Forever Now Review: Timeless Stars Dazzle in a Nostalgic 80s Music Extravaganza

A newfound one-day festival is taking a page from California’s four-year-old Cruel World festival, making its debut in the UK. Since the original festival focuses heavily on British post-punk and goth music from the 80s, the new festival could aptly have been named Coals to Newcastle, given its return to British roots.

The early 1980s marked a period of remarkable creativity in the UK music scene. It’s somewhat melancholic to witness many of these pioneering artists being repurposed as mere nostalgia acts. The event’s lineup is eclectic, making it difficult to generalize; however, it’s clear that some acts have weathered the years more gracefully than others.

Preserving their distinct mood of dark introspection, Manchester’s iconic Chameleons shine, particularly during the haunting track “Soul In Isolation.” Similarly, the Psychedelic Furs maintain their chic allure and cool detachment, reminiscent of David Bowie, with frontman Richard Butler channeling the suave, rebellious spirit of a rock’n’roll version of Peter O’Toole.

John Lydon, sporting a mohawk and a clownishly oversized blue checked jacket, humorously chides the crowd as he kicks off Public Image Ltd’s performance, “If this is shit, it’s your fucking fault!” He quickly softens, half-blaming his hoarse voice on a recent spree, “My voice is a bit squeaky because I’ve been on a three-week bender … in 12 hours.” Thankfully, PiL’s performance is far from poor, with Lydon’s sardonic wit permeating their vibrant dub sound, particularly during a surprising rendition of his 1993 hit with Leftfield, “Open Up.” Lydon exits with a dismissive remark about former colleagues, “I apologise for nothing … except the karaoke Sex Pistols!”

Johnny Marr is on a quest to remind the audience of the timeless beauty in Smiths tracks like “Panic,” “This Charming Man,” and “How Soon Is Now?” focusing on the music rather than Morrissey’s controversial persona. Billy Idol is equally determined to reinforce his image as a punk-pop icon, playfully tossing Frisbees to the crowd during his humorous new song, “Too Much Fun.”

Technical difficulties plague the second stage, exacerbating performance issues. Happy Mondays are forced to abbreviate their already subpar set, and both The Damned and The Jesus and Mary Chain find themselves similarly restricted, with Jim Reid of the latter apologizing for the brevity of their set—a nod to their initial days of notoriously short performances.

The The aptly starts with “Sweet Bird of Truth,” a poignant reflection on American military actions in the Middle East from 1986. Their set, including “Armageddon Days Are Here (Again),” resonates with dark, timely themes but the audience seems to prefer the nostalgic synth-pop melodies of “This is The Day” and “Uncertain Smile.”

Despite others running late, Kraftwerk starts precisely on time, aligning perfectly with their image as the forefathers of electronic music. Their performance, ranging from “Autobahn” to “The Model,” features flawless techno-symphonies set against stunning 3D visuals. Showcasing nearly fifty-year-old songs at a retro festival, their sound remains strikingly modern and undated, embodying the spirit of “forever now.”