May 2 - London Astoria

[Smallstone]

Do I win a prize for being 1st to post about tonights Astoria shebang? No?... Thought not.
Ivories were good! There I've said it Hats off to Anna Ivorie! Posssibly the best drummer from Doncaster Ive ever seen. She's amazing. What a gal!
Sisters then.
Don't really know what to say...... They played Dominion. They played This Corrosion. They played Alice. They played er.... lots of other songs. Some of it was very average. Some of it was very good. Even some of the new songs. Not loud enough and too much dry ice.
It's 11.30 I'm off to bed.

[Ozpat]

Thanks for this quick review!

Too much smoke?

[aims]

*gives a cookie*

Well done for the review. Now why aren't you on the streets of London mingling with the other Heartlanders?

N.B. The above comment does not entitle you to mock me when I'm in bed for the same time on Thursday due to school in the morning ¬_¬

[bananacamel]

This is my first post, I've been a fan of the sisters for nearly 20 years (scary) and I'm sorry this is my first post.

I'd like to complain about the smoke, the smoke question has been well discussed though, and in all fairness the other times I've seen them the smoke has never been an issue. (Just that my girlfriend, who isn't a goth, loved Bauhaus, and couldn't see the sisters, so thought they were, less than average, a damn shame really)

My complaint is the set list, WTF, Vision Thing is a great album, so is Floodland, but I paid £50 (She isn't a goth I had to pay for 2 tickets) to see more than songs released post 1987 (And I'm not counting the rocked TF version of Anaconda)

The volume was so low, all I could hear were people around me talking (moaning about the smoke). I have to say that this is the worst, most disappointing sisters gig I've been to.

I hope that Nottingham is better.

[pashazade]

Thanks for this quick review!

Too much smoke?

Too much smoke as in - is the band on stage or is it just a tape + lightshow.

Actually it couldn't have been a tape, the sound wouldn't have been as bad.

Edit: fixed tags (markfiend)

[Gottdammerung]

Hmm.. not to much post gig HL action as people were going in all different directions and we were shoved out the venue pretty quickly..

Set courtesy of Ben's set list:

Crash & Burn
Ribbons
Dr Jeep / Detonation Boulevard
When You Don't See Me
Flood 1
We are the Same, Susanne
Giving Ground
Summer
Dominion
Slept
Alice
Anaconda
Romeo Down
Never Land
This Corrosion

Something Fast
Lucretia My Reflection

Top Nite Out
Temple



As for the gig.. crowd was really lively, especially for London.. though some people did appear to be out for aggro... Sound was good for the venue, though Von's voice was a bit too low in the mix, despite his best efforts at screaming to be heard.. lol..

Dominion and This Corrosion had the place bouncing, as did Temple of course.. myself ending up landing on someone in the pit... scary!

Anyway, that's alL I can say for now, got dodgy pics and vids to try and sort out and set list to frame..

Top nite out, specially after 13 years since the last time!

[aims]

Can anyone who saw the 2005 gigs confirm if the smoke has gotten worse? I'm not sure whether to sympathise or roll my eyes

[Ozpat]

Can anyone who saw the 2005 gigs confirm if the smoke has gotten worse? I'm not sure whether to sympathise or roll my eyes

Not from what I've experienced in Paris and Cologne....

[Begemot]

It pains me to say it, but I thought tonight's gig was s**t. Really poor sound - Von might not as well have been there.

Thanks to Ruffers for the ticket though...

[Thagda202]

It pains me to say it, but I thought tonight's gig was s**t. Really poor sound - Von might not as well have been there.

Couldn't agree more. s**t gig, s**t sound. All I could hear were people talking, mostly complaining that they couldn't hear Von....If that is deemed to be good enough then it'll be a long time before I bother spending money on a Sisters gig....

Thanks to those tha helped me with tickets - appreciated the help, if not the gig.

[euphoria]

Can anyone who saw the 2005 gigs confirm if the smoke has gotten worse? I'm not sure whether to sympathise or roll my eyes

On average, definitely worse. But it varies a lot from venue to venue, maybe smaller ones cannot cope with the amount of smoke the Sisters pump out?

I only saw Tilburg last year, that was perfect smoke-wise I think. Philly (big venue) had less than Tilburg but Malmö, Gothenburg and Berlin had more, in the case of Gothenburg much more. And despite a good gig, that much smoke takes away a bit of the experience, at least for me.

[bananacamel]

Seems to me, they've got bored, decided to play a set list of personal favourites, at the expense of giving the fans a decent show.

I love this band, and I shouldn't be this disappointed.

[James Blast]

Never Land (a fragment) is back, Yes!
bodes well for tomorrow night, sorry later tonight

[aims]

Why is it that people can be arsed searching for a forum to whinge about the gig afterwards but not to have a look at what they're in for beforehand? I know I'm seeing things from the skewed viewpoint of coming in late, but this "set list of personal favourites" seems to have been fairly stable over the past few years and people keep paying to see the shows

Meh. I'll reserve judgement until tomorrow, but that judgement will be based on the barely educated guesses I made before buying a ticket, not on the demand for a nostalgia act

Besides, Von has too little hair to do nostalgia

[James Blast]

calm down young fella, I have plenty of gripes about The Sisters my main one being not playing Never Land (a fragment) when I travel to see them

[CellThree]

Well I had a great time. Thanks for Mr and Mrs Streamline and Zippy for keeping me amused!

No major citisisms, yes there was a lot of smoke but it was atmospheric from where I was (circle right), although the people down on the floor were in a pea-souper by the looks of it.
The sound wasn't great, but the light show was. Ben's guitar work is superb compared to what I heard on the LV gig. Looks like all those nights of practising in the foreign fields have paid off.

Thought Von had run out of batteries at the end. The bow was very long...

[Donald]

Well I enjoyed it! It would have been better if AE was louder but I'm pretty sure he was like that last time I saw them. I particularly enjoyed Suzanne (sublime lighting), Lucretia and Temple. Roll on Saturday.

[daggs]

Amazing gig! Amazing sound..amazing lights...amazing people!Although I didn't meet any of you HLers unfortunately ( oh well...maybe next time) I did meet some nice people e.g. the only bloke wearing a whie shirt and his gf Amy, thanks alot for putting up with my sisters banter and no they never will have a drummer!
I'm thoroughly exhausted but it was truly worth it, there wasn't too much smoke, there was just enough to make the light show travel and von was visible for the most of it. It was only those that didn't expect it that thought there was too much I'm sure..I was surprised as there was less than I imagined! I hope the rest of you all had a great night
Thanks to random bloke at tottenham court road tube who let me take a pic of his tour shirt as I was too poor to buy my own! And luckily we were perched by the bar with a fridge! I even had my first whole can of beer type stuff! Got quite pissed considering it was just 4 cans!
Anyway I was the nutter knelt up on the right hand (as you look to the stage) bar divider from neverland or so onwards! Doing all the trippy dancing..I must say the sisters is a very intense experience that can be matched by no other! The pounding base..the lights...the atmosphere...I spent most of the time staring up to the roof Indescribable really..sorry to any of you who had to hear me screaming along to the songs...had to be done!
The only thing I'm disappointed about is that the b*stards took my digital camera away for the gig! If anyone has some photos I would really appreciate it!!
How was the HL pre-gig meet at crouchs?..will have to join you all next time...anyway I'm trekking home to bed..bye bye

[daggs]

oh ribbons was amazing...as was the rest of it but ribbons seemed to really get people moving. To be honest I can't think of anything that can be criticised about tonights gig...von was maybe abit quiet but when i jumped up on the bar divider I was higher than everyone else and I swear von stared at me for about 20 seconds! I may be dreaming...I'm pretty sure I wasn't but that makes up for the silence for me

[bananacamel]

Why is it that people can be arsed searching for a forum to whinge about the gig afterwards but not to have a look at what they're in for beforehand? I know I'm seeing things from the skewed viewpoint of coming in late, but this "set list of personal favourites" seems to have been fairly stable over the past few years and people keep paying to see the shows

Hold on. I've seen the Sisters loads of times, and I've commented here because for the first time I was dissappointed. I didn't search this out so I could moan.

I have never been to a Sisters gig where the general consensus of opinion was that it was poor, I'm not just giving my view.

Don't be so blinkered that anything other than 'It's the Sisters, I'm honored' is right.

Edit: fixed tags (markfiend)

[markreed]

Of the umpteen Sisters shows I've seen, it was, somewhat sadly the least enjoyable for me.

Firstly : not loud enough.

I've never seen a crowd constantly chanting "UP! UP! UP!" at the soundman before. The sound just wasn't loud enough. On the way home, my iPod set at half-volume was in fact louder. The sound was clear and precise and technically excellent - but it wasn't loud enough. I've never been able to have a coherent conversation in a moshpit before. My stereo at home is louder when the baby's asleep.

Secondly : Crowd.

The vast majority of the crowd, bar the usual rabble at the front (myself included), thought the entire purpose of being at the front is to stare like statues of slack jawed gannets. It perked a little about 40 minutes in when they played "Dominion", but by then the show was over half way through.

Thirdly : Length.

The Sisters played for 80 minutes. Shortest headline set I've seen. Almost everyone expected "Vision Thing" after "Temple" (as per every show since about 1990), and many people were vocally and visibly annoyed about the brevity of the set. I understand Eldo doesn't want to blow his voice on such a long tour (and there's no likelihood of that as long as he mumbles instead of wails parts of the songs), but that doesn't excuse clockwatching.

Fourthly : Smoke.

I went on the balcony for three songs and all I could see were some vague shadows moving through a sandstorm. I know smoke is an integral part of The Sisters show, but this was overkill. The lights are good enough anyway.


There were some very good points :

Ben and Robo are fantastic. Ben adds the serrated razor edge quality that's been missing ever since Andreas left. Maybe it's because he uses Pointy Guitars. I don't know. I thought Ben was an excellent choice and his work was spot on, as were his solos. Robo is also very very good - not only a brilliant visual presence, but the boy can play his socks off. Great choices by Andrew. Anyone who says otherwise is a traditionalist and missing the point. The Sisters aren't Goth, and this proved it.

I think I met a few regulars in the pit. Not to the level of introductions, but to the level of yelling words for songs at each other. Pit etiquette was generally excellent.

The band were definitely on form and tight as knackers. However, the other factors above (smoke overdose and not enough volume in particular) detracted from the overall experience. Roll on Nottingham and Glasgow - I might even meet some of you properly by then.

[daggs]

The volume was so low

The base was pounding against my chest where were you?!
sorry about the triple post lack of decent vision to post...too tired

[daggs]

Secondly : Crowd.

The vast majority of the crowd, bar the usual rabble at the front (myself included), thought the entire purpose of being at the front is to stare like statues of slack jawed gannets

The crowd did seem abit dead...when we were clapping for the sisters to come on me and my bf looked like idiots as no one joined in! (not that we cared ) But alot of the people in the stalls did seem to be just standing there staring...not a nodding head or anything...but I was trying to do my bit on my little perch anyway...no ones lack of movement could ruin that gig...I'd make my own!

[markreed]

it sounds like you were about 6 feet from the speakers - no wonder they were loud. For everyone else the sound was just too quiet.

[daggs]

Oh well, I'm sorry you didn't have a good night, glad I picked a decent perch I suppose. Are you going to any other UK gigs? Hope its better for you there if you are