Sun’ and the legend doom metal band ‘My dying Bride’ or just to continue the dream ‘Opeth’ to play an old school set of ‘Blackwater park’ or ‘Ghost reveries’. 

Actually, chatting with FDTD guys, they are so passionate, humble, and nice, and honestly, they welcomed me warmly.

So please guys, show your support for this rising Festival, and for the participated bands, next up! Our full interviews with FDTD 4 lineup! 

Click here to check Part 2

Originally Published on 26/8/2018 at 11:03 am