Blood Bath Issue Three: The HAUNTINGS Issue Launch Party
Venturing into unexplored realms, we gathered in Edinburgh’s haunted underground vaults to celebrate Hallowe’en and the HAUNTINGS issue in an actual haunted bar, Cabaret Voltaire.
Our biggest launch party to date welcomed readers Ricky Monahan Brown, SJ Lyall, Zoe Robertson and poet Kailey Tedesco, who read to us through a tear in the fabric of time and space. We were also joined by some incredible performers, who entranced us with their craft, including some musical saw cabaret by Markee de Saw, other-worldly embroidery séance by the Dunce Witch, and a horror-influenced DJ set by Nova Scotia the Truth. Images of the night were captured by Sam Wood.
Editrix Katy Lennon opened the night with many thanks to everyone who helps keep Blood Bath alive. The first act of the night was a reading by HAUNTINGS contributor Ricky Monahan Brown.
Ricky reads his dystopian nightmare ‘The Tangled Web’
We prepared for the Dunce Witch to open the portal between this world and the next.
The Dunce Witch makes her entrance
The séance began with live embroidery that was projected onto the wall behind the stage.
The Dunce Witch hands out Dunce hats for everyone in the audience.
Transcribing a message from the beyond.
With the séance complete, and a portal to the astral realm opened, it was time to welcome our second reader of the night, Kailey Tedesco, who abandoned her physical form to read us her poem ‘the wilt of me, a paperback’.
Next it was time to welcome the incomparable Markee de Saw, who sang operatic versions of Kate Bush’s Wuthering Heights, Rammstein’s Du Hast, the Diva song from The Fifth Element and a German version of Bad Romance by Lady Gaga, as well as playing the musical saw and in an incredible climax, firing a confetti cannon over the crowd. Her performance was electric, and Sam managed to capture some of that energy in pictures, please enjoy.
With everyone suitably in awe, it was time to have another reading, this time by Zoe Robertson, who read her queer coming of age/possession short story, ‘Patty Perkins and the Poltergeist Plot’.
Following Zoe’s reading, SJ Lyall treated us to a reading of his haunted council flat short story ‘The Visit’
With the final reading of the night completed, all that was left was to announce the winner (or in this case, winners) of the costume contest. This year the prize went to Jess and Mairi, who came as Chucky and the Bride of Chucky!
Finally, it was time to round off the night with a DJ set by Nova Scotia the Truth, who supplied us with horror-inspired beats.
The night came to an end with dancing, an excellent end to an excellent launch party.
Thanks again to all our readers and performers for such a fantastic night, and to everyone who came out to join us on Hallowe’en, you all made it a night to remember! You can pick up the HAUNTINGS issue in digital or print now in our online shop!
Blood Bath Issue Two: The DEMONS Issue Launch Party
We revisited our old haunt @ the Voodoo Rooms to celebrate the launch of BB’s second issue. The night was a decadent celebration of indulgence and sin, with dreamy tunes by SIN/RED, cabaret performance by the scintillating Agatha Frisky, storytelling by Joyce Clark, plus readings from contributors Sean Wai Keung, Hannah McCooke, Rafael Torrubia and Heather Palmer. We rounded off the night with a screening of The Doom That Came To Spivey, a re-edited retelling of The Fog, created by James M. Macleod. Beautiful pictures captured by Sam Wood.
Sean Wai Keung
SIN/RED
Joyce Clark
Agatha Frisky
Rafael Torrubia
Hannah McCooke
SIN/RED returns for a second set
Heather Palmer
James M. Macleod introduces The Doom That Came To Spivey
Our second launch was such a beautiful evening, thank you to everyone who came out to make it special, and also to our incredible artists, readers and performers who put on such an incredible night for all of us!
Blood Bath Issue One Hallowe’en Launch Party
In Edinburgh’s darkly opulent Voodoo Rooms, on Hallowe’en night, Blood Bath’s very first issue was brought into the world amid rapturous storytellings, spells and songs.
Photography by Sam Wood
Bodies were discussed, dissected and exorcised, with readings from the BODIES issue and beyond by issue one contributors Ever Dundas and Jelle Cauwenberghs, historical storytelling by Joyce Clark, and spell casting from performance artist and issue one contributor Katie Bootland (+ her coven Elaina Garcia, Katherine Henderson and Katy Lennon), as well as eerily ethereal music by Louise McCraw.
Louise opening the evening with some brand new material.
Her solo project launches fully in the new year! Make sure to follow Louise on Instagram to keep track of her latest releases and performances.
Witchy host for the evening, editrix Katy Lennon introduces Ever Dundas. Ever’s contribution to issue one, Miss West’s Requisitions, served to exorcise some of her own personal office-based horrors.
Yes, the eyeball was a prop used as part of the reading, and YES that is a real doctor’s coat, borrowed from Ever’s partner Cinn, complete with real gore!
With everyone sufficiently disillusioned with Capitalism, it seemed apt to move on to Joyce Clark’s socially conscious retelling of the familiar (to Edinburgh locals and enthusiasts) story of Burke and Hare, the famous ‘body snatchers’ (attendees now know to refer to them by what they actually were; serial killers) who, in 1828, sold the 16 corpses of those they murdered to the medical school at Edinburgh University for profit. We learned of the value placed by Edinburgh council on the clothing other personal effects, rather than on the actual body of a deceased person, how doctors and medical students alike turned a blind eye to these heinous acts, and how their crimes are misrepresented to this day.
Joyce had the room in the palm of her hand as she exposed the truly filthy underbelly of Edinburgh’s history with a dramatic flair.
Following Joyce’s storytelling, it was time to announce the winner of the costume contest. Many had dressed for the occasion, so competition was fierce.
Coven member Elaina Garcia.
Issue one contributor Scott Clark
Issue one illustrator Jo Ruessmann
But ultimately, the prize deservedly went to Morgan, who had made her own mask from just latex and toilet paper!
Picture from Morgan’s Instagram
Morgan won a grab bag of goodies; books, movies and general spooks, including a copy of the BODIES issue AND one of our limited edition prints!
A quick cigarette later, we were ready for the spell casting to commence.
Katie and her coven assembled to cast out things the room wanted rid of; exorcised concepts included the patriarchy, anxiety, and mediocre sex.
Katie dons the cape of unwanted things.
As Katie spins, the coven rips the paper bearing the unwanted thing’s name from the cape and shouts it aloud before casting it out.
In our final reading of the evening, Jelle Cauwenberghs captivated the audience with his chilling yet beautiful story of bat children.
Finally, Louise rounded off the night with a second performance, leaving the room with an air of strange beauty.
And it was then our evening came to an end! We had such a wonderful time surrounded by like-minded folk, celebrating Hallowe’en and horror. Thank you endlessly to everyone who came down to Blood Bath’s first birth, and who lent their talent towards making the night the spectacular success that it was. Hope to see you all soon for Issue 2….
But for now, please enjoy these beautiful pictures of a beautiful night!
Our trusty merch stand staff Gavin and Alison
‘Till next time…
BB x