Malediction Society Turns 6 with Annual Steampunk Ball

Liz Ohanesian

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On June 19, Malediction Society, the Sunday night LADEAD party at Koreatown club The Monte Cristo dedicated to darkwave, industrial and other dark alternative sounds, celebrated its sixth anniversary. As has been the case in years past, the club's anniversary coincided with its annual Steampunk Ball. Last night's party, however, was less of an excuse to show off a new pair of goggles and more of a chance to celebrate friends made and songs spun by DJs Amanda Jones and Xian at the long-running gathering.

"I liken Malediction Society to a gothic Cheers," says one regular who goes by the name Boots. "You go there to hang out and everybody knows your name."

Liz Ohanesian

​Boots says that he began frequenting the club about six months after it opened. It was actually the first club he attended after moving to L.A. from Florida.

"It was basically the scene I was interested in, but I didn't have any friends that went out anywhere," says Boots. He first headed to the club with a co-worker, but soon began going on his own, making new friends in a new city during the process.

It was a story we kept hearing out on the Monte Cristo's patio throughout the night. People moved to Los Angeles, somehow stumbled upon the club and began going week after week.

"I moved to L.A. and a friend of mine was already coming to these clubs," says Constantin Lorenz, who is from Germany.

"I was in awe," he continues. "There're no clubs like this, at least not in Munich. There are goth clubs and things, but they're not this awesome."

Like Boots, Lorenz kept going to the club even after some of his friends stopped.

"At the time, I didn't really know anybody in L.A.," he says. "Now, all my friends are out of the scene, out of this club. I would say that 90% of the people I actually know in L.A. are related to this."