Blade Rave brought vampire vibes to Walter Studios in Phoenix

Walter Studios in Phoenix had big vampire energy on Thursday night. Techno beats rattled the room. Gothy types bared their fangs and thrashed around the dance floor. And a bloody good time was had by all.

The Blade Rave, a touring electronic dance music event inspired by the iconic underground nightclub scene in the 1998 vampire action flick, invaded the Phoenix venue on May 14 with heavy-hitting beats, horror vibes and hordes of of black-clad creatures of the night.

As crimson light drenched the room, DJs like Nekomancer, Katetang and Emmanuel Ruiz unleashed a maelstrom of hard techno, EBM, aggrotech and other dark tracks to fuel the dancing. Ravers dressed up in vampire gear, fake fangs and fetish wear in a scene straight out late-’90s goth club.

Some sipped vampire-themed cocktails. Others flung around lightsaber toys to add to the nonstop glow illuminating the darkened venue.

Technical issues during the Blade Rave’s midnight “blood bath,” which recreated the famous scene from the film, didn’t suck the life out of the crowd packed inside Walter Studios. The energy stayed high and the dance floor kept moving until the wee hours and revelers eventually returned to their nests.

Here’s a look at the vampiric fun and insidious excess of the Blade Rave in Phoenix.