The Sisters Of Mercy
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The Sisters of Mercy is an English
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band, formed in 1980 in Leeds. After achieving early underground fame there, the band had their commercial breakthrough in the mid-1980s and sustained it until the early 1990s, when they stopped releasing new recorded output in protest against their record company
WEA The Wea were a Miami-Illinois-speaking Native American tribe originally located in western Indiana. Historically, they were described as either being closely related to the Miami Tribe or a sub-tribe of Miami. Today, the descendants of the ...
. Currently, the band are a touring outfit only. The group has released three original studio albums: '' First and Last and Always'' (1985), '' Floodland'' (1987), and '' Vision Thing'' (1990). Each album was recorded by a different line-up; singer-songwriter
Andrew Eldritch Andrew Eldritch (born Andrew William Harvey Taylor, 15 May 1959) is an English singer, songwriter and musician. He is the frontman and only remaining original member of the Sisters of Mercy, a band that emerged from the British post-punk scene ...
and the drum machine called Doktor Avalanche are the only points of continuity throughout. Eldritch and Avalanche were also involved in The Sisterhood, a side-project connected with Eldritch's dispute with former members. The Sisters of Mercy ceased recording activity in the early 1990s, when they went on strike against
East West Records East West Records (stylized as east''west'') is a record label formed in 1955, distributed and owned by Warner Music Group, headquartered in London, England. History Upon its creation in 1955 by Atlantic Records, the label had one hit with t ...
, whom they accused of incompetence and withholding royalties, and had pressured the group to release at least two more studio albums; instead, the label released the album ''Go Figure'' under the moniker SSV in 1997. Although the Sisters of Mercy were eventually released from their contract with East West, they have never been signed to another label nor released any new material, despite showcasing numerous new songs in their live sets. Former members of the group established the bands Ghost Dance and The Mission.


History


Early years (1980–1983)

The Sisters of Mercy were formed in
Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...
, England, in 1980 by
Gary Marx Gary Marx (born Mark Frederick Pearman) is a British guitarist and musician. He was a founding member of British rock band the Sisters of Mercy and its lead-guitarist and songwriter from 1980 to 1985. He left the band in 1985 to form Ghost Da ...
and
Andrew Eldritch Andrew Eldritch (born Andrew William Harvey Taylor, 15 May 1959) is an English singer, songwriter and musician. He is the frontman and only remaining original member of the Sisters of Mercy, a band that emerged from the British post-punk scene ...
, to satisfy their desire to hear themselves on the radio. During this time a single, "Damage Done/Watch/Home of the Hit-men", was recorded and released. The band name was influenced by Robert Altman's film '' McCabe & Mrs. Miller'' (1971), which featured the
Leonard Cohen Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. His work explored religion, politics, isolation, depression, sexuality, loss, death, and romantic relationships. He was inducted in ...
song "
Sisters of Mercy The Sisters of Mercy is a religious institute of Catholic women founded in 1831 in Dublin, Ireland, by Catherine McAuley. As of 2019, the institute had about 6200 sisters worldwide, organized into a number of independent congregations. They a ...
" from his album ''
Songs of Leonard Cohen ''Songs of Leonard Cohen'' is the debut album by Canadian folk singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen, released on December 27, 1967, on Columbia Records. Less successful in the US than in Europe, ''Songs of Leonard Cohen'' foreshadowed the kind of cha ...
'', "because alling ourselvesthe Captains of Industry wouldn't have been as funny". On the single Marx played guitar through a practice amplifier and Eldritch was on drums that he had bought from
Jon Langford Jonathan Denis Langford (born 11 October 1957) is a Welsh musician and artist based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Langford is a founder member of the punk band The Mekons, the post-punk group The Three Johns, and the alternative count ...
. The duo each wrote and sang on a song: Eldritch on "Damage Done", Marx on "Watch". The band regrouped with Craig Adams on bass, while Eldritch's drumming was replaced by a drum machine, leaving him to concentrate on vocals. The drum machine was christened "Doktor Avalanche", and all of its numerous successors kept this moniker. Eldritch took over lyrics-writing, Doktor-programming, and record-producing duties, while co-writing the music with Marx and (occasionally) Adams. This became what is generally recognised as the first real Sisters line-up. It began with the Doktor/Eldritch/Marx/Adams incarnation of the band playing a gig in the Riley Smith Hall of the
Leeds University Union Leeds University Union (LUU) is the representative body for the students at the University of Leeds, England. It is led by a group of student sabbatical officers known as the Student Executive, and supported by around 140 full-time staff membe ...
building in early 1981. Since nobody can remember the exact date, for historic purposes the band and fans have often celebrated the anniversary of the concert of 16 February 1981, in
Alcuin College Alcuin College is a college of the University of York located on Siward's Howe in the English city of York in the county of Yorkshire. It is one out of ten colleges of the university, being the nearest to the library on the Heslington West part ...
,
York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
which was the band's second gig. Later in 1981, Ben Gunn was recruited as the Sisters' second guitarist. Eldritch's melancholic baritone, Craig Adams's pulsating bass, Doktor Avalanche's beat and Marx's flowing guitar led the band to early underground success. In 1982, the band recorded "The Body Electric" b/w "Adrenochrome" single for the CNT label. The band's singles were regularly featured in UK independent charts; some became single of the week in various UK indie magazines.
John Ashton John Ashton may refer to: Entertainment * John Ashton (composer) (1830–1896), Welsh musician * Will Ashton (John William Ashton, 1881–1963), British-Australian artist and art director * John Rowland Ashton (1917–2008), English author * John ...
of
the Psychedelic Furs The Psychedelic Furs are a post-punk band founded in London in February 1977. Led by lead vocalist Richard Butler and his brother Tim Butler on bass guitar, the Psychedelic Furs are one of the many acts spawned from the British post-punk sc ...
produced the early classic "Alice". ''The Reptile House E.P.'' is another example of early Sisters work and marks the maturing songwriter Eldritch (who wrote, produced and eportedlyplayed all instruments on it). Their live performances featured many cover versions: among those, a medley consisting of "
Sister Ray "Sister Ray" is a song by the Velvet Underground that closes side two of their 1968 album ''White Light/White Heat''. The lyrics are by Lou Reed, with music composed by John Cale, Sterling Morrison, Maureen Tucker and Reed. The song concerns dr ...
" (by
the Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City in 1964. The original line-up consisted of singer/guitarist Lou Reed, multi-instrumentalist John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison, and drummer Angus MacLise. MacLise ...
), "Ghostrider" (by Suicide) and "
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" (by Richard Berry) became a live staple. Only four of them,
the Stooges The Stooges, originally billed as the Psychedelic Stooges, also known as Iggy and the Stooges, was an American rock band formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1967 by singer Iggy Pop, guitarist Ron Asheton, drummer Scott Asheton, and bassist Da ...
' "1969",
the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the g ...
' "
Gimme Shelter "Gimme Shelter" is a song by English rock band the Rolling Stones. Released as the opening track from band's 1969 album ''Let It Bleed''. The song covers topics of war, murder, rape and fear. It features prominent guest vocals by American singe ...
",
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's " Emma" and
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's "
Knockin' on Heaven's Door "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, written for the soundtrack of the 1973 film '' Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid''. Released as a single two months after the film's premiere, it became a worldwide hit, ...
" were eventually recorded and released on Sisters records (all as B-sides). In late 1983, following the highly successful "Temple of Love" single, the band signed a contract with major record label
WEA The Wea were a Miami-Illinois-speaking Native American tribe originally located in western Indiana. Historically, they were described as either being closely related to the Miami Tribe or a sub-tribe of Miami. Today, the descendants of the ...
. At the same time Gunn left in an atmosphere of unanimous bitterness. Gunn stated that he did not agree with the direction Eldritch was taking the band, which, according to Gunn, started out as a joke on serious rock 'n' roll outfits, but eventually became one. Gunn also mentioned personality conflicts with Eldritch as a reason for his departure.


''First and Last and Always'' era (1984–1985)

Gunn was replaced by
Wayne Hussey 250px, Hussey performing at the M'era Luna Festival in 2004. Jerry Wayne Hussey (born 26 May 1958) is an English musician who was born in Bristol, England. He is best known as the lead singer of The Mission, and the guitarist with The Sisters ...
, who concentrated on 12-string electric and acoustic guitars while also contributing as a songwriter. His studio experience with Dead or Alive also proved to be invaluable as the Sisters set out to record their first full-length album. The ''Black October'' UK tour (October–November 1984) confirmed the underground cult status of the band. However, the growing alienation between Eldritch and the rest of the group was getting out of hand during the recording of the debut '' First and Last and Always'' album. Eldritch's deteriorating health and psychological problems worsened the situation. The causes of these issues were frequently written about in the gossip columns of the music press, ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'', '' Melody Maker'' and ''
Sounds In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the ...
''. Most songs on the album were written and rehearsed by Marx, Hussey, and Adams, with Eldritch stepping in at the last stage to write lyrics and add vocals. Following the release of ''First and Last and Always'', produced by David M. Allen, Marx split from the band in the middle of a supporting tour, citing inability to continue working with Eldritch. The Sisters of Mercy completed the tour as a three-piece act, and said farewell to the fans with the final gig in London's Royal Albert Hall on 18 June 1985. Video recordings of this show were later released as "Wake". A music video of the song "Black Planet" was also released in which the Monkeemobile was featured. Promotional videos were also made for the singles "Body and Soul", "Walk Away", and "No Time to Cry", but none of these videos, including "Black Planet", have been officially released yet by the band.


The split: the Sisterhood and the Mission (1985–1986)

Shortly after the last gig Eldritch relocated to Hamburg, where he was soon joined by Hussey. Their intention was to begin working on a follow-up album, tentatively titled ''Left on Mission and Revenge''. Hussey had several written songs for the album, including "Dance on Glass" and "Garden of Delight". Demo versions of both songs featuring Eldritch on vocals have since surfaced, suggesting the band did work on the material in unison. When Adams and Hussey left the band, they were replaced by the American singer and bass guitarist
Patricia Morrison Patricia Anne Rainone (born January 14, 1962), better known by her stage name Patricia Morrison, is an American bass guitarist, singer and songwriter. She has worked with Bags, The Gun Club, Fur Bible, The Sisters of Mercy, and the Damned. Bio ...
of The Bags and
the Gun Club The Gun Club were an American rock band from Los Angeles, California, United States, which existed from 1979 to 1996. It was formed and led by singer-songwriter and guitarist Jeffrey Lee Pierce. History Early days (1979–1980) The Gun Club w ...
. Hussey and Adams went on to form a new group called the Sisterhood. Their setlists featured songs Hussey had intended for the Sisters of Mercy; he would later record and release many of them with his new group. Meanwhile, Eldritch protested against their usage of the ''Sisterhood'' name as too similar to the Sisters of Mercy and the name of his band's fan community. In an attempt to stop Hussey's band Eldritch released the single "Giving Ground" by his own band, the Sisterhood. The single was later followed by the album ''Gift''. Hussey's band eventually christened themselves the Mission. Hussey has since expressed regret about the entire incident. According to some sources, with these releases Eldritch allegedly won, over Hussey and Adams, a race for a £25,000 advance (a sum opening the song "Jihad" on the ''Gift'' album) offered by the publishers to the first member of the Sisters of Mercy to release any output. This would tie Eldritch to WEA, and release Hussey and Adams from their contract with the same record company. According to the Mission's manager Tony Perrin, the case never went to court and Hussey's new band was able to release their material through an independent outlet. However, Eldritch stated elsewhere that the "2-5-0-0-0" which opens "Jihad" on the Sisterhood LP represents the sum of money he won from the Mission in the civil courts. He states in an interview, recorded in Boston, that the English courts did not recognise either his or the other members' of the band's legal right to the name "the Sisterhood". He said the courts required a release for anybody to claim ownership of the band name, which was the motivation for the initial Sisterhood single. After that single had been released, Eldritch officially owned the name, and could sue, which he did, winning £25,000 in the lawsuit.


''Floodland'' era (1987–1989)

Left to his own devices, Eldritch recorded '' Floodland'', marking a shift away from guitar-based rock towards an atmospheric, Wagnerian rock and keyboard-oriented explorations pioneered on ''Gift''. The album was produced by Eldritch and Larry Alexander, with contributions from
Jim Steinman James Richard Steinman (November 1, 1947 – April 19, 2021) was an American composer, lyricist and record producer. He also worked as an arranger, pianist, and singer. His work included songs in the adult contemporary, rock, dance, pop, mus ...
on two songs, one of them being " This Corrosion". "This Corrosion" was a composition Eldritch had already once recorded (if not released) with his Sisterhood collaborators. Also, the B-side featured "Torch", the last song from the previous line-up. Then-manager Boyd Steemson maintains the chart success was no surprise for the band. Eldritch has later considered producer Steinman to have been more pivotal in securing funding for additional production than the songs themselves. The band did not play live during this period, but did mime ''
Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most o ...
'', among others. "This Corrosion", "
Dominion The term ''Dominion'' is used to refer to one of several self-governing nations of the British Empire. "Dominion status" was first accorded to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland, South Africa, and the Irish Free State at the 192 ...
" and "
Lucretia My Reflection "Lucretia My Reflection" is a song by the English rock band the Sisters of Mercy. Released as the third and final single from their second studio album, '' Floodland'', in June 1988, it reached number 20 on the UK Singles Chart. Overview The son ...
" were released as singles, the videos for which would be compiled on the 1988 VHS release ''Shot'', alongside a video for "1959".


''Vision Thing'' era (1989–1993)

The next incarnation of the Sisters of Mercy featured an unknown German guitarist, Andreas Bruhn, whom Eldritch apparently discovered playing in a
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pub and brought into the band in April 1989; bassist Tony James (ex-
Sigue Sigue Sputnik Sigue Sigue Sputnik were a British new wave band formed in 1982 by former Generation X bassist Tony James. The band have had three UK top-40 hit singles, including " Love Missile F1-11" and " 21st Century Boy". The band's music, image and in ...
guitarist and
Generation X Generation X (or Gen X for short) is the Western demographic cohort following the baby boomers and preceding the millennials. Researchers and popular media use the mid-to-late 1960s as starting birth years and the late 1970s to early 1980s a ...
bassist/songwriter); and last-minute recruit
Tim Bricheno Tim Bricheno (born Timothy John Bricheno, 6 July 1963, Huddersfield, Yorkshire) is an English guitarist, songwriter and music teacher. He was a member of several notable English indie bands, including All About Eve, The Sisters of Mercy, XC-NN ( ...
, formerly of
All About Eve ''All About Eve'' is a 1950 American drama film written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, and produced by Darryl F. Zanuck. It is based on the 1946 short story "The Wisdom of Eve" by Mary Orr, although Orr does not receive a screen credit ...
, on guitars. The new line-up kicked off with the '' Vision Thing'' album, released in October 1990, produced by Eldritch (one song, the single "
More More or Mores may refer to: Computing * MORE (application), outline software for Mac OS * more (command), a shell command * MORE protocol, a routing protocol * Missouri Research and Education Network Music Albums * ''More!'' (album), by Booka S ...
", was a co-production and co-written with Steinman). The album also featured guitarist John Perry with backing vocals by
Maggie Reilly Maggie Reilly (born 15 September 1956) is a Scottish singer best known for her collaborations with the composer and instrumentalist Mike Oldfield. Most notably, she performed lead vocals on the Oldfield songs " Family Man", " Moonlight Shadow", ...
. The title is from a quotation by then-Vice President
George Bush George Bush most commonly refers to: * George H. W. Bush (1924–2018), 41st president of the United States and father of the 43rd president * George W. Bush (born 1946), 43rd president of the United States and son of the 41st president Georg ...
in 1987 and it marked another change of direction, this time towards guitar-oriented rock. The band launched a 1990–91 world tour to promote the album. In 1991 they organised a controversial North American tour in double-act with
Public Enemy "Public enemy" is a term which was first widely used in the United States in the 1930s to describe individuals whose activities were seen as criminal and extremely damaging to society, though the phrase had been used for centuries to describe ...
. Fearing a clash between white fans of the Sisters with the black following of Public Enemy, several cities banned the performances, and the tour was cancelled halfway through. Late in 1991, bassist James left the group for his solo career; the band continued by using a pre-recorded backing track. The US tour fiasco did not help the already strained relationship between Eldritch and the Sisters' new record company EastWest, a
WEA The Wea were a Miami-Illinois-speaking Native American tribe originally located in western Indiana. Historically, they were described as either being closely related to the Miami Tribe or a sub-tribe of Miami. Today, the descendants of the ...
subsidiary (the band was assigned to it 1989 following an internal shuffle in WEA). Conflicts with WEA led to the termination of the band's US record distribution deal circa 1991–92, meaning later recordings are only available in the US as imports. Under the insistence of the record company the band re-recorded their early single "Temple of Love" (with
Ofra Haza Bat-Sheva Ofra Haza ( he, בת-שבע עפרה חזה; 19 November 1957 – 23 February 2000), known as Ofra Haza (), was an Israeli singer, songwriter, actress, and Grammy Award-nominated recording artist commonly known in the Western world as ...
on additional vocals, and Tony James on bass) to promote the collection of their early independently released singles, entitled ''
Some Girls Wander By Mistake ''Some Girls Wander by Mistake'' is a compilation album by English band the Sisters of Mercy, released on 27 April 1992 on their own label Merciful Release, distributed by East West/ Warner Music UK. The album collected the complete and uned ...
'' (1992). Early into the year, the band performed the track in ''Top of the Pops'' with Haza and Tony James, marking the final time the recording line-up for Vision Thing shared the stage. In June 1992, Eldritch dismissed Boyd Steemson, the band's manager of ten years. Around this time, Bricheno had begun focusing on his other band, XC-NN (originally, CNN). Meanwhile, Bruhn released his debut solo album, ''Broon''. Bruhn claimed the songs on the album were offered for the next Sisters release, only to be rejected by Eldritch. Eldritch denied these allegations, saying he was never offered the songs. Bricheno left by the end of the year and was replaced in 1993 by Adam Pearson. Pearson was the only guitarist on the single " Under the Gun", which also featured former
Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
lead vocalist
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on backing vocals. The track was co-produced by
Billie Hughes Billie Keith Hughes (April 4, 1948 – July 3, 1998) was an American recording artist, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is best known for his successful artist career in Japan, lead vocalist of his band Lazarus and his collaboratio ...
, co-writer of the song. The single was recorded to promote the "greatest hits" compilation, ''
A Slight Case of Overbombing ''A Slight Case of Overbombing'' is a greatest hits album by English gothic rock band the Sisters of Mercy. It was released on 23 August 1993 on the band's own label, Merciful Release, under distribution contract with East West Records. All th ...
'' (1993). A third video album, ''Shot Rev 2.0'', would also be released, containing all videos from the original ''Shot'' in 1988, the videos for the ''Vision Thing'' singles "More", " Doctor Jeep", as well as the videos for "Under the Gun", the 1992 re-recording of "Temple of Love" and a video for the album track "Detonation Boulevard". Bruhn left the band in 1993. These releases turned out to be the last commercial recordings until the 2021 release of the ''BBC sessions 1982-1984'' on vinyl for RSD and CD, containing the 1982 and 1984
Peel Sessions John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey (DJ) and radio presenter. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly fr ...
and the 1983 David 'Kid' Jensen session.


Feud with EastWest Records (1993–1997)

Following the last concerts in December 1993, the Sisters of Mercy went into what Eldritch called a "strike against EastWest". He was alluded to have been preoccupied with legal matters surrounding the band; although Eldritch has never explained the meaning behind this, it has been suggested by various parties that the issues stemmed from either the short-lived tour with Public Enemy in 1991, or, alternatively, Eldritch's ongoing issues with EastWest Records, as the band still owed them two original studio albums. In 1995, Eldritch remixed two songs for the German group Die Krupps and appeared on the Sarah Brightman single " A Question of Honour". Eldritch's associates approached Gary Marx, the co-founding member, to write tracks for a new studio album. Marx then met with Eldritch, with the two agreeing upon the terms under which the backing tracks would be produced. After Marx delivered a total of eleven tracks, Eldritch backed out of the project 'without uttering a single word'. In 1996, the band was revived for several gigs supporting the Sex Pistols, with Bruhn's place initially taken by
Chris Sheehan The Starlings were an English alternative rock band, formed in 1989, utilising as the main project for New Zealand-born singer/guitarist Chris Sheehan. The group was dissolved by Sheehan around the release of their last EP. Sheehan went on to ...
. During subsequent tours, the guitarist spot would rotate between Sheehan and Mike Varjak. In late 1997, the contract with EastWest was terminated, after the company agreed to accept material recorded under the SSV name instead of two albums for which the Sisters of Mercy had contractual obligations. The company agreed to accept the material (techno-like droning featuring mumbling vocals by Andrew Eldritch, without drums) without listening to it first. The recordings were never officially released and circulated only through pirate MP3s. Following the release, the official Sisters of Mercy website contained the same "update" for several years:


Possible fourth studio album

In October 2006, Side-Line Music Magazine announced that the band was in talks with the Universal sublabel W14 Music. In the same year, three Sisters of Mercy reissues were released on 3 November in Europe (and 30 October in the USA) via WEA International: ''First And Last And Always'' (1985), ''Floodland'' (1987) and ''Vision Thing'' (1990). All contained bonus tracks taken from related single releases. The Sisters of Mercy have not released new recorded material since 1993. In 2010 Eldritch confirmed that he currently sees no reason to release an album in an interview with ''
Classic Rock Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, primar ...
'' contributor
Joel McIver Joel McIver (born 10 February 1971) is a British author. His best-known work is ''Justice for All: The Truth About Metallica'', first published in 2004 and appearing in nine languages since then. McIver's other works include biographies of Bla ...
. In August 2010, when asked to elaborate, Eldritch pointed time constraints and lack of available material as some of the problems involved. Speculation about a new release was renewed in November 2016 when Eldritch was quoted by TeamRock website: "I can tell you one thing: If
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
actually does become President, that will be reason enough for me to release another album. I don't think I could keep quiet if that happened." The band has yet to release any new material, but in 2017 they embarked on a European tour in August and September. Since 2012, some of the shows featured a guest appearance by the Irish singer Lisa Cuthbert who performs her cover version of "This Corrosion" on piano.


Influence

Eldritch cited
the Psychedelic Furs The Psychedelic Furs are a post-punk band founded in London in February 1977. Led by lead vocalist Richard Butler and his brother Tim Butler on bass guitar, the Psychedelic Furs are one of the many acts spawned from the British post-punk sc ...
,
Slade Slade are an English rock band formed in Wolverhampton in 1966. They rose to prominence during the glam rock era in the early 1970s, achieving 17 consecutive top 20 hits and six number ones on the UK Singles Chart. The ''British Hit Singles ...
,
Pere Ubu Pere Ubu is an American rock group formed in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1975. The band had a variety of long-term and recurring band members, with singer David Thomas being the only member staying throughout the band's lifetime. They released their ...
and
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
as his primary influences. Eldritch also cited
Motörhead Motörhead () were an English rock band formed in London in 1975 by Lemmy (lead vocals, bass), Larry Wallis (guitar) and Lucas Fox (drums). Lemmy was also the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band are often considered a precu ...
,
The Cramps The Cramps were an American rock band formed in 1976 and active until 2006. Their lineup rotated frequently during their existence, with the husband-and-wife duo of singer Lux Interior and guitarist Poison Ivy the only ever-present members. ...
and Siouxsie and the Banshees among his early influences. According to Jennifer Park, the band have also cited
Leonard Cohen Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. His work explored religion, politics, isolation, depression, sexuality, loss, death, and romantic relationships. He was inducted in ...
,
Hawkwind Hawkwind are an English rock band known as one of the earliest space rock groups. Since their formation in November 1969, Hawkwind have gone through many incarnations and have incorporated many different styles into their music, including hard ...
, Gary Glitter, Lou Reed and
The Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City in 1964. The original line-up consisted of singer/guitarist Lou Reed, multi-instrumentalist John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison, and drummer Angus MacLise. MacLise ...
,
Iggy and the Stooges The Stooges, originally billed as the Psychedelic Stooges, also known as Iggy and the Stooges, was an American rock band formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1967 by singer Iggy Pop, guitarist Ron Asheton, drummer Scott Asheton, and bassist Dave ...
, Suicide, The Birthday Party and The Fall as among their influences. Whilst the band enjoys a considerable fan base with overlapping interests in so-called
dark culture Dark culture ( German ''Schwarze Szene''; Portuguese ''cultura obscura''; Spanish ''escena oscura''; Italian ''scena Dark'' or ''scena gotica''), also called dark alternative scene or Darkly-Inclined, includes goth and dark wave culture, most o ...
, the Sisters of Mercy consider themselves first and foremost a rock band. They have discouraged their association with "goth" via regular public statements in the press, and stipulations in their standard contract riders. Nevertheless, this has not stopped them from regularly appearing at festivals where this music is featured, such as
M'era Luna The M'era Luna is a rock festival that encompasses a number of different styles such as metal, future pop, aggrotech, synthpop, gothic rock, dark wave, and ebm. It is held annually on the second weekend of every August, in Hildesheim, G ...
.


Personnel


Members

;Current members *
Andrew Eldritch Andrew Eldritch (born Andrew William Harvey Taylor, 15 May 1959) is an English singer, songwriter and musician. He is the frontman and only remaining original member of the Sisters of Mercy, a band that emerged from the British post-punk scene ...
– vocals, keyboards, guitars, drum programming (1980–1985, 1987–present), drums (1980) * Ben Christo – guitars, backing vocals, bass (2006–present) * Dylan Smith – guitars, backing vocals (2019–present) ;Touring musicians * Ravey Davey – Doktor Avalanche operator (1996; 2008; 2012–present) ;Former members *
Gary Marx Gary Marx (born Mark Frederick Pearman) is a British guitarist and musician. He was a founding member of British rock band the Sisters of Mercy and its lead-guitarist and songwriter from 1980 to 1985. He left the band in 1985 to form Ghost Da ...
– guitars, (1980–1985) vocals (1980) * Keith Fuller – vocals (1980) * Claire Shearsby – keyboards (1980) *
Jon Langford Jonathan Denis Langford (born 11 October 1957) is a Welsh musician and artist based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Langford is a founder member of the punk band The Mekons, the post-punk group The Three Johns, and the alternative count ...
– keyboards (1980) * Dave Humphrey – guitars (1981) *
Tom Ashton Tom Ashton is a musician, producer and film composer. He is also an original founder member and guitarist of early 1980s British gothic rock/post-punk band The March Violets. Based in Leeds, England, the band released many tracks which went on ...
- guitars (1981) * Craig Adams – bass (1981–1985) * Ben Gunn – guitars (1981–1983) *
Wayne Hussey 250px, Hussey performing at the M'era Luna Festival in 2004. Jerry Wayne Hussey (born 26 May 1958) is an English musician who was born in Bristol, England. He is best known as the lead singer of The Mission, and the guitarist with The Sisters ...
– guitars, backing vocals (1983–1985) *
Patricia Morrison Patricia Anne Rainone (born January 14, 1962), better known by her stage name Patricia Morrison, is an American bass guitarist, singer and songwriter. She has worked with Bags, The Gun Club, Fur Bible, The Sisters of Mercy, and the Damned. Bio ...
– bass, backing vocals (1987–1989) * Andreas Bruhn – guitars (1989–1993) * Tony James – bass (1989–1991) *
Tim Bricheno Tim Bricheno (born Timothy John Bricheno, 6 July 1963, Huddersfield, Yorkshire) is an English guitarist, songwriter and music teacher. He was a member of several notable English indie bands, including All About Eve, The Sisters of Mercy, XC-NN ( ...
– guitars (1990–1992) * Adam Pearson – guitars, backing vocals, bass (1993–2006) *
Chris Sheehan The Starlings were an English alternative rock band, formed in 1989, utilising as the main project for New Zealand-born singer/guitarist Chris Sheehan. The group was dissolved by Sheehan around the release of their last EP. Sheehan went on to ...
– guitars, backing vocals (1996, 2000–2005) * Mike Varjak – guitars (1997–2000) *
Chris Catalyst Chris Catalyst (born 11 February 1980) is a British rock singer-songwriter and musician, best known for his work with The Sisters of Mercy, Ugly Kid Joe, Ginger Wildheart, Terrorvision, The Professionals, Mariachi El Bronx, The Scaramanga Six ...
– guitars, backing vocals (2005–2019) ;Former touring musicians * Dan Donovan – keyboards (1990–1991) *Simon Denbigh – Doktor Avalanche operator (1996–2012)


Timeline


Line-ups


Doktor Avalanche

The original incarnation of Doktor Avalanche was a
BOSS Boss may refer to: Occupations * Supervisor, often referred to as boss * Air boss, more formally, air officer, the person in charge of aircraft operations on an aircraft carrier * Crime boss, the head of a criminal organization * Fire boss, ...
DR-55 ("Doctor Rhythm"); the Doktor was later replaced by a
Roland TR-606 The Roland TR-606 Drumatix is a drum machine built by the Roland Corporation from 1981 to 1984. It was originally designed to be used with the Roland TB-303, a monophonic analog bass synthesizer, to provide a simple drum and bass accompaniment t ...
, soon followed by a TR-808, and, briefly, a
TR-909 The Roland TR-909 Rhythm Composer is a drum machine introduced by Roland Corporation in 1983, succeeding the TR-808. It was the first Roland drum machine to use samples for some sounds, and the first with MIDI functionality, allowing it to syn ...
. On one album, '' First and Last and Always'', an Oberheim DMX bore the Doktor name. With increased financial resources from sale of the album, the Doktor was upgraded to a
Yamaha Yamaha may refer to: * Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services, established in 1887. The company is the largest shareholder of Yamaha Motor Company (below). ** Yamaha Music Foundation, an organization estab ...
RX5, and subsequently reinforced by
Akai Akai ( ja, 赤井, ) is a Hong Kong manufacturer of consumer electronics. It was founded as Akai Electric Company Ltd in Tokyo, Japan, in 1946. Grande Holdings in Hong Kong purchased the Akai brand, and now distributes various electronic produ ...
S900 and S1000 samplers. An Akai S3200 has been used as studio equipment. Soon after, the first digital Doktor appeared in the form of a set of
Compaq Compaq Computer Corporation (sometimes abbreviated to CQ prior to a 2007 rebranding) was an American information technology company founded in 1982 that developed, sold, and supported computers and related products and services. Compaq produced ...
portable PCs, which had to be scrapped when it became impossible to maintain them because of a lack of spare parts. In recent years the "Digital Doktor" has been moved to a custom-built laptop designed by Eldritch and constructed by an English military software and hardware company. For a time there was some division in the band whether or not the Doktor should be moved to a
Macintosh The Mac (known as Macintosh until 1999) is a family of personal computers designed and marketed by Apple Inc. Macs are known for their ease of use and minimalist designs, and are popular among students, creative professionals, and software en ...
running
Logic Logic is the study of correct reasoning. It includes both formal and informal logic. Formal logic is the science of deductively valid inferences or of logical truths. It is a formal science investigating how conclusions follow from premises ...
or remain as is. In a 2011 interview with a New Zealand radio station, Eldritch said Doktor Avalanche was now a MacBook Pro laptop running Steinberg
Cubase Cubase is a digital audio workstation (DAW) developed by Steinberg for music and MIDI recording, arranging and editing. The first version, which was originally only a MIDI sequencer and ran on the Atari ST computer, was released in 1989. Cut-dow ...
. Doktor Avalanche also "runs" the on-line
advice column An advice column is a column in a question and answer format. Typically, a (usually anonymous) reader writes to the media outlet with a problem in the form of a question, and the media outlet provides an answer or response. The responses are wr ...
on the group's website.


Discography

*'' First and Last and Always'' (1985) *'' Floodland'' (1987) *'' Vision Thing'' (1990)


References


External links


Official website

Official UK website


{{DEFAULTSORT:Sisters Of Mercy English gothic rock groups English new wave musical groups Musical groups established in 1980 Post-punk groups from Leeds Warner Music Group artists Elektra Records artists East West Records artists Rhino Records artists