Vision Video – Modern Horror (2024)

Vision Video – Modern Horror (2024)

Fans of Goth-Pop and Post-Punk,

Hello there!

Vision Video is one of those bands I discovered via social media rather than during one of my usual days spent searching for new music. This band immediately intrigued and drew me in, but that’s largely down to its singer-guitarist.

Indeed, Vision Video is, above all, the man we, his fans, call Goth Dad! A very charismatic character, sometimes wearing full make-up, sometimes none at all, who offers loads of great advice, but whose modesty encourages us to keep an open mind and even urges us to question his own words by doing our own research.

Goth Dad, whose real name is Dusty Gannon, encourages people to go and meet real Goths, but also Punks, assuring us that they’re open-minded people with whom you’re unlikely to run into any major problems. And, speaking from experience, I wholeheartedly agree with these words.

Dusty has probably annoyed quite a few people by talking a lot about politics. People who don’t want to hear about it always complain that a band should stick to talking about music. But what could be better than an open-minded band that talks about everything and gives good advice? It’s not as if they never talk about music or don’t make any!

The group has quite a lot of merchandise. There are T-shirts and patches available bearing the slogan ‘Goths Against Fascism’. Their stance has always been clear, going so far as to say that they almost considered boycotting artists who made no mention whatsoever of the current dire state of the world, with the far right on the rise everywhere.

‘Is the goth movement political? Of course it is, but perhaps not in the way one might think, and this warrants a nuanced reflection.’

Anyway! As you can see, I could talk for hours about everything I’ve learnt from these incredible bands.

According to sites like Bandcamp and Discogs: Influenced by bands such as Joy Division, The Cure, Bauhaus and The Chameleons, with a sharper edge inspired by The Clash and The Replacements, Vision Video draws on the most iconic sounds of post-punk and gothic rock, whilst pushing them even further to create music that speaks to the 21st-century listener. Hailing from Athens, Georgia, the band comprises singer and guitarist Dusty Gannon, Emily Freedock on keyboards, Dan Geller on bass (a former member of Agenda and I Am The World Trade Center) and Jason Fusco on drums (also a member of Shehehe).

So, at the moment, I don’t know if all those members are still there, as I haven’t got all the latest updates. We’ll find out soon enough! In fact, I’ve just heard about the Dusty Gannon and the Agonal Gasps project. I don’t know if it’s a different band or if it’s a continuation of Vision Video.

I’ll have to ask Goth Dad!

On the Smule karaoke app, you can find the song “Let Go Of Time”. I’ll probably download a few more. I’d love to have “I Love Cats” on there, even though it’s probably a song the band did just for a laugh. A bit like The Stranglers did “Golden Brown”, which became their best-known song, even though it doesn’t have the sound or style of that legendary band at all.

‘I Love Cats’ sounds incredibly like Morrissey! Both in the way it’s sung, the voice, and the lyrics. This song isn’t on this album, but it reminds us that there are still people who adore The Smiths and The Cure (like the sadly underrated and forgotten band Snake River Conspiracy), despite their constant disagreements. Well, between you and me, I think Morrissey is still in awe of and impressed by The Cure’s long career, whilst Robert Smith probably only has a major issue with Moz and not necessarily with Johnny Marr, Mike Joyce or the late Andy Rourke.

I haven’t yet had the chance to see this band live, but I was lucky enough to see The Chameleons, for whom they were the support act! They don’t seem to be coming to Switzerland at the moment, unless I’ve completely missed them. Yet they’re playing in Germany, Italy, France, the Netherlands…

Thanks to some short videos on Instagram, I’ve already got used to songs like “In My Side” and “Dead Gods” even before listening to the album.

One really interesting detail for me: the third track is called “Sign Of The Times”… exactly like the third track on the third album by… Madness! Yes, the one titled “7”. That said, these two songs have nothing in common apart from the title and their position on the album. Just as ‘Never Enough’ has nothing to do with The Cure’s song, apart from the title. And if I want to take it a step further, I could say that the intro to ‘Sign Of The Times’ is reminiscent of the drum intro to ‘Do The Dog’ by The Specials. Yes, I’ve got some serious ska influences… but who hasn’t realised by now that 80s ska bands had a very punk attitude?!

A bit of a funny anecdote: Vision Video had to abandon their old Facebook page because the site refused to grant them admin rights to… their own page!
Yes, really!!!
Unbelievable! But everything’s sorted now. I was even recognised as one of the best fans of ‘It’s Goth Dad’ and received my badge as a gift! ;-D

As for physical formats, I haven’t found many, though. “Inked In Red” on Digipack and LP is sold out! As for “Modern Horror”, you can find it on red vinyl (LP).

Musically, it’s just as good as the best bands I’ve ever heard. It’s classy, powerful and enjoyable. There are some more aggressive moments. It’s very true to the late 70s and early 80s, both in terms of sound and attitude.

The lyrics are excellent. It’s not just “I love you, Baby! Baby, I love you!” It’s authentic, psychological, philosophical, thoughtful and sensitive.

The vocal blend on ‘Balaclava Kiss’ is incredible. It reminds us why bands like the Human League sought to bring in female vocalists, even though Philip Oakey sang solo on their first two albums – which were, mind you, incredibly avant-garde. But there’s no need to go back that far in time: Blood Red Shoes are a truly well-rounded band for so many reasons… even though there are only two of them!

In any case, connoisseurs will be reminded of plenty of legendary bands such as Siouxsie & the Banshees, Virgin Prunes, Sex Gang Children, Killing Joke and even Sad Lovers & Giants. And why not throw a Polish band into the mix? Republika would fit perfectly on the list! RIP Grzegorz Ciechowski!

It’s worth noting that The Cure never really wanted to be seen as a goth band. At least, not exclusively!

Goth Dad is everything his stereotype isn’t. He proves that just because you wear make-up and play music doesn’t mean you can’t have been in the military or a firefighter. In fact, he describes himself as: a veteran, firefighter, musician, activist and cat dad.

His references really strike a chord with me. When he signs off as ‘Your friendly neighbourhood Goth Dad’, there’s obviously a nod to Spider-Man… who’s my favourite superhero! And one of his cats is called Gizmo, whilst Gremlins is a film and a reference I’m always talking about.

I’d really like to finish with an important point. Dusty Gannon has often brought tears to my eyes. Not just through his magnificent voice (which also incorporates more modern sounds) and his humanity, but also because he’s brought me closer to my own country. You see, I’m from Afghanistan, but I’ve never actually known my country, whereas Dusty was there with the army. I was born in London right in the middle of the punk scene, which partly explains who I am. Over the years, I’ve felt less and less connected to my country of origin. But Goth Dad reminded me just how pure-hearted some people are over there – something we all too often forget. He explained that several Afghans had saved his life. He clarified that it wasn’t by taking bullets for him, but by showing him which routes to take to minimise the danger. No, Afghanistan is by no means just about the Taliban.

There you go!

My throat has tightened once again and my eyes are welling up as I finish this review whilst listening to the album for the umpteenth time. I wish this band a long and successful career, and hope to meet them one day.

And as our Goth Dad always says: STAY STRANGE!!!!