DANCING PLAGUE AND AUX ANIMAUX HAUNT THE GRIFFIN HALLOWEEN WEEK IN LAS VEGAS

Harold Mountain Words and Photos
5 days ago
3 min read

Dancing Plague returned to Vegas after a year to The Griffin on downtown Fremont Street, and this time on the bill was darkwave / goth / performance artist Aux Animaux, who I really wanted to see as well.

The room at The Griffin is not per say a traditional music venue, but as the promoter describes it a "rock n roll speakeasy". You enter the venue and go into a bar that is all brick arches, with fireplaces going, and looks like a lode up in the mountains. From there you go to the back and down a small hall to another door where the music room is located. No stage, barely any lights, a few chairs and a couch, but I will say that the sound was amazing and the room perfect for this kinds of show.

AUX ANIMAUX is Gözde Düzer, and it was her video “Demonizer”, in which she collaborates with Dancing Plague that really captured my attention. Her look is one of the wildest I have seen in the video - she has her crazy white hair, a black cross painted on her face with blood all over and a spiked collar. Here in Vegas she continued the look, and wore white face paint, black lips and eyes with a small inverted cross on her forehead and an all black outfit. Gözde sings and plays the bass guitar and the theremin, which is a touch sensitive that creates experimental sounds by detecting your movements. Since the room is one level, Gözde would come out into the crowd and dance and sing with fans.

Gözde is a self confessed “Satanist” but not in the traditional sense. Personally, I loved what I saw, and the tension of not knowing what she was going to do next, as she is still very raw in her performance. But seeing her and Dancing Plague play "Demonizer" live was worth the cost of the ticket to me. Check out more on Aux Animaux HERE.

DANCING PLAGUE, a one man show by Conor Knowles, is based out of Portland and is one of the best dark wave / goth electronic acts I have seen. His style of music is very danceable, and the majority of those who attended this show were moving and dancing from the time he hit the stage until his final song. This was the perfect room to experience this type of music, up close and personal with Conner swaying and moving in and out of the crowd.

Dancing Plague is touring in support of new Cd Domain, which was released in September of 2025 on Artoffact Records. I LOVE “Turn to Dust” off the new record, and “Veins” is another classic darkwave danceable song with strong beats and infectious synths. But in my opinion what makes Dancing Plague such a great act to listen to and see live, is Conner's amazing classic darkwave / goth voice. Really a great vocalist and performer.

Acts like these are the true hidden gems of what music is all about, and without Vegas venues like The Griffin and promoters like Patrick Pulsar Presents we would never get the chance to experience these variety of music styles. Check out more upcoming shows HERE and HERE.

Dancing Plague Photos Harold Mountain / JustAFanPhotos