Comfortably Numb as an opener

THE place for your Sisters-related comments, questions and snippets of Sisters information. For those who do not know, The Sisters of Mercy are a rock'n'roll band. And a pop band. And an industrial groove machine. Or so they say. They make records. Lots of records, apparently. But not in your galaxy. They play concerts. Lots of concerts, actually. But you still cannot see them. So what's it all about, Alfie? This is one of the few tightly-moderated forums on Heartland, so please keep on-topic. All off-topic posts will either be moved or deleted. Chairman Bux is the editor and the editor's decision is final. Danke.
Post Reply
DJW
Road Kill
Posts: 53
Joined: 19 Apr 2022, 09:46

Word is Roger Waters will be opening with Comfortably Numb on his “This is not a drill tour”. Whilst it’s unlikely he will medley into Some Kind of Stranger, it will be interesting to see how it works. Flashbacks to Birmingham NEC.
User avatar
markfiend
goriller of form 3b
Posts: 21181
Joined: 11 Nov 2003, 10:55
Location: st custards
Contact:

Heh. Nobody around where I was at the NEC show even recognised Comfortably Numb.
The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt.
—Bertrand Russell
User avatar
Planet Dave
Underneath the Rock
Posts: 6744
Joined: 22 Apr 2003, 23:51
Location: Where the streets fold round

markfiend wrote: 05 Jul 2022, 14:57 Heh. Nobody around where I was at the NEC show even recognised Comfortably Numb.
Including me! ;D but to my credit I did recognise a brilliant tune when I heard one. I had heard my brother play The Wall to death when it was released but I was only 9 or summat at the time.
'What a heavy load Einstein must have had. Morons everywhere.'
User avatar
markfiend
goriller of form 3b
Posts: 21181
Joined: 11 Nov 2003, 10:55
Location: st custards
Contact:

When I was at school one of the other lads whose dad had a swanky hifi setup with one of the very early CD players, so loads of his CDs got copied onto tapes and made their way around the school, a bit like the way our weeding thing used to go. The Wall was one that I'd grabbed so yeah I knew the song. :lol:
The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt.
—Bertrand Russell
User avatar
Gothicbiff
Utterly Bastard Groovy Amphetamine Filth
Posts: 708
Joined: 22 Oct 2019, 12:06

I was at the NEC and knew all the words to Comfortably Numb....but only because my then husband was a massive Pink Floyd fan
I have seen The Sisters at The Paradiso. I will die happy
With massive thanks to Ruffers for his company and help.
A girl is never too old to wear a Sisters tshirt!
User avatar
Planet Dave
Underneath the Rock
Posts: 6744
Joined: 22 Apr 2003, 23:51
Location: Where the streets fold round

Gothicbiff wrote: 05 Jul 2022, 17:18 I was at the NEC and knew all the words to Comfortably Numb....but only because my then husband was a massive Pink Floyd fan
Yeah whatever, you hippies ;D :lol: :wink: :kiss:

That's to you too Fiendy! :kiss:

Say's me, with Charlie in full control of the yt controller and a seemingly endless run of Queen live shows on the go. Getting Motorhead withdrawal symptoms here :lol:
'What a heavy load Einstein must have had. Morons everywhere.'
User avatar
czuczu
Overbomber
Posts: 2191
Joined: 24 Oct 2005, 14:11
Location: UK

Roger will walk around stage while his band do all the heavy lifting for him. ;)
We knew they were opening with it at the NEC, think it was Jez who let the cat out of the bag before they went on.
User avatar
eastmidswhizzkid
Faster Than The Light Of Speed
Posts: 9876
Joined: 24 Mar 2005, 00:01
Location: WhizzWorld
Contact:

you have to admire Andrew's balls/arrogance/both for even segueing the two songs let alone opening with them.
Well I was handsome and I was strong
And I knew the words to every song.
"Did my singing please you?"
"No! The words you sang were wrong!"

:bat:
User avatar
czuczu
Overbomber
Posts: 2191
Joined: 24 Oct 2005, 14:11
Location: UK

It's an incredible seque and arrangement. Just slowing the pace that fraction gives it so much more gravitas. And prime vocals too, he sounds incredible on this, makes Floyd sound a bit weedy which is no mean feat.
Better than KOHD.
paint it black
Black, black, black & even blacker
Posts: 4966
Joined: 11 Jul 2002, 01:00

I got a spoiler alert they were murdering Pink Floyd and Stevie Nicks on the tour. Personally I really enjoyed both. The gig was amongst my favourites
Goths have feelings too
User avatar
markfiend
goriller of form 3b
Posts: 21181
Joined: 11 Nov 2003, 10:55
Location: st custards
Contact:

Planet Dave wrote: 05 Jul 2022, 21:29 That's to you too Fiendy! :kiss:
I'll not mention the Peter Gabriel solo albums then :lol:
The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt.
—Bertrand Russell
User avatar
Planet Dave
Underneath the Rock
Posts: 6744
Joined: 22 Apr 2003, 23:51
Location: Where the streets fold round

markfiend wrote: 08 Jul 2022, 10:14
Planet Dave wrote: 05 Jul 2022, 21:29 That's to you too Fiendy! :kiss:
I'll not mention the Peter Gabriel solo albums then :lol:
:lol: that's not so bad, it's Trespass and Foxtrot one needs to keep under one's hat :lol: :innocent: currently digging Epica too, I'm pretty sure that death metal and opera cancel each other out into a baseline of 'hippy' ;D
'What a heavy load Einstein must have had. Morons everywhere.'
User avatar
czuczu
Overbomber
Posts: 2191
Joined: 24 Oct 2005, 14:11
Location: UK

Don't be dissing Supper's Ready!
User avatar
Planet Dave
Underneath the Rock
Posts: 6744
Joined: 22 Apr 2003, 23:51
Location: Where the streets fold round

czuczu wrote: 08 Jul 2022, 10:47 Don't be dissing Supper's Ready!
:lol: it would be unfair of me to do so, I've only listened to the first three and a half hours of it, can't judge a song from its intro ;D
'What a heavy load Einstein must have had. Morons everywhere.'
badge
Road Kill
Posts: 65
Joined: 19 Jul 2005, 09:14

eastmidswhizzkid wrote: 07 Jul 2022, 21:37 you have to admire Andrew's balls/arrogance/both for even segueing the two songs let alone opening with them.
Totally! As has been alluded to, lots of people had no idea what it was - myself included - but it was a stunning opener and then it morphed into Stranger.... I reckon half of the NEC woke up with their jaws still sore from hitting the floor at that.
It was so audacious! To start with a brand new slow song - if you didn't know - and THAT one if you did...
It was majestic. The slow crawl of the songs and the build throughout. His voice, presence and poise was electrifying.
"And Iiiiiiiiiiii-iiiiii-i-i have become..." Christ, has he ever sounded better, so compelling, commanding and confessional? Obviously, it is not his song, his words but like every great Sisters cover, it becomes a Sisters song.
After 2 years, not counting pre-90, of FALAA as the opener (and that's no criticism of that), this was mindblowing. I'll be honest, that gig still gives me the chills. I've never seen footage and for once, I'm glad because it is such a pure memory. But I have listened to the bootleg and I even bought a Floyd comp off the back of that gig... (and a Stevie Nicks one!) and to this day, if I hear Comfortably Numb anywhere by anyone, it stops me in my tracks and immediately brings me back to that night in Birmingham.
ASPERUM AESTIMARE FIMI ALIQUID HODIE
User avatar
eastmidswhizzkid
Faster Than The Light Of Speed
Posts: 9876
Joined: 24 Mar 2005, 00:01
Location: WhizzWorld
Contact:

badge wrote: 09 Jul 2022, 00:54
eastmidswhizzkid wrote: 07 Jul 2022, 21:37 you have to admire Andrew's balls/arrogance/both for even segueing the two songs let alone opening with them.
Totally! As has been alluded to, lots of people had no idea what it was - myself included - but it was a stunning opener and then it morphed into Stranger.... I reckon half of the NEC woke up with their jaws still sore from hitting the floor at that.
It was so audacious! To start with a brand new slow song - if you didn't know - and THAT one if you did...
It was majestic. The slow crawl of the songs and the build throughout. His voice, presence and poise was electrifying.
"And Iiiiiiiiiiii-iiiiii-i-i have become..." Christ, has he ever sounded better, so compelling, commanding and confessional? Obviously, it is not his song, his words but like every great Sisters cover, it becomes a Sisters song.
After 2 years, not counting pre-90, of FALAA as the opener (and that's no criticism of that), this was mindblowing. I'll be honest, that gig still gives me the chills. I've never seen footage and for once, I'm glad because it is such a pure memory. But I have listened to the bootleg and I even bought a Floyd comp off the back of that gig... (and a Stevie Nicks one!) and to this day, if I hear Comfortably Numb anywhere by anyone, it stops me in my tracks and immediately brings me back to that night in Birmingham.
From "It was majestic..." to the end of your post i was reading with a huge smile on my face; feeling & hearing wave after wave of pure Sisters Love flow from your heart to my mind. I get such a buzz seeing just how much others love things i love. and i LOVE The Sisters ...damned fucking straight. Thats put me in a dead good mood. Safe. :von:
Well I was handsome and I was strong
And I knew the words to every song.
"Did my singing please you?"
"No! The words you sang were wrong!"

:bat:
User avatar
Planet Dave
Underneath the Rock
Posts: 6744
Joined: 22 Apr 2003, 23:51
Location: Where the streets fold round

Just watched a yt vid from the Pittsburgh gig, very moody interpretation of the song. Fantastic! Us & Them is up now, also superb :notworthy:

And yes indeed, there was some jaw-meet-floor action at the NEC, from the top row dead centre at the back of the arena. The lightshow from there was mindblowing all by itself.

Just last night my choice of which Tom Petty greatest hits compilation to steal from the internet was swayed by the inclusion of Stop Dragging My Heart Around.
'What a heavy load Einstein must have had. Morons everywhere.'
User avatar
Gothicbiff
Utterly Bastard Groovy Amphetamine Filth
Posts: 708
Joined: 22 Oct 2019, 12:06

I was listening to Losheim 93 today, which also opened with Comfortably Numb/SKOS.
I think this is my favourite version of it

My stand out memory of Birmingham is the trauma of having my studded bootstraps confiscated on the way in by security....thankfully I did get them back on the way out....and I still have them to this day!!
I have seen The Sisters at The Paradiso. I will die happy
With massive thanks to Ruffers for his company and help.
A girl is never too old to wear a Sisters tshirt!
paint it black
Black, black, black & even blacker
Posts: 4966
Joined: 11 Jul 2002, 01:00

Gothicbiff wrote: 13 Jul 2022, 22:24 I was listening to Losheim 93 today, which also opened with Comfortably Numb/SKOS.
I think this is my favourite version of it

My stand out memory of Birmingham is the trauma of having my studded bootstraps confiscated on the way in by security....thankfully I did get them back on the way out....and I still have them to this day!!
I gained a couple of studded belts that I didn’t go in with. Somewhere out there is an elroid with his kecks round his ankles
Goths have feelings too
User avatar
czuczu
Overbomber
Posts: 2191
Joined: 24 Oct 2005, 14:11
Location: UK

Image
Post Reply