Hailed as the founders of goth rock, Christian Death are Los Angeles trio Maitri, Valor Kand and Ryan Paolilli.  The provocative band have earned themselves a reputation as fiercely confrontational towards organized religion and conventional morality over the years, from the time of their debut album Only Theatre of Pain in 1982.

This will not be the band’s first stint in the UK.  In the mid-Eighties, Christian Death moved to London, where they went on to record some of their most confrontational work, rife with the shock value that they have come to be known for.  There, they also put out single “Church of No Return”, a track that reached No. 12 on the UK Independant Chart and attracted mainstream attention for the band from the likes of MTV, VH1, Super Channel, the BBC and a host of other European broadcasting shows.  Meanwhile, during the same period in the USA, album releases like Sex and Drugs and Jesus Christ, whose album art included a polarizing image of Jesus Christ shooting heroin, incited burnings of the band’s material by Christian groups.

The controversy that has marked their careers has by no means slowed the band down.  2022 marked the release of Christian Death’s 17th studio album, Evil Becomes Rule, on which they hone their signature mix of gothic rock and post-punk.  Previous festival appearances for the band have included Hellfest Open Air and Cloak and Dagger Festival.

Check out the band performing “Romeo’s Distress” live:

You can find more details about Tomorrow’s Ghosts ‘Spring Gathering’, along with ticket info and the full lineup, here.

Next year fans will see alt-rock pioneers Placebo top the May bill alongside Patti Smith and The Flaming Lips, and will reportedly be giving fans a ​”tantalising taste of some brand-new material” which will likely include music from their eighth record which they finished working on back in May.

The bill also features the likes of Nova Twins, The Mission, Amy McDonald and Peter Hook & The Light, with many more acts still to be announced. Bearded Theory’s Spring Gathering takes place from May 26 – 29, 2022, with tickets going on sale on Saturday, September 11 at 9 am.

The secret’s out, with the first of many announcements for our Spring Gathering 2022 lineup.

Who are you most excited to see?

Tickets go on sale on 11th September…let the countdown begin. pic.twitter.com/56QpDcKpq9

— Spring Gathering (@beardedtheory) September 3, 2021

The festival will in fact open its gates on Wednesday (25th May) at 12 noon before the festival is fully open and it will give people the opportunity to get set up at the campsites with concessions and the odd bar available. In a statement on their website, the festival runners said “It will be great to see each other without distraction – it will have been a long time and we are sure you and your friends will have plenty of catching up to. The festival will slowly kick into life with our usual low key Thursday but Friday being our first main show day.”

Those who have already purchased tickets for the previous 2021 dates will automatically be rolled over to 2022 and if you no longer wish to attend or are unable to there are instructions available on the festival website on how to receive your refund.