ITLM OTRS Presents: The Cult And Death Cult And Their Paradise Now Tour At Warner Theatre In DC

Oct 20, 2025 admin_bitlc Features, Music News, Reviews 0

By: Raymond Burton Estes

Photography: Fleurette Estes

On Wednesday, 15 October 2025, hard rock legends the Cult / Death Cult brought their Paradise Now tour to the historic Warner Theatre in downtown Washington, DC, with electro industrial band Patriarchy as support. Ian Astbury (vocals) and Billy Duffy (guitar) continued their celebration of their musical partnership of over 40 years with set of their early post-punk/goth incarnation as Death Cult and a set of hard rock staples from their time as the Cult with each show fashioned as “a communal gathering of the tribes” guaranteed to satisfy all their fans. Patriarchy delivered a short but compelling set of their electronic shock rock, exposing many in the audience to a new way to rock and maybe even roll.

This night was a treat. My wife, the amazing photographer Fleurette Estes, and I ran into some friends at the show, including local industrial musician MindCage Rick (Miscellen, Ego Likeness, and Flesh Field), so it was great to see others in our social circles sharing this experience. I became a fan of the Cult sometime after Electric and before Sonic Temple, and I didn’t discover their Death Cult material until the early 1990s. Back then, my friends and I talked about how great it would be for the band to revisit these songs, and while it took a few decades to get around to it, it was well worth the wait. Having seen the Damned, Bauhaus, Sisters of Mercy, the Mission, and Theatre of Hate over the years, it was important to see Astbury and Duffy share their Death Cult material and prove that this music wasn’t a blip or an anomaly, but part of something bigger that remains vital today. Here’s hoping they keep sharing Death Cult until every fan has had their fill.

This was my second time to see Patriarchy, and I was excited to observe how they and their show have evolved since Sanctum’s Beyond The Veil New Year’s Eve show at Epiphany Center for the Arts in Chicago, Illinois on 31 December 2023. I remember their performance being especially wild and intriguing enough to keep them on my radar but was aware that inadequate lighting and a stage in a former church contributed much to their provocative performance, so I wondered how it might translate to the Warner Theatre where greats such as B.B. King, Johnny Cash, and Kraftwerk had performed and audience members were largely relegated to assigned seats.

I was not disappointed as the two-piece electro industrial band comprised of vocalist/guitarist Actually Huizenga and drummer/percussionist Andrew Means hit the stage in support of their new album, Manual For Dying. Situated rather far from one another on Warner Theatre’s large stage, Huizenga and Means managed to maintain their chemistry and put on a compelling show. They started off their set with Huizenga on guitar and Means pounding away on the drums with their song, “New Way,” promising to teach the audience a new way to…err…um…well, do the nasty.

Patriarchy continued their performance with Huizenga eventually putting down her guitar and leaning into her vocals as Means continued to keep the beat. They ended with their single, “Boy On A Leash,” with Huizenga wrapping her microphone cable around Means’ neck to demonstrate for the audience just who is in control of this band. And, if this theatrical gesture did not tie it all together for the audience, they weren’t paying attention and missed an opportunity to see a band that’s gaining traction and clearly bound for bigger things. Be sure to check them out. But maybe consult with your doctor before trying any of their suggestions out at home.

Patriarchy’s setlist follows:

New Way

Coming Up

Suffer

Servile

No Touch Torture

Boy On A Leash

The Cult began celebrating their Death Cult era back in 2023 and I’ve been anxiously waiting to experience them put on this live performance since then. Having seen the Cult a couple times before, this was my first since touring guitarist Mike Dimkich left to join Bad Religion and bassist Charlie Jone joined the band. The four piece team of Astbury, Duffy, John Tempesta (drums), and Jones (bass) put on an incredible two sets of rock that showcased the band’s sonic evolution from underground post-punk leaders to world famous hard rock legends.

Death Cult hit the stage and began their set with “Ghost Dance,” setting the mood for their performance. The crowd ate it up, too, singing and swaying to the trance inducing tribal rhythm and atmospheric guitar of songs from their Death Cult era as well as songs from the Cult’s early single, “Resurrection Joe,” and their debut album, Dreamtime, comprised of several Death Cult tracks and clearly and evolution of that sound. It was great to see the band’s post-punk and goth fans get a taste of this long overdue treat.

Death Cult’s setlist follows:

Ghost Dance

Resurrection Joe (The Cult cover)

Gods Zoo

83rd Dream (The Cult cover)

Butterflies

Christians

Horse Nation

Spirit Walker (The Cult cover)

After an interlude, the Cult hit the stage with “Wild Flower” and got the audience moving. Song after song, the boys belted out hard rock bangers that would be at home alongside Steppenwolf, Aerosmith, AC/DC, Hanoi Rocks, and Guns N’ Roses.

And, while a good number of fans of the band’s earlier material showed up, the majority were there to hear songs from their more commercially successful albums – Love, Electric, and Sonic Temple – and their exuberance far outmatched the more reserved behavior of the post-punk/goth tribal members.

Shouting, fist pumping, and dancing, these rock n’ roll revelers demonstrated the band’s staying power. And I must confess that I, too, couldn’t resist the rock. The band ended their set with “She Sells Sanctuary,” which bridged the gap between between Death Cult and Cult and made for a perfecting ending to a killer show.

The Cult’s setlist follows:

Wild Flower

The Witch

war (the process)

Rain

Edie (Ciao Baby)

Hollow Man

Rise

Lucifer

Fire Woman

Love Removal Machine

Encore:

She Sells Sanctuary

Patriarchy released their latest album, Manual For Dying, on 19 September 2025 via Notes From the Underground.

Death Cult will release a 16-track live album, Paradise Live, on 16 January 2026, recorded at the iconic Albert Hall in Duffy’s hometown of Manchester on November 18, 2023 via Beggars Banquet.

The Cult re-released vinyl versions of two of its more recent albums – Choice Of Weapon and Hidden City – on 17 October 2025 via Cooking Vinyl.

For more on The Cult / Death Cult, click here

For more on Patriarchy, click here