Sisters of Mercy, KK’s Steel Mill, 16th November 2023.
KK’s Steel Mill is packed, they’ve opened up the area revealing a much larger space than I’m used to seeing, there’s a bar area, a disabled seating area and even a cloak room. It’s huge and the throng of people wearing eyeliner, spikes and various black leather and accessories prove that Goth is very much alive and thriving.
The opening act are The Virginmarys (7), a duo from Macclesfield, who approached the stage rather unceremoniously, the music being piped through the venue’s PA, still being played as they casually walked on; there’s is a blend of Grunge and Punk and it hits hard, drummer Danny Dolan is a powerhouse behind the kit, within the first few beats he’d broken a stick and honestly it’s a surprise it was the only one, the beats were relentless whilst frontman Ally Dickaty played guitar, a huge wall of sound from only two musicians.
The opening act are The Virginmarys (7), a duo from Macclesfield, who approached the stage rather unceremoniously, the music being piped through the venue’s PA, still being played as they casually walked on; there’s is a blend of Grunge and Punk and it hits hard, drummer Danny Dolan is a powerhouse behind the kit, within the first few beats he’d broken a stick and honestly it’s a surprise it was the only one, the beats were relentless whilst frontman Ally Dickaty played guitar, a huge wall of sound from only two musicians.
Ally’s crowd interaction was minimalistic, a curt thank you as a response to the rapturous applause to each song was all we were greeted with, he held a kind of cocksure attitude, chewing gum throughout the set. It’s not until their penultimate song that he truly addressed the audience, humble and sincere, he thanked us and the headliners for taking them out on tour and providing them with the opportunity they were given. Before the last song, Ally shouts “Thanks, see you soon”, they play the track and as unceremoniously as they walked on, they were gone again.
I’ve listened to The Sisters Of Mercy (9), irregularly since being introduced to them in my early teens and when I saw that the band were coming to KK’s I had to go, I’ve a list of acts I’d like to see live and I can now tick Sisters off of that list. As I said before, the venue has opened its doors and pushed back its dividing walls to accommodate the mass of fans that have turned out for this event, I’ve seen bands that have released new material at KK’s and they’ve not filled the place like this, so for a band who hasn’t released anything new since the mid 90’s this is testament to the influence and lasting legacy that Andrew Eldritch and company have had on the Goth scene. Andrew Eldritch and Doktor Avalanche, minded by Chris Catalyst, are joined on stage by multi instrumentalist Kai from Esprit D’Air and session guitarist Ben Christo, it’s easier to list bands that Christo hasn’t worked with than those he has and he’s definitely a great presence upon the stage.
The setlist consists of very familiar songs, taken from a back catalogue that’s over 30 years old, opening with Doctor Jeep and Detonation Boulevard, Andrew Eldritch stays in the shadows, for a front man he is a bit of an enigma, most Rock and Metal frontmen I’ve seen dominate the stage, by being centre stage, by purposefully making themselves larger than life, that’s the point - Eldritch seems to do the complete opposite, performing from the shadows, but what else would an idol of his Goth status do ?
A few unreleased songs fill the list, familiar to probably only a few diehard fans, the absence of the crowd singing along making these tracks standout for the wrong reasons, however the likes of Dominion/Mother Russia and More easily bringing the audience back on track. It’s the encore that really brings the hits to the fore with Lucretia My Reflection, Temple Of Love and finally This Corrosion. I’d have loved to have heard No Time To Cry and Walk Away, two of my favourite Sisters Of Mercy songs but you can’t win them all, for a band I’ve wanted to see for years, I’m leaving a happy man.
I’ve listened to The Sisters Of Mercy (9), irregularly since being introduced to them in my early teens and when I saw that the band were coming to KK’s I had to go, I’ve a list of acts I’d like to see live and I can now tick Sisters off of that list. As I said before, the venue has opened its doors and pushed back its dividing walls to accommodate the mass of fans that have turned out for this event, I’ve seen bands that have released new material at KK’s and they’ve not filled the place like this, so for a band who hasn’t released anything new since the mid 90’s this is testament to the influence and lasting legacy that Andrew Eldritch and company have had on the Goth scene. Andrew Eldritch and Doktor Avalanche, minded by Chris Catalyst, are joined on stage by multi instrumentalist Kai from Esprit D’Air and session guitarist Ben Christo, it’s easier to list bands that Christo hasn’t worked with than those he has and he’s definitely a great presence upon the stage.
The setlist consists of very familiar songs, taken from a back catalogue that’s over 30 years old, opening with Doctor Jeep and Detonation Boulevard, Andrew Eldritch stays in the shadows, for a front man he is a bit of an enigma, most Rock and Metal frontmen I’ve seen dominate the stage, by being centre stage, by purposefully making themselves larger than life, that’s the point - Eldritch seems to do the complete opposite, performing from the shadows, but what else would an idol of his Goth status do ?
A few unreleased songs fill the list, familiar to probably only a few diehard fans, the absence of the crowd singing along making these tracks standout for the wrong reasons, however the likes of Dominion/Mother Russia and More easily bringing the audience back on track. It’s the encore that really brings the hits to the fore with Lucretia My Reflection, Temple Of Love and finally This Corrosion. I’d have loved to have heard No Time To Cry and Walk Away, two of my favourite Sisters Of Mercy songs but you can’t win them all, for a band I’ve wanted to see for years, I’m leaving a happy man.