Now in its third year, the 2024 installment of the Cruel World festival took place at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday, May 11, with arguably its largest lineup to date. The perfect weather provided the backdrop for a great selection of bands and artists including Duran Duran, Blondie, Ministry, Interpol and Gary Numan.
The day began with electronic synth-inspired bands such as Adult., Harsh Symmetry and Leathers before the line-up featured 80s icons The Motels and The Mission UK, the latter of whom delivered a high-energy set with “Wasteland “, “Tower of Strength” and “Liberation”.
Across the festival grounds, the Outsiders Stage featured Gary Numan (who only played songs from his The pleasure principle LP) Adam Ant and Dream Car (the supergroup formed by AFI frontman Davey Havok and No Doubt members Tony Kanal, Tom Dumont and Adrian Young).
Ministry’s set proved to be a clear highlight of the festival: the band began their set with “Work for Love” before running through a nine-song setlist of material primarily from their early years. With sympathy and Twitch synth-pop albums. Al Jourgensen and company performed as a 13-piece band throughout the afternoon, with backing vocals and string instruments. When they concluded their set with the pivotal “(Everyday Is) Halloween,” it was quite evident that the band's first songs were a resounding success.
After Marc Almond performed some of Soft Cell's most iconic songs, including “Memorabilia,” “Seedy Films” and 'Sex Dwarf' (featuring “terrorist” drag queen Christeene Vale), Blondie took the stage and also performed a of the best sets of the day. Debbie Harry and company treated fans to classics like “One Way or Another,” “Call Me,” and “Dreaming,” among others.
After a brief intermission on the Outsiders Stage, it was time for Duran Duran, who certainly did not disappoint the sea of fans who were there to see them close out the festival. Their setlist was filled with their biggest hits, including “Hungry Like the Wolf,” “The Wild Boys,” and “The Reflex.”
Scroll through exclusive images from Cruel World Festival 2024 below.
Photo gallery – Cruel World Festival 2024 (click to enlarge and scroll):
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