Well don't worry, across the Channel some Merciful Nuns are out to help.
Two Unlimited .... much missed
Not as much missed as this lot:
Funny, I loved Bauhaus, but always found Sisters of Mercy far too cheesy.
Bauhaus, incidentally, are releasing a 40th anniversary version of [url= https://bauhaus.bandcamp.com/album/the-bela-session ]this[/url] next week... Ohhhh Bellllaaah
You had to be there...
I saw them supported by Flesh for Lulu back in the early days. Always had a soft spot since. A former co-worker at one point in his varied career was Peter Murphy's bag man tasked with taking the odd package across borders that the band wouldn't want to have in their possession. Paid well but was a touch stressful apparently.
Nah that sounds more like a poor man's Fields of the Nephilim
The Merry Thoughts did the Sisters better than the Sisters did in the late 90's early 2000's Rather good live too.
Goth as a musical genre was much better before the Sisters hit it big with Floodland and every single band with few exceptions copied them. I'll take Bauhaus and Christian Death (Rozz Williams Era) over the Sisters Any day!
You had to be there…
Oh, believe me, I was there. And they were shit. 😆
Goth as a musical genre was much better before the Sisters hit it big with Floodland and every single band with few exceptions copied them
Do you mean the very late '80 early 90's 'Goff' bands like Rosetta Stone? 😎
Always been a big fan of the Sisters ... but do concede that they can be a bit Marmite (with cheese) but I always like them for that!
Yeah Rosetta Stone, Children on Stun, Suspiria, Etal, the Sisters Wannabe was still going strong last time I ventured to WGW in 1999. Thank heavens for the Europeans not going all out on this. I'll take Project Pitchfork over any UK band from the early 90's era.
I saw them supported by Flesh for Lulu back in the early days.
I also saw them supported by flesh for lulu at Leeds university (students Union bar rather than main hall), so maybe the same tour (late 83 or 84?) When I say "saw them", it was briefly at beginning and end, they disappeared behind a wall of dry ice for much of their set.
I wasn't interested in them beyond their best chicken dancing years 82-84 12" single stuff (Alice, floorshow, temple of love) etc.
Sounds about right. They were playing at the Oxpens site, not even the Poly, err sorry. Oxford Brookes.
I lived with three goths at University, and was taken to loads of gigs: Sisters, Fields of the Nephilim, The Mission, etc. Quite liked the whole genre.
When I say “saw them”, it was briefly at beginning and end, they disappeared behind a wall of dry ice for much of their set
I think they started using smoke machines in anger early '83 ... certainly by Spring '84 onwards they were a regular feature at gigs.
Most smoke-y Sisters gig I can remember was Blank Canvas, Leeds in 2003 ... half the audience were enveloped in a curtain of fog ... didn't improve Andy/Mr Taylor/Spiggy/Eldritch/Von's voice though as he barked and yelped his way through the set like a scalded Alsatian ...
You can't Diss The Sisters.
Floodland is a bloody great album.
Just waiting for a Sisters Of Mercy/Mission/Fields of Nephilim treble billl and I'll be there.
Saw FOTN in Manchester a couple of weeks ago, they were excellent, as good a show as i’ve Seen for a long time.
Saw Killing Joke the following weekend in Leeds, sadly wasn’t impressed. I’m sure i’d have enjoyed KJ more if I hadn’t seen the Nephs the week before.
last time I saw Sisters, they were awful. At the very least they need a live bassist to join the two guitarists. And a new sound man
How many of the original Neffies were there?
Did they do proper Neffie stuff or that god awful McCoy solo stuff?
When I saw that NMA were playing Butlins a piece of me died.
Floodland is still one of the greatest albums of the decade. It stands apart. Lots of weak copyists to avoid.
last time I saw Sisters, they were awful. At the very least they need a live bassist to join the two guitarists. And a new sound man
This definitely.
Saw the sisters at the barrowlands last time, quite a number of years ago. It was way beyond the incoherent mumblings of 1980's sisters. Imagery was on par, lots of smoke, no band, out walks band, niose, back walks band, no band, noise, lights, ooh, there's the band again...;-)
Barrowlands is an awesome venue, the sisters gig was the only one I've been to which was a let down.
actually, that's not true, saw HIM (dragged there by Mrs Wookie), which was drivel of the highest order, but hey, lots of gothsicles.
I've only managed to see the FON support the mission. Though it was supposed to be a double headliner, hussey is so up himself that it felt like support. Neph were great, somewhat lacking in dry ice and flour, but great nonetheless.
Mission were shit, but that's largely cos I think they're pants.
then there was this of course..
so by my reckoning, if eldrich has started working on new material in 2016, it shoudl be complete by 2026?
he'll need to dig out his 'book of miscellaneous goth lyrics' and roll the dice on page numbers and lines
Floodland is still one of the greatest albums of the decade.
Can't help but laugh. Sorry 😆
Saw FOTN in Manchester a couple of weeks ago
As did I. It was an amazing gig. Didn't have very high expectations after seeing them around 10 years ago but this was back to the sort of thing that I imagine they were like in their heyday (never saw them back then).
There's a surprisingly decent quality video of the manc on youtube...
(how the hell do you embed video in here anyway?)
Sisters of Mercy were great when they had that lady on vocals and guitar.
last time I saw Sisters, they were awful. At the very least they need a live bassist to join the two guitarists. And a new sound man
Saw The Sisters in Sheffield last year and then the following night in Leeds (as Near Meth Experience - fund raiser for Simon D former Nurse to The Doctor and vocalist for The March Violets and Batfish Boys) ... the 2nd gig was much better as it was in a smaller venue (Brudenell SC) and I think their PA is better than SUSU. Eldritch still mumbled and yelped though!!
I haven't seen FOTN since they split in the early 90's (and formed Rubicon without McCoy).
I think I first saw FOTN supporting Gene Loves Jezebel. From the 'Home Pride Men' to 'Hinge & Brackett'! 🙂
Saw The Mission for their anniversary gig in Leeds a few years ago (with both Craig & Simon). Hussey was always a plonker but now he's a plonker who thinks he's Bono ...
... I'll still buy his book though if he ever finishes it! 🙂
Last time I saw the Mission , Hussey wheeled out Hinkler as special guest guitarist. How does that work?
Hussey wheeled out Hinkler as special guest guitarist. How does that work?
Simon hasn't been a full time member of Mission for years - he left in early 90s I think and relocated to the States (Texas or Arizona I think) and worked on tranferring old films to digital. He's made a few guest appearances over the years.
Basically, Eldricth, Hussey & McCoy all suffer from L.S.D. (Lead Singer Disorder) so the band is often just them plus hired-hands.
Tony Petitt was involved in this.
Better than McCoy's solo stuff.
The Manchester gig was basically Dawnrazor + The Nephilim albums, plus Trees Come Down , Mourning Sun & Prophecy. McCoy + original bass player ; don’t know who the drummer or the guitarists were but they were very good
Ah yes, The Eden House. Very listenable
Did quite a few European tours following the Neffies.
Quite a few times we were mistaken for the band. 4 long hairs in black and a short hair (me). In Gottingen we turned up early to the venue and the manager beckoned us inside. Took us into a back room with beer ,food and a pool table.It's only once the band turned up that we got kicked out!
In Rotterdam having a pre gig beer and the barman comes over and says '"you're the band aren't you" we denied it but he said you can't fool me. He said we could have free drinks if he could have his picture taken with us. Drinks came over but he bought me a soft drink as he had deduced I was the roadie and therefore driving.
Somewhere in Rotterdam there is a man who has a picture of 3 plumbers, an insurance agent and a paint sprayer taking pride of place in his bar!
Never heard of The Eden House. Every day is a school day. Thanks. 👍🏼
Saw The Mission and Sisters back in the late 80’s/early 90’s, Sisters was around the time of Vision Thing, an album I still enjoy immensely. The Mission, on the other hand, I can take or leave, Hussey’s vocals always seem too mannered, somehow, like he’s trying just a bit too hard to be gothier than everyone else.
Listening to Curve at the mo’, not really goth, but they still manage to do it better than The Mission.
That, of course, is just my opinion. I’d dearly love to see Curve re-form, but Toni has set against it, sadly. Though they did produce some small signed reproductions of a couple of their sleeves, which I’ve got framed up and hanging on the wall, which is better than nowt.
Curve were more goth than a lot of goth bands, but then my own definition of the genre probably stretches things more than most - I'd have stuff like Death in Vegas in there too musically if obviously not in terms of image.
@zippykona - great story! 🙂
Always liked Curve too. They played the venue where I worked in the early 90s, Got lumped in with 'Shoe-Gaze' but I always though more post-punk/goth as well.
I know what you mean about DIV though ...
not my footage, sound quality not great but I think the cameraman was just in front of me
One of the best gigs I’ve ever been to was Sisters Of Mercy, New Model Army & Skeletal Family at Huddersfield Town Hall, think it was Oct 84 but I could be out by a year or so
needless to say, NMA were on fire 😉
The smoke comments really made me laugh. I was a massive sisters fan on the back of First Last and always. Went to Wembley to see them. We were close to the front, so much dry ice I couldn’t see anything the whole gig, the sound quality was poor and he didn’t say one word to the audience! Still like Marianne though.
Anyone remember Ghost Dance?
The smoke comments really made me laugh
At least you could hear them. I had the joy of my parents insisting I escort my younger sister to see The Monkees at Empire Pool Wembley.* A roadie lit a fag on stage, the screaming started, and that's all I heard for 90 minutes. Not a single note of music. My ears were ringing for days.
* Seems it was July 67, and according the Melody Maker wasn't a bad gig. The following week though they shared the bill with Jimi Hendrix for half a dozen shows.
My favourite gigging experience was at Christian Death''s expense.
We were there to watch The Hunters Club in support .
At one point Valour broughthis son on to chant "I am death" while the back drop showed pictures from concentration camps.
Not sure who it was but someone got a sizeable chunk of the Astoria to chant back " your daddy''s a w*nker".
Seen the Sisters live twice now. First time at the Roundhouse where, when they finally came on stage after what seemed like an age, they were pretty good. Couldn’t see them for all the dry ice, obvs.
Second time was late last year when Therapy? were supporting them. Therapy? were ace, as ever, and the Sisters were shit. I vowed never again 😕
Anyone remember Ghost Dance?
Yep - Used to follow them quite a bit, especially when Salvation were supporting.
Seen Anne-Marie/Skeletal Family a few times since they 'reformed' - they do a few Ghost Dance tunes!!
Always felt that Ghost Dance never quite reached their potential despite being a great live band - like many late '80's indie/alternative bands they often needed to sign to a major in order to survive, but when they did the record company wanted to turn them into something that they weren't ... and then drop them when they failed to be 'the next big thing'!
I was a massive sisters fan on the back of First Last and always. Went to Wembley to see them.
That would be Vision Thing in 1990 though wouldn't it? Quite a big departure from the Marx, Adams, Hussey & Eldritch line up of FALAA.
Tony J, Andreas & Tim B & Mr T from memory with backing vocals from Maggie 'Moonlight Shadow' Reilly ! 🙂
Second time was late last year when Therapy? were supporting them. Therapy? were ace, as ever, and the Sisters were shit. I vowed never again 😕
I was there too - was it me or did he forget his own lyrics? I had low expectations so still enjoyed the night.