Sisterhood Violence

Warsaw · 17 Dec 2007, 15:59

I saw the Sisters a couple of times, once supporting the Virgin Prunes at the Electric Ballroom, London in August 1983 and the other in Brighton in 1985 (April?) where I had the unfortunate experience of being beaten up by the Sisters following! (Sisterhood?).

While most gigs the moshing/chicken dancing or whatever you want to call it was usually a mass of people having a good time (well most of the time there was often the odd cretin), the Sisterhood were very territorial that night. I had dared to encroach in their circle and was violently shoved out by one guy who had been an idiot all night. I had the audacity to shove him back and was promptly set upon by a few of them pushed to the ground and kicked in the face - lovely! It ruined the gig for me.

I think most of the following were from Yorkshire (Wakefield?), though I could have been confusing that following with the Ghost Dance one who between Ghost Dance songs would chant 'Wakefield, Wakefield' when they played the Art College Basement.

I did have some satisfaction in seeing the Eskimos getting their comeuppance when they get attacked by the Horsham Scooter Boys at a m*****n gig at Brighton Top Rank.

Did anyone else have any similar experiences? Do you any of the Sisterhood post on this board!

the-happening · 17 Dec 2007, 17:48

The Top Rank gig in 86 was agood gig, a little rougher than was usual but I didn't see anyone get their "comeuppance" and I was in the melle! Gatwick airport that night was full of people unable to get back to London and it was warm, as for SISTERS gigs never saw any violence just a lot of intense sometimes manic dancing, I only ever got grief at one gig and that was the MISH NEC 1990 when some daft cow ripped my t shirt off me to get my backstage pass (she had bloody sharp nails and drew blood)

EvilBastard · 17 Dec 2007, 18:11

I've never seen any trouble at a Sisters gig except for the 1996 concert in New York when two buttholes kicked off behind us and resorted to hair-pulling. They were about 4 rows behind us and people just cleared a circle for them until security showed up.

dinky daisy · 17 Dec 2007, 21:54

drunken idiots on a mushroom and hash diet never did it for me. They're everywhere and i think they should die.

Christian · 17 Dec 2007, 22:22

Hm, I can not tell about the 80ies unfortunately. My first Sisters gig was in 1993. However, the people I know from this forum and the people I travelled Europe with have are all very nice: During travels, before the gigs, in the mosh pit, after the gigs. In fact some of the greatest people I've ever met.

I have seen people at some gigs though I do not want to meet again.

Like the dumbass in Amsterdam in 2006 (see thread in this forum), or some drunk bastard who kicked my knee in Budapest (he wanted to kick Eggi but hit me). And I will never understand why people have to pogo during songs like Flood I (Zottegem). It's those people who can ruin a gig.

I think the best crowd I've ever seen in the mosh pit was the New Model Army following in Hannover a few weeks ago. That was pure non aggressive pogo fun.

eotunun · 18 Dec 2007, 01:03

Christian wrote:And I will never understand why people have to pogo during songs like Flood I (Zottegem). It's those people who can ruin a gig.

Hear, hear! I'll never forget the pogoing bunch next to me on the 2003 DÃ¼sseldorf. I got several songs ruined and kicked and jumped at several times. My ancle was black and blue the next day.
..but when I joined them, they stopped. Inconsequence, say I!

biggy · 18 Dec 2007, 02:52

The lot that used to shout "Wakefield" followed Ghost Dance.

I saw the Sisters quite a lot, the m*****n quite a lot, Ghost dance quite a lot and Salvation the best part of 200 times.
Norwich UEU in 88 stands out in my memory as far as trouble goes. Salvation supported the m*****n & the locals AND security decided to gang up on both band followings who were short of numbers that night. Amongst other things, a young girl called Jen had her head smashed against a door frame by one of the security.

Gangs of locals often started trouble with band followings. In general the eskimos, spook squad, jivers etc etc were all about having a good time, not causing trouble. Obviously there's always the odd exeption to the rule.

stefan moermans · 18 Dec 2007, 08:55

biggy wrote:The lot that used to shout "Wakefield" followed Ghost Dance.

I saw the Sisters quite a lot, the m*****n quite a lot, Ghost dance quite a lot and Salvation the best part of 200 times.
Norwich UEU in 88 stands out in my memory as far as trouble goes. Salvation supported the m*****n & the locals AND security decided to gang up on both band followings who were short of numbers that night. Amongst other things, a young girl called Jen had her head smashed against a door frame by one of the security.

Gangs of locals often started trouble with band followings. In general the eskimos, spook squad, jivers etc etc were all about having a good time, not causing trouble. Obviously there's always the odd exeption to the rule.

strange strange very strange indeed. How foolish of me to think that music and gangs doesn't work together. I Thought is the one think on earth that re-unites all people regardless of language, colour or whatever. How very very very very stupid of me.

Another dream smashed to pieces. May it rest in peace.

paul · 18 Dec 2007, 09:23

If there's trouble, most of the times it is with "locals". People who probably have never heard of the band playing in "their" bar, then get bored and start ruining other people's evening.

This happened to us several times...

Spiggy's hat · 18 Dec 2007, 10:52

Christian · 19 Dec 2007, 21:16

"Security" is another topic, right. Like those idiots who very pulling down people who were sitting on s.o. elses shoulders. Can be quite dangerous for both the guy on top and the one on the ground.

James Blast · 20 Dec 2007, 00:22

The Cure - Tiffanys Ballroom c.1981
Carnage Visors/Faith tour thingey, the skins* at that were fine, looked real heavy and were no fun, but no troub.

Sex Gang Children - Nightmoves, Glasgow c. 1981/2
Skinheads* looking for a fight, they got bored so started one. Now, I did not enjoy Six Grown Children at all, lemme get that straight, but I would not have got 'sKrew'ed Up" and kicked shit outta some folks like those knunkheids (sic) did that night. Me and my mate (can sing

) got caught up in the debacle as we tried to leave.
No troub at any concert before or after and I saw The Clash, The Birthday Party (that was a close one between band and sparse audience tho), JAM-C (never seen a more bored crowd) and Genesis without Gabriel!

All I know for sure all I know for certain, is that a Sisters' concert these days is more about the people, there and then. Many friends have reunited via HL and all of them are cool.

*coulda been different guys but I doubt it. I never bothered to find out or ask.

20 Dec 2007, 07:59

I was at that Top Rank show & didn't notice any hassle tbh. But then I was so into the Sissies, that anything could have been kicking off & I wouldn't have noticed.
I think the only Band where I saw trouble was The Cramps at the same venue.
All the gigs I went to were a little rough & for sure, bruises did appear the next day, but i think that was just normal.

weebleswobble · 20 Dec 2007, 09:24

I'll have the lot of you

Syberberg · 20 Dec 2007, 16:18

weebleswobble wrote:I'll have the lot of you

Quantity over quality eh, weebles?

weebleswobble · 20 Dec 2007, 16:51

Syberberg wrote:
weebleswobble wrote:I'll have the lot of you
Quantity over quality eh, weebles?

Again with the whole 'Have you been talking to the wife?'

Syberberg · 20 Dec 2007, 18:07

weebleswobble wrote:
Syberberg wrote:
weebleswobble wrote:I'll have the lot of you
Quantity over quality eh, weebles?
Again with the whole 'Have you been talking to the wife?'

Warsaw · 20 Dec 2007, 18:21

Thanks for th replies! I only mentioned it coz it was the only gig out of many that I got beaten up at. One of the most mental was Birthday Party at the Venue (London) in August 1983, but I f**king loved it! The main ones for trouble I can think of were Killing Joke at Brighton Jenkinsons (June 81) when skinheads picked on people at random (one had thick walking stick used as a club! Not nice), ditto Dead Kennedys at Brighton Poly 1982. The skinheads seemed to get away with loads of trouble with no one fighting back (me included, too scared).

I suppose later on there was the odd bit of trouble with psychobillys who seemed to pride themselves on the fact that they could chicken dance more violently than anyone else! Promoters in London had a habit of booking a psychobilly support band for indie gigs. Please don't take offence out all you psychobillys out there!

paul · 20 Dec 2007, 19:51

Warsaw wrote: Promoters in London had a habit of booking a psychobilly support band for indie gigs. Please don't take offence out all you psychobillys out there!

Strange habit indeed

vicus · 20 Dec 2007, 20:05

psychobilly? who?

weebleswobble · 21 Dec 2007, 01:33

I',m so fuucked it all makes perferct sense

Andrew S · 21 Dec 2007, 02:28

I was a late starter so I can't comment on early days band followings. I've encountered some incidents at more recent Sisters gigs but none of them from fans, unless you count hardcore bunny boilers - Vienna 05 turned out to be a magnet for those

More often, it's been bored locals taking the huff cos they didn't get front row or people completely off their faces turning nasty for whatever reason. Personally, I've not had anything worse than attempted kicks up the arse and mad cows screaming in my ears, but I've known people who've been punched, burnt with lit cigarettes and even pissed on. Not nice!

The bouncers at the Edinburgh Playhouse used to have a reputation for being extremely heavy handed. A friend of mine saw Hawkwind there around 88 (were you there James?). A lot of the crowd were smoking weed and 2 of the bouncers picked out the smallest guy there with a joint and started kicking the s**t out of him. Apparently 2 huge bikers saw what was going on, kicked the 2 bouncers unconscious, then picked up the guy, dusted him down, put a fresh joint in his mouth, lit it and walked off

Apparently the bouncers literally had to be dragged away and for the rest of the night, only female security were assigned to that part of the hall. My friend was stoned himself at the time and found the whole episode surreal

Barracuda · 21 Dec 2007, 13:37

I think that was pretty standard in the 1980s. I was told to f*ck off for daring to get too close to the front at Coventry in 1985 and my mate had his Sisters T torn to shreds for the same thing.

Smallstone · 22 Dec 2007, 18:35

I was at the M*****n show at the Top Rank in 1986 and witnessed the security rush the pit (as it were). I was only 14 and at my first 'club show' (Rose of Avalanche in support, they broke a bass string on the 1st song - M*****n were alright ifI remember.. but I was only 14...).
It was pretty ugly bit all over quite quickly - and I managed not to get involved...Ahh you don't get grief like that at gigs these days..
Amusingly (ok not that amusing really) my older brother who had taken me to the show ended up living with some of the Rose of Avalanche in their shared house in Leeds a few years later. I helped him move in. Nearly landed the job to play drums for them as Mark the original drummer had just quit (and I was/still am a drummer). Had to turn 'em down though...

paul · 22 Dec 2007, 22:26

Smallstone wrote:I was at the M*****n show at the Top Rank in 1986 and witnessed the security rush the pit (as it were). I was only 14 and at my first 'club show' (Rose of Avalanche in support, they broke a bass string on the 1st song - M*****n were alright ifI remember.. but I was only 14...).
It was pretty ugly bit all over quite quickly - and I managed not to get involved...Ahh you don't get grief like that at gigs these days..
Amusingly (ok not that amusing really) my older brother who had taken me to the show ended up living with some of the Rose of Avalanche in their shared house in Leeds a few years later. I helped him move in. Nearly landed the job to play drums for them as Mark the original drummer had just quit (and I was/still am a drummer). Had to turn 'em down though...

Nice story! you could have been "rich and famous" now ...