It’s the end of an era. After years of championing live music in the heart of Camden, spotlighting underground heroes, international icons, and homegrown legends – CMDN Live is coming to a close. One last gig. One final night of distortion, sweat, community, and catharsis. I still can’t believe I’m writing this.
BUT there’s no better band to close the book than Black Doldrums.
🎸 THE FINAL CMDN GIG: BLACK DOLDRUMS @ CAMDEN ASSEMBLY | 31 JULY
Hailing from London, Black Doldrums are one of the UK’s most exciting sonic forces in the modern post-punk and shoegaze scenes. The trio: Kevin Gibbard (vocals/guitar), Sophie Landers (drums), and Matthew Holt (bass) don’t just play music; they conjure atmospheres. Their sound is a heady collision of gothic rock, reverb-heavy psychedelia, and hypnotic rhythms, creating what Rolling Stone calls “a mix of Gothic-rock and shoegaze sounds to die for.”
Formed with a DIY spirit and deep reverence for the darker edges of rock history, Black Doldrums quickly found a cult following across Europe. Their 2022 debut album Dead Awake earned them critical acclaim, but it’s their sophomore LP, In Limerence (2024), that cemented their place as one of the genre’s most vital new voices. That album, praised by Louder Than War for its “lush yet glacial soundscapes” — pushes their sound to new depths, balancing intensity with eerie beauty.
Onstage, they’re a force of nature.
- Landers’ drumming is primal and commanding – each beat a ritual.
- Holt’s basslines weave a brooding undercurrent of tension and drive.
- And Gibbard’s layered guitar textures spiral into the ether – melodic, distorted, euphoric.
Their performances feel less like gigs and more like ceremonies. You don’t just hear Black Doldrums – you feel them. It’s the kind of immersive experience that’s drawn comparisons to Joy Division, Bauhaus, The Jesus and Mary Chain, and My Bloody Valentine – but they’re not nostalgic. They’re future-facing, building on the past to forge their own haunting, beautiful path. Read more about last year’s gig here
This July 31st, Black Doldrums return to Camden Assembly, exactly one year after they last turned it into a cathedral of sound. That night still echoes in our minds – and this time, it’s even more emotional. Because it’s not just another gig. It’s the last one. The last chance to experience CMDN Live in its rawest, loudest, most transcendental form.
🖤 CMDN Live x Black Doldrums – The Final Show
📍 Camden Assembly
🗓️ Wednesday, 31 July 2025
🕖 Doors: 7.30 PM
🎟️ £13 advance / £15 on the door
🎫 camden-live.com/tickets
What the press says about Black Doldrums:
“A mix of Gothic-rock and shoegaze sounds to die for” — Rolling Stone
“A fierce combination of post-punk, reverb, drone and melody” — Uncut
“Youthful and ambitious contemporary rock ‘n’ roll” — Shindig!
“Awe-inspiring… Black Doldrums create transient and euphoric dark post-punk.” — Louder Than War
If you’ve ever felt the buzz of a Camden night crackling… come feel it one more time. Let’s raise a glass, raise the volume, and send with us this thing off in style.
This is the final CMDN Live show. Be there. 🖤
