With Substance Fest 2025 quickly approaching on November 7th/8th in it’s return to The Belasco, it has forced us to look back. Amidst the exponential increase in the volume of content this year, in the scramble to preview this year’s Substance, we uncovered the unpublished coverage from a special year of the festival- Substance 2022.
Laying in the debris of the pandemic, in the smoldering ashes of this music blog were the photos of Albert Licano- mostly unseen by the outside world. As we all rise again to attend or cover Substance 2025, let us not forget the elation and gratitude of the after years in which we thought live music would never be the same again. This was one of those years.
Between October 21-22, 2022, Los Angeles played host to Substance Fest 2022, aka “LA’s Dark Underground Festival,” a two-night celebration of post-punk, industrial, darkwave, goth, synth pop, and ebm, et al. Held at the majestic Los Angeles Theatre, the fest brought together a collective lineup of established underground legends, emerging acts, DJs, visual art, and immersive environments.
In this look back, we’ll break down the experience: the venue, lineups, standout performances, production, crowd vibes, strengths, and areas for improvement; plus whether Substance 2022 delivered as one of the year’s most vital underground festivals.
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Venue & Setting: The Los Angeles Theatre as a Dark Cathedral
One of the most striking aspects of Substance 2022 was its choice of venue. The organizers returned to the historic Los Angeles Theatre, a 91-year-old cinematic palace in downtown L.A., for good reason. With its grand staircase, sweeping balcony, ornate chandeliers, decorative reliefs, and dramatic hallways, the space lent an aura of theatricality and drama to the sonic experience.
Substance made full use of the venue’s multiple levels: three stages (main theatre, middle stage, and basement ballroom) spread across floors, enabling a constant rotation of acts. The layout allowed for an organic flow between performances, though navigating stairs amid crowds could be physically demanding. The juxtaposition of a “decadent old theater” and pounding industrial rhythms created a potent contrast: part concert, part immersive experience.
In terms of capacity and crowding, the LA Theatre’s relatively limited size (compared to massive outdoor festivals) gave Substance a more intimate feel. Some complaint surfaced about tight corridors and congestion between sets, but overall the venue was praised for its ambiance and fit for the kind of underground, moody festival it aimed to be.
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Lineup & Programming: Legends, Rising Acts & DJs
From the get-go, Substance 2022 made clear it wanted to balance legacy and forward momentum.
Headliners & Key Acts
- The Jesus & Mary Chain anchored the festival with a career-spanning set, delivering classics like “Just Like Honey,” “Reverence,” and deep cuts such as “9 Million Rainy Days.” Their set confirmed that Jim Reid’s voice still holds power live.
- The Chameleons delivered atmospheric, melancholic post-punk on the main stage, their emotional resonance enhanced by lasers and subtle production.
- On the hardcore dance and electronic side, Kittin & The Hacker, Schwefelgelb, Absolute Body Control, and Youth Code drew heavy interest. Schwefelgelb was especially praised for maintaining an unrelenting dance tempo; the audience barely paused.
- Belgian minimal / EBM legends Absolute Body Control stood out for their sonic clarity, use of lighting and lasers, and timeless repertoire.
- Sextile, a local favorite, turned in one of the best sets of the night. Their stage banter around “more lasers, more fog” got technicians scrambling to deliver, and a chemical reaction produced a rare mosh pit in a festival generally dominated by dance and wave fandom.
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Emerging & Support Acts
Substance also spotlighted a bevy of newer and boundary-pushing artists: Model/Actriz, Pixel Grip, Newboy, Kumo 99, GLOVE, Cumgirl8, Patriarchy, Plack Blague, Puerta Negra, Mareux and others. Many of these acts energized side stages, offering fresh sounds and proving that the underground is still bubbling.
Each attendee could chase a darkwave, industrial, or goth set, or opt for surprise discoveries on side stages. Even though schedule conflicts were inevitable, the density of offerings kept energy high.
DJs, After-Dark Sets & Ambience
Beyond live bands, Substance featured a robust DJ program, with names like Stephen Mallinder (of Cabaret Voltaire), Silent Servant, Avalon Lurks, and many local artists spinning darkwave, EBM, industrial, and dance sets in between and after the live shows. The transitions kept continuity flowing: as one room wound down, another DJ set would pull you in.
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Standout Performances & Highlights
A few sets in particular rose above the rest:
- Pixel Grip, performing on the ballroom stage, seized one of the festival’s most electric moments. Singer Rita Lukea gave and received energy from the audience, and the synth-inflected EBM style had the crowd in full motion.
- Absolute Body Control turned in an exemplary set: powerful, well-mixed, synchronously lit with lasers, and deeply in command of the room.
- Schwefelgelb produced a relentless, dance-driving performance that arguably had few equals across the weekend. Their set was a masterclass in pacing and atmosphere.
- Sextile delivered crowd-pleasing energy, new material, and commanding stage presence. They were one of the few to stimulate mosh dynamics in an otherwise more dance-oriented show.
- Model/Actriz opened the show on the Ballroom stage with a noisy, theatrical post-punk set that set the tone: dark, angular, expressive.
- Kittin & The Hacker upheld their club pedigree, delivering electronic punch, classic tracks, and bridging the dark rock and dance sensibilities in one slot.
These performances were bolstered by strong lighting, smoke/fog effects, and stage design; nothing too ostentatious, but enough to reinforce the dark aesthetic.
Crowd, Atmosphere & Community Vibes
Attendees at Substance 2022 skewed devout and stylistically curated: goth, post-punk, industrial, and electronically inclined. Many dressed in black-on-black, accessorized with chains, mesh, and moody flair. The crowd was enthusiastic, supportive, and deeply invested — not just passive watchers but participants.
Because the venue was enclosed and compact, you often felt wrapped in the shared energy, shifting from one room to another, you’d hear echoes from distant stages. That continuity, combined with overlapping sets and DJ interludes, kept the momentum high.
Social and community elements also surfaced in festival extras: art installations, merch vendors, immersive lighting in corridors, and nods to queer, femme, and alternative voices in the lineup (e.g. Cumgirl8, Patriarchy, Kumo 99). The festival’s ethos emphasized diversity, mutual respect, and inclusivity.
One anecdotal moment captured this dynamic: during Puerta Negra’s set, singer Maria Aguirre provoked political talk by dancing on an American flag, a provocative gesture that resonated strongly in context.
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Strengths, Weaknesses & Lessons Learned
Strengths
- Curation & Balance: It was rare to see a lineup where legacy acts, new artists, and DJs all felt essential rather than padded.
- Venue-Artist Fit: The Los Angeles Theatre felt intrinsic to the festival’s DNA: dramatic, resonant, moody.
- Immersive Flow: The transitions between stages, DJ sets, and atmospheric lighting fostered a seamless festival experience.
- Community & Identity: This wasn’t a “darkwave festival” in name only — it felt lived, with respect for the scenes it occupied.
- Standout Performances: Several sets will likely echo in memory for attendees (Pixel Grip, ABSOLUTE BODY CONTROL, Schwefelgelb, Sextile).
Did Substance 2022 Deliver?
Yes, incredibly so. In 2022, the underground contest for relevancy, authenticity, and vibrancy has many contenders; but Substance 2022 landed as one of the year’s most vital underground festivals. That’s not hyperbole: multiple wrap-up reviews call it the festival that “exceeded expectations” and “shines as the year’s most vital underground festival.”
It felt like a festival made by fans, for fans: intensely curated, emotionally charged, and uncompromising in aesthetic. It married heritage (Jesus & Mary Chain, The Chameleons) with bold new voices (Model/Actriz, Pixel Grip, Cumgirl8) and made them all feel part of the same lineage. The ambiance of the venue, the interplay of sound and light, the crowd’s dedication: together they formed a lived, breathing darkwave/industrial experience.
If you were there, you likely came away with standout moments, deep connections, and fresh musical obsessions. If you missed it, know this: Substance 2022 was more than a concert series, it was an affirmation that underground, alternative, and goth music still galvanize communities, demand risk, and deserve space. It set a high bar for 2023 and beyond.
Photos by Albert Licano
Words: Janky Smooth Central Command
