peru - brasil - argentina

[Bartek]

agree that tour is more possible but it's just his words nothing more and nothing less. and i know that, like always, he can do a plan but that what from that will/may happen is different thing.

[lachert]

the last "empty" year was 2004, so he'll rest and watch world cup in 2010 and then after moneys run out, make some big new album tour in 2011.

[7anthea7]

Eh, in a couple of years he'll be needing to replenish the cat food account...

[LouLou]

perhaps he should get himself a few more cats so that the cat food account runs out a bit sooner?

[Nadia81]

I don't know what was expected but having just watched the videos (thanks , Bartek!) that was not a bad gig.

[Being645]

Thank you, Eva for giving us a different account of the gig.

And now I-ll drown in my post-tour-depression, so please excuse me.

... since , by some funny happenstance the very last song of this tour has not been this one,
the following link and the view of 2011 might curb any upcoming discontent a little bit ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CARIYmnv0nA

and of course the hundreds of vids of all those wonderful
(and not so 100 % wonderful) 2008/2009 concerts at YouTube.



And thanks, 7anthea7 , for your comprehensive reflections.

The Sisters have a chronic and significant difficulty factor in meeting the expectations of their fans. I suspect it is at least in part due to the fact that there is more than one 'cult' of fans: the one that expects them to exactly reproduce the sound of their albums, the one that expects them to be *the g-word*, the one that cares for nothing but the old Reptile House era...and those of us who can embrace the current reality. Maybe that just means we're easy to please , but I don't think it's that simple.

In addition (and in my personal impression), 's playing with expectations has made Sisters' concerts
an exciting and adventurous affair over years. Not without losses, though ... I think, this has become
somewhat less necessary by now, and not to the worse. Others might not have taken notice of that, yet.

I'm dreaming of some festival gigs before 2011 ... ... but heaven knows ...


.

[Being645]

I don't know what was expected but having just watched the videos (thanks , Bartek!) that was not a bad gig.

Thanks to Bartek from me as well.

... and btw the audience didn't seem so very discontent, obviously ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3ka233b ... re=channel (Alice)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tkN3o1m ... re=channel (Dominion / Mother Russia)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHAvnyT9 ... re=channel (We are teh same, Suzanne)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMuVs1mz ... re=channel (F&L&A)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tt6zkz8e ... re=channel (Temple of Love)

[dinky daisy]

nench, the vip wasn't sold out!

the gig was a shame. It is sad that my feeling and memory of sisters of mercy were destroyed tonight.

first the crew needed one hour to set up the light and put the fog-machine in the right position, so it could finally start at 10 p.m. instead of 9 p.m.

and then they started...I was so much looking forward to this event and travelled 24 hours to see them and then: worst sound quality!
Ok, I thought, it happens, give them another song or two, the sound engineer has to adjust everything, but nope, almost no change during the concert.

Andrew's words were hardly to be understood, the voice of the embarrassingly behaving show-off rhythm-guitarist sounded so misplaced (though that changed a bit later one, the sound engineer seemed to be there somehow...) and the lead guitarist should better look for a straight rock or metal band with his cold, emotionless and absolutely non-innovative style of playing. The drum computers (oh sweety-boy, do we have a dell, an apple AND an eee! nothing else to show off...?!) sounded unclear, undifferentiated, fuzzy. Neither sharp heights, nor a stomach-trembling base. All in all they were not rocking, not touching, not arriving.
They were unnecessary.
If they would have been a cover-band, I wouldn't complain. But it wasn't, it was an Eldritch in the need of money who gives a f..! on his fans!! Taking two boys who play and sing like in a school band and make some money. And doing all that in a poor country for prices that are a plain insult to it's people!

At the beginning it seemed, that Andrew was aware of the p*ss taking he was up to, because of smoking one cigarette after the other. But luckily Peruvians are some happy and thankful people (and don't have the chance to see international groups too often) and tried to have their fun, singing and dancing, though often it didn't last to long, because the sound was just too boring.
No wonder, no encore was demanded. A short version of Temple of Love was given anyway. Good, that we know the lyrics, cause the voice was still not clear.

What a disappointing night. What a waste of money. What a destruction of a cult.
The Sisters of Mercy are dead.

Hey, this is always the same story I hear the chaps next to me in the train saying when I went to see a Sisters Show.

Sorry to hear from you that you feel betrayed. I know this feeling, but the difference is that I never made a daytime trip to see them live and at least getting the intro and the fog machine is enough for me to have fun.

Pseudo-Modernists Sisters have more in common w/ The Fall and Suicide (and therefore sound crappy now and then) on the one side rather than 'popular' and oiled up acts such as NIN or Marilyn Manson, and on the second side they are so much more 21st 'machine' than any other band. They have irony & body & soul. Sometimes.

I saw a LOT of contemporary bands in my life sounding 100% fine but giving me zero spirit. I saw some Sisters shows in my life sounding 50% up to 90% but usually the spirit was close to 90%.

That said, of course The Cure is a better live act. And they bring out records that I don't care about anymore since 1992.

[Nadia81]

Spot on!

[andersja]

Eldritch actually thinks quite fondly of his fans, and he doesn't like disappointing us any more than we like being disappointed. I can only hope that, given some time to gain perspective, you'll realise this, and feel less bitter about it. I am confident he doesn't feel any better about this than you do, and he certainly was not disrespecting you in the way you seem to think he was. [/quote]

And just how does Andrew show this? That he doesn´t like disappointing us?
And, no, if a concert is bad and the sound is terrible and I have difficulting hearing the vocals 99% of the time, I won´t feel a less bitter, not a week, nor a year afterwards.
And the fact remains - they ALWAYS have terrible sound at their concerts, if not terrible then bad.... It has been like this for seven years at least, I have forgot to be honest, and the setlist has not changed that much since...
The band knows that we keep complaining about the sound. They do nothing about it. The band knows that we want to hear more variations in the setlist. They do nothing about it. They hardly update the website. They never put out records. Not disrespecting???

If they tour again next year I am certain that the sound remains bad and that we will hear:
crash & burn
train/det.boul.
flood 1 & 2
alice
anaconda (with the terrilble "she wiiiiiil")
susanne
the song that features the two guitarists, followed by
temple of love (the second part of the extended version) or
vision thing

i have seen them a lot of times since 1985. in 1985 the sound was loud and good and the drums and bass felt in the stomache.
the last time I saw the was two months ago. it was a sad joke... the irony was gone. the day after I felt as if I did not attend the show, it was allready fading from my mind... And that is how I have felt the last six-seven years... I saw them in Madrid 2000. It was the last time they sounded good. The last time I heard Andrew sang. He talked a lot between the songs and the audience could hear EVERY word he said, including "my girlfriend is out there tonight - I hope you take good care of her",and "A little less fog, please..."

I wish that the show in Madrid was the last time ever I saw them....

[Being645]

And the fact remains - they ALWAYS have terrible sound at their concerts, if not terrible then bad....

Can't confirm that. I've seen concerts in the 90ies with rather unclear sound (depending on where you stood).
Since 2001 the sound has mostly been alright at the (about seven) concerts I've attended.
However, problems with sound quality occur again and again ... and this should be sorted out, effectively.

They do nothing about it. They hardly update the website. They never put out records. Not disrespecting??? ...

In my opinion, this has got nothing to do with respect. And secondly, on what basis are you
demanding such services at all? They haven't signed a contract with you, have they?
Of course, you dearly miss to have regular news from the front line ... but that's how it is in this business.
Checking websites of other bands you might find more updates ... however, I bet you won't
feel more satisfied after having cruised seven more pages one afternoon or other ...
and as to records - I'm sure they made records, if they could.

I wish that the show in Madrid was the last time ever I saw them....

... I wonder ... what in case of an unexpected release of a new album ...

[Moakahontas]

I just saw them one time. Méra Luna 2005 in Hildesheim and - I didn´t found anything wrong..nothing.. I´ve had a great time, it was a great show and as long as people come to see them - why the hell should he bring out an new album?

It´s ok, for my sake. The songs are timeless and they will be timeless for the next 30 years for sure.. I don´t see any reason to bring out another album..


However..I think, he´ll do the best like always..Don´t worry..

[7anthea7]

The band knows that we keep complaining about the sound. They do nothing about it. The band knows that we want to hear more variations in the setlist. They do nothing about it. They hardly update the website. They never put out records. Not disrespecting???

Enormously popular bands who make gazillions every time they tour and fill enormous venues have the money to hire big tech crews, and the power to make contractual demands that will guarantee sound quality. Cult bands playing small venues for 1/2 to 1/3 the price of tickets for one of those 'big name' acts have to do the best they can given the circumstances. Saying they 'do nothing' about the sound takes none of this into account, and is plain inaccurate. I've been at shows where Andrew has had words with the sound tech...

As for they 'know' that we want variation in the setlist: really? And you know this...how?

There's no doubt that people have their favourites that they'd like to hear that don't get played, but as an inclusive list to satisfy both long-time followers and those new to the fold, it's about the best that can be done. All you have to do is read the posts to the forums here to realise how difficult it would be to come up with the 'ideal' list - half the members hate the same songs that the other half love!

And to complain about those choices at this point in a tour...well, jeeze. First of all, if you're following the band at all closely, you'll know whether there have been any rumours - or proof - of new material. If you check Sisters fan sites, or subscribe to Dominion, you have access to setlists typically within hours of the performance, so you know what's coming. Had you been on the US East Coast, you'd have some basis for complaint, as there would have been no way to know unquestionably what to look forward to. But from November of last year onward, it was fairly obvious how shows would be going.

If you didn't have these resources at your disposal, then it's true you couldn't know this ahead of time in order to make your decision whether or not to see them. It seems odd that someone who has been a fan since 1985 wouldn't have sought them out, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. But to blame it all on the band...unh uh. If you've been dissatisfied with both the sound and the setlists for as long as you say you have, it's your lookout to do a little research and check out the reviews of the current tour. The Sisters are a crap shoot, and have been all along - so don't gamble if you can't afford the price.

The website is, indeed, not updated terribly often. But that sort of goes hand in hand with the bootleg industry. This is a cult band, like it or not, and the primary source of information is the fan network. If there's nothing pertinent to add to the official site, you can hardly expect it to be changed just to keep you amused. And again, there aren't great numbers of people paid to be doing this sort of thing, because The Sisters aren't that kind of money-maker.

And about records: No artist is under any obligation whatsoever to produce just because the fans want it. Neither are the fans obligated to buy what is produced just because it exists. If you're dissatisfied by the fact that there have been no new releases - then move on. Waiting on The Sisters is for those with patience - maybe even delusions - and if you can't handle the frustration, then you probably should put that energy into someone else.

None of these things signifies by definition that the fans are 'disrespected'. If you're taking it that personally...I think you need a little perspective. Seriously.

[Being645]

I just saw them one time. Méra Luna 2005 in Hildesheim and - I didn´t find anything wrong..nothing.. I´ve had a great time, it was a great show and as long as people come to see them - why the hell should he bring out an new album?

I have seen them at the M'era Luna 2002 - that was really close to heaven ... and absolutely no
sound or light or fog problems. And the same before in Bonn and Hasselt - great shows.
Or in Tilburg 2005 and at the M'era Luna 2005 (unfortunately the last festival I've been able to get to).

After that I could only see them when they came to the f**king place where I was born
[can well be they have friends here - I don't know these people and they definitely do not know me!!!!!!!!!].
In 2001, I had even felt it necessary not to go to the concert (although I've still got the ticket)
in order to prevent myself from what I might have had to suffer in my environment afterwards ...
These days are gone.

This year things got ever better the longer they played ... I think they reached the utmost possible
under the circumstances given ... still far from most of the following shows in Paris, Milan, Barcelona,
Lisboa or in Northern and Eastern Europe, and in Budapest, Zagreb and Zurich, not to mention
Buenos Aires, Porto Allegre or Sao Paulo ... doesn't matter. I'm already saving to see them
again in any place within my reach. And, hopefully, once again here as well.

...

It´s ok, for my sake. The songs are timeless and they will be timeless for the next 30 years for sure.. I don´t see any reason to bring out another album...
However..I think, he´ll do the best like always..Don´t worry..

Timeless - you say it ... :: ... timeless and wonderful. That's why so many of us (me included)
are hoping for more of this - in shape of a new album. On the other hand, I can well imagine -
and approve of - several reasons why this might not have come into being formerly and some other
reasons why it couldn't be done lately. However, beyond some foggy horizon I can also smell sometimes
the adventurous taste of reasons and chances accounting for another album ... one of them is life.

[Mr. Wah]

I don't know why people are complaining about the bad sound or setlist when the biggest problem is clearly Von's voice, which is in an appalling state of disrepair.

By 2003 his voice, although still basically sound, was in noticeable decline - for the first time it sounds as if he can't really manage Romeo Down. The decline was far more serious by 2006. Since then it has been downhill all the way, and this is not just a general worsening due to age. The (crystal clear) 2008 Suikerrock recording is shocking - it sounds, at times, as if he hardly has enough breath to force the words out. And I don't see that 2009 represents any particular improvement.

Maybe it's time to quit the fags, or to take some other more drastic measure, but his vocal performances are usually most alarmingly these days.

[Ozpat]

Ah, look who's back....

Complaining, complaining....

http://www.myheartland.co.uk/viewtopic. ... sc&start=0

[7anthea7]

Ah, look who's back....

Complaining, complaining....

http://www.myheartland.co.uk/viewtopic. ... sc&start=0

What a waste of my 'breath', in that case...

I try to excise these things from my memory - apparently it's working.

[Ozpat]

Ah, look who's back....

Complaining, complaining....

http://www.myheartland.co.uk/viewtopic. ... sc&start=0

What a waste of my 'breath', in that case...

I try to excise these things from my memory - apparently it's working.

You're doing fine!

[Nadia81]

I like reading your posts anyway,Anthea.

[LouLou]

so do i, they are very informative

keep it up, girl!

[_emma_]

Mr. Wah -
It's been a lovely day. Corpus Christi is a bank holiday in my country, so although I don't believe in gods, I could get up late and spend this lovely sunny day sunbathing on my lawn in the company of myself, my cats and dog, and nice chilled Kagor wine. The birds were chirping and the bees were buzzing, so I thought well yeah the sounds you guys make are lovely, but I need some music here please excuse me - and I fetched the player from the house and placed it beside me on the grass, and listened to my recent favourite stuff: Battle of Metal 2007, Minneapolis 2008, Suikerrock 2008, and then Berlin and Paris 2009.
I don't know if it was the combination of sunlight + day off + wine, but anyway, I found myself thinking what great recordings those are, and how absolutely stonking they sound, and what a great feeling it is to experience those electric shivers in the sunlight, and how they make me feel that life is not bad, and how happy I am to have these recordings beside me to remind me of the great moments I had and look into the future with hope.
Then some clouds covered the sun and I had enough sunbathing so I went back into the house and checked HL quickly before taking a shower, and found your post amongst others, with the "appaling" and "shocking" words to describe exactly the same thing that I'd just thought was awesome and stonking.
I know that everything is subjective and everybody is entitled to an opinion, so why am I writing about it here, I don't know, there's probably no point because your negative thoughts are probably no less real than my positive thoughts... But just for the sake of keeping the balance, I'll post mine too, what the hell why not, in between the shower and the after-sun lotion application.
*walks off humming "I don't really know what for... but she looked good in ribbonssss"*....

[Eva]

I appreciate your posts, too, dear Anthea, so please keep them coming.

As you pointed out, a Sisters gig experience can vary a lot depending on the individual expectations. If somebody expects 1985, they'll be dissapointed. But for f sake: do some research before you spend the money, there is enough material available on the net.
And this 2008/2009 tour has been on top level, regardless of the few flaws there have been (and that you can have with every band). Sao Paulo was so outstanding, it reminded me of Pukkelpop 1992 - which was a top gig during a top-aera. No wonder The Sisters love Brazil so much!
As for setlists: That's another complaint I don't understand. As if other bands (like Interpol or any other) changed their setlist every night. Besides, again we've been spoiled on this tour: Floorshow, Logic, Good Things, Marian.

*sigh* I could go on for hours about this. But I'll shut up, leaving whoever might list listen/read with the following words: Next tour, if you can't do much, try to scratch the money together for a trip to South America.

[Prescott]

Timeless - you say it ... :: ... timeless and wonderful. That's why so many of us (me included)
are hoping for more of this - in shape of a new album. On the other hand, I can well imagine -
and approve of - several reasons why this might not have come into being formerly and some other
reasons why it couldn't be done lately. However, beyond some foggy horizon I can also smell sometimes
the adventurous taste of reasons and chances accounting for another album ... one of them is life.

Being645 your posts lately have been very inspiring to read. I like someone who hasn't given up on the release of a new Sisters album.



I strongly believe that there will be a new Sisters album. The question of course is only when?

And about the live sound, I couldn't agree with Eva more. I think they have been wonderful in '08 and '09!

[paul]

Ah, look who's back....

Complaining, complaining....

http://www.myheartland.co.uk/viewtopic. ... sc&start=0

Nice piece of digging, Patrick

[Mr. Wah]

Mr. Wah -
and found your post amongst others, with the "appaling" and "shocking" words to describe exactly the same thing that I'd just thought was awesome and stonking.
I know that everything is subjective and everybody is entitled to an opinion, so why am I writing about it here, I don't know, there's probably no point because your negative thoughts are probably no less real than my positive thoughts... But just for the sake of keeping the balance, I'll post mine too, what the hell why not, in between the shower and the after-sun lotion application.
*walks off humming "I don't really know what for... but she looked good in ribbonssss"*....

Emma,

I didn't describe the recordings or the Sisters performances as appalling or shocking, I described the state of Von's voice as such. It's not subjective, it's obvious. If you don't realise that you must either be deaf ... or blinded by love.

I have been a fan for twenty-something years now, and I still am. I don't use my my occasional posts at HL to bitch about the bad sound at concerts, the new guitarists or anything else. In one of my recent posts I even shared some compilations of the recent recordings. Taken in the context of my last post, I would call that 'balance' - wouldn't you? Anyway, I was merely pointing out that Von's voice, which is the most important part of The Sisters for me (and also for a large section of fans) is in extremely bad condition. Sometimes, for me, it is shocking or alarming to hear it. Personally, while I still take a good deal of enjoyment from the live performances, it also makes me sad to observe the fairly sharp decline.

I don't see why, for some people here, any comment perceived as anything other than effusive, unequivocal praise, needs to be met with a rebuttal. In your case, having read some of your posts, I see that 'balance' is not something you have when it comes to Mr. E, so I suppose allowances have to be made.