KICKLINE, ARE WE GOING TO BE BAD?, BETTER REPTILE

[waters]

Better reptile is worse than arms, but i like show me

[Planet Dave]

Talking amongst old friends I've often used NMA as an example for the way forward for The Girls. They could even meet at Owlcotes to share a brew and compare notes

Also, I gather Headingley Rugby stadium, newly upgraded, can now hold a few gigs each year. The two of them would make a fab bill on the annual sunny saturday in Leeds.

That is an outstanding idea, I'm game for a 15 minute walk from home to big open-air Sisters gig. Sadly more likely to occur at Bosuilstadion or Arteveldestadion these days I reckon. Am anticipating the need for passports for any 40th birthday celebrations too.

[Bartek]

Better reptile is worse than arms, but i like show me

It's a matter of taste, so in indisputable, but at least "Better Reptile" is orignal song, not rip-off from Killing Joke.

[ruffers]

I've given this a fair go I think, four shows and quite a few online view, and I still struggle with the call and response of the chorus of Better Reptile. It would work better for me if Von sang all the bits.

Or maybe the boys sing "be a better reptile" and Von can give it some snarly "Shed Your Skin"

[EmmaPeelWannaBe]

and why wait until Catalyst has left before working on new material? It's all a bit sudden... the last "new" song was Arms, premiered during a soundcheck in 2008!

Spite?

[Swinnow]

Sisters - fuelled by vitriol since 1984 (at least)....

[majorsixth]

Chris for his part seems to have left amiably and even wrote that he might appear as a Sister again in some capacity so I'd hesitate to read the new activity as a gesture of spite towards him. It could be that but I hope not.

Better Reptile grows on me every time they play it, really like it now.

[GC]

I think Better Reptile makes for a better Tshirt than a song. I can see it now
Front - Shed your Skin - Logo.
Back-Better Reptile

I'll have an XL please.

[GC]

Sisters - fuelled by vitriol since 1984 (at least)....

[Bartek]

Chris for his part seems to have left amiably and even wrote that he might appear as a Sister again in some capacity so I'd hesitate to read the new activity as a gesture of spite towards him. It could be that but I hope not.

Don't know why, but I read it as typical dyplomatic statement, nice and friendly, because it's better not to burn bridges. And, it looks like Chris wasn't the one that was thrown from band but one who left party English way. (But that's just how I see this and I might be very, very wrong).

[euphoria]

Don't know why, but I read it as typical dyplomatic statement, nice and friendly, because it's better not to burn bridges.

Exactly. Neither Chris nor Andrew is stupid enough to burn bridges and both know they might need each other in future.
That being said, I'm convinced by what we've seen this month that Dylan can stay in the band as long as he wants to.

[Yggdrasil]

Just listened to ingos antwerp files with eq added. Honestly, all 4 are nice songs to listen to, Of course all wip. Dylan is always low in the mix, but when bringing him up and basses down things turn out promising.

I'd love to to hear this show, any links available?

[ruffers]

Show Me is great, my current earworm anyway.

[Dust Witch]

Definitely. It's my least favourite (still love it, just a bit less than the others) but it's been stuck in my head since Antwerp.

[majorsixth]

Chris on speculation about himself and the girls:

Oh, saw Eldritch & Co in Stockholm a few days ago and I can tell you the sisters without The Catalyst weren't The Sisters... Hope to see you some other time Chris.

That’s kind of you to say, but the Sisters transmogrify and twist and i’m sure that 95% of people don’t really care who he’s stood next to, so long as he turns up, both literally and figuratively speaking, which it sounds like he is doing on this tour. Long may that continue.

Also - the official line is - I haven’t left the band anyway - I just couldn’t do this tour. Who knows what will happen in the future?

While i am at it, I have seen lots of ideas and conjecture over my non-involvement and this tour on some corners of the internet. It’s really easy to get in touch with me (here, for instance) and just ask, rather than make it up. Otherwise Chinese whispers (can) start.

Some info is not up for grabs, because that’s how it works, but if anyone ever wants to ask me about anything, I’m pretty open and honest.

He's also talked about unfinished songs:

Yes - ‘I’ll Call You’ was written for the Sisters, as was ‘Distance Over Time’ on my solo LP. It does make me chuckle slightly when I occasionally see my name as a reason for the Sisters not doing new music, when in the 15 years I’ve spent with TSOM I wrote for about 15 albums.

I spoke to Andrew a bit ago about doing an AE ‘solo’ album, the inspiration being the Iggy Pop album ‘Post Pop Depression’. To sound a bit like that mixed with The Handsome Family. Sometimes I think the Sisters name is a bit of a millstone around his neck.

[...] Andrew has often got some bits of lyrics on the go, and Ben and I used to offer up riffs and such for a long time - sometimes full songs, arranged and programmed - but nobody was able to meld the two.

We finished the music [to Far Parade] (which was really great, we used to soundcheck with it) and Andrew finished the words but never seemed to want to sing them.

I would love to see him/they/us do a new record, but I can’t see it happening I’m afraid.

https://twitter.com/ChrisCatalyst

[Yggdrasil]

Thank you for sharing.

According to other recent threads, it seems like AE is still bound by a contract, which makes him unable to publish anything under his own name or under the Sisters moniker. I'm presuming that's the main reason for his unwillingness or lack of enthusiasm for writing new material – but then again, all of a sudden we have three new songs.

[euphoria]

It does make me chuckle slightly when I occasionally see my name as a reason for the Sisters not doing new music, when in the 15 years I’ve spent with TSOM I wrote for about 15 albums.

He is hurt and I understand him, but no one has said HE stood in the way of new songs, not directly anyway. We all know who runs the Sisters.

But he MUST wonder himself when 4 songs, counting Kickline and Instrumental, have been played after he left. During his 12 years in the Sisters, 2 new songs were played. That's a fact.

[Swinnow]

I don't think anyone actually believes the 'stuck in a contract' story anymore.

[majorsixth]

It does make me chuckle slightly when I occasionally see my name as a reason for the Sisters not doing new music, when in the 15 years I’ve spent with TSOM I wrote for about 15 albums.

He is hurt and I understand him, but no one has said HE stood in the way of new songs, not directly anyway. We all know who runs the Sisters.

But he MUST wonder himself when 4 songs, counting Kickline and Instrumental, have been played after he left. During his 12 years in the Sisters, 2 new songs were played. That's a fact.

He seems quite happy to answer this stuff, you could ask what he makes of it.

[Planet Dave]

Chris on speculation about himself and the girls:

Indeed thanks for sharing, very interesting for those of us who don't even know what twitter is. Shame it hasn't stopped the idle speculation, but no surprise there I guess.

[euphoria]

He seems quite happy to answer this stuff, you could ask what he makes of it.

His statement I quoted suggests this falls under "some info is not up for grabs", because the assumption that he stood in the way of new songs has not been central in any discussion here - more that Dylan's arrival, or something linked to that, has opened up something within Von's mind. And what that might be, I doubt he'd be willing to share with us even if he would have a good guess about it.

More practically, I'm not on Twitter.
And even more practically, I look forward to the gig tomorrow and a new sound that I like very much.
Something has happened center-stage, we can speculate why it has happened but most important is, it HAS happened

[Charlie]

He seems quite happy to answer this stuff, you could ask what he makes of it.

His statement I quoted suggests this falls under "some info is not up for grabs", because the assumption that he stood in the way of new songs has not been central in any discussion here - more that Dylan's arrival, or something linked to that, has opened up something within Von's mind. And what that might be, I doubt he'd be willing to share with us even if he would have a good guess about it.

More practically, I'm not on Twitter.
And even more practically, I look forward to the gig tomorrow and a new sound that I like very much.
Something has happened center-stage, we can speculate why it has happened but most important is, it HAS happened

Yep, exactly, what's happened has happened and i think Chris is very much appreciated here, he's incredibly creative and has been nothing but positive for The Sisters for me, i look forward to seeing what he does next, whether that's with The Sisters or one of his own projects.

As for right now, I love what's going on with the tour, new line-up and songs, hugely positive and exciting!
Long live The Sisters!

[Being645]

It does make me chuckle slightly when I occasionally see my name as a reason for the Sisters not doing new music, when in the 15 years I’ve spent with TSOM I wrote for about 15 albums.

He is hurt and I understand him, but no one has said HE stood in the way of new songs, not directly anyway. We all know who runs the Sisters.

But he MUST wonder himself when 4 songs, counting Kickline and Instrumental, have been played after he left. During his 12 years in the Sisters, 2 new songs were played. That's a fact.

Why should he be hurt? Such speculations are just s**t. And when it comes to bands playing or releasing songs it does in this case take at least three to tango.

Beyond that @Charlie
I couldn't agree more ... ...

[Dust Witch]

Wild, unfounded speculation and the Sisters: name a more iconic duo.

[Bartek]

Indeed, nice to read, but it didn't end wild, unfounded speculation, just open another case - I can't recall any mention here of Chris being obstacle to record or release any new material. More, because it's crystal clear that TSOM is AE's band he is the who knocks and the one who stops all ideas. It is obvious that Chris has and had a lot music, sketches of songs or even finished songs.

Also, it's interesting to hear about official line on Chris absence.
Anyhow, wish him all the best.