It’s been almost 40 years since Goth legends The Sisters of Mercy graced a Newcastle stage when they last played and the now sadly defunct, Tiffany’s, so it was no surprise to see the recently refurbished NX Newcastle, packed to the rafters full of Goths new and old, to see the return of their heroes and for an hour and a half they were transported back into a world of melancholic darkness, shadows and swirling blankets of smoke.
Fronted by the mysterious, sole original member, Andrew Eldritch who was joined by long time guitarist Ben Christo and new boy Kai also on guitar along with Chris Catalyst, whose job it was to manage the fearsome Doktor Avalanche drum machine, The Sisters of Mercy brewed up quite a storm of morose darkness.
Hitting the stage to “Doctor Jeep/Detonation Boulevard” the Sisters opened up with a bang followed swiftly by “Don’t Drive On Ice” and “Ribbons” as Eldritch, bedecked in shades, prowled the stage with a determined menace as Christo and Kai provided some flamboyance to the flanks.
With a simple yet stunningly effective stage set based around a number of oscillating fluorescent columns and huge searchlights across the back of the stage piercing through the cloaks of fog created the perfect ambience to deliver the wonderfully dark melancholia of “Marian” and “Alice”, from their first E.P. released way back in 1982.
With the classics coming thick and fast from “Eyes Of Caligula”, “More” and “But Genevieve” there was still room for “Giving Ground” from the Sisters offshoot The Sisterhood to keep the long term fans more than happy.
With a closing run of titanic Gothic masterpieces in “Temple Of Love”, “Dominion/Mother Russia”, “Lucretia My Reflection” and a monumental “This Corrosion” it was left to Eldritch to say a simple “thank you” to bring a 40 year wait to an end.
The Sisters of Mercy was, is, and always will be my most beloved ??ARTFORM ? It is the clearest, deepest expression of my Shadow self ?? My sincerest gratitude to the writer ?