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.
From years of reading interviews, biographies and just the general roll out of the Merciful Release/Sisters of Mercy brand, you could tell Andrew cared really deeply about the perception and the image of the Sisters-verse of quality and uniformity. Nowadays however (hell even the last 20 odd years) Andrew almost feels completely indifferent about the whole thing. And hey man I get it, people change, and grow and somethings that used to be important to you aren't so important anymore. But that's thing, the Sisters clearly are still important to Andrew to some extent that he is willing to put down the avocado farm, and real-estate business to tour the would with the band, its just weird how less involved he feels with it.
For instance the 40th anniversary kinda came and went with no fanfare, he hasn't done anything with the Merciful Release label since the late 90s which is unfortunate because he helped elevate some acts to more eyes like March Violets. The design elements of the band have remained stagnant for a while now when it comes to band merch, and speaking of band merch the band's website's link to merchandise page still takes you to a dead link for Reptile House which once again is another Sisters-adjacent venture dead in the water. And don't get me started on the website, I love it in a 'im a fan of the nostalgia blast' way with all its quirks and insights into the band but its clearly way out of date and could scare off new fans from fear of getting a virus .
I just feel like the Andrew of old wouldn't have let all this stuff fall to the wayside, hell he even released an official fanzine in the 90s full of new and unique imagery and photographs, would be cool to even see that revived as a blog or something idk. I mean I'm not trying to complain or trying to come off as entitled, I think the man is well within his rights to do whatever he likes with his band but it feels like a major disconnect happened over the years that made him feel less enthusiastic. It's unfortunate because i think the new material the Sisters are putting out are some of the best in their whole catalogue and there is still a fan base for the Sisters as one of the most important g*th bands in the history of the genre.
What do you think caused this change? Has the record label fiasco of the 90s really left him this deterred from pushing the Sisters to new heights in modern days? Just wanted to gauge what you all think
The Sisters *have* reached new heights in modern days. The post-2019 songs are as good as anything they've ever done. And that's what Von is interested in.
I take you back to Von's interview with Bowie, 1995 (paraphrased):
VON: David, I love you but your new album sucks. Why is that?
BOWIE: Well, like, I beg to differ, man. Admittedly it won't change the world like Ziggy Stardust...
VON: So why do it?
But there's another issue. He was devoted up till the early 90s to making TSOM absolutely huge, not a cult band for people with funny haircuts. Everything he did in 1992 and 1993 was an attempt to break out of the ghetto. Cutting his hair, heart-shaped glasses, normal clothes, taking his shirt off in the Under the Gun video. And it got nowhere (partly because the band dissolved while he was doing it, which he felt very resentful about). So he took a few years off, tried doing "techno with tunes" etc, then got it back together in the late 90s, trying to start again. But that was sabotaged when Pearson refused to let his songs be published. Then there was the whole s**t in the early 2000s when the band couldn't even play live because promoters said they needed new material, so they had to rush out "We Are The Same, Suzanne". And just to cap it off: in a Glasperlenspiel interview, Von mentions Dave Gahan being suicidal and questions whether it's all worth it in that light.
Tl;dr: he reached a height in the music industry and couldn't get higher without making compromises he wasn't prepared to make. So, he settled for dignified semi-retirement (which, I believe, wasn't an option in the early 2000s - back then he had to keep the band going or it would be the chapeau shop for him. For whatever reason, not a problem now.)
Dude leads a life of leisure on an avocado orchard. The band retains its mystique and legend and can still fill venues even though no records for 30 years, no website updates for 20 years. He doesn't *have* to get on Instagram and Spotify and all that stuff to keep all that going. He can do barely any work and still be just as successful as the Mish who bust their holes with pretty graphics and videos. And Von knows he's not going to be back at the 1991 level of headlining festivals again.
So: why do it? By which I mean: anything at all? Answer: only if it's worth it and if he feels like it. TSOM only holds any interest for him now in terms of (a) writing songs which have to be "up there" with the old stuff (and I'm VERY grateful for that); (b) performing live, which is for him a much better venue for the new material than recording it, because it means he can tinker with it to his heart's content. I'm very glad for him that he apparently regrets nothing.
H. Blackrose wrote: ↑18 Jul 2024, 22:42
So: why do it? By which I mean: anything at all? Answer: only if it's worth it and if he feels like it. TSOM only holds any interest for him now in terms of (a) writing songs which have to be "up there" with the old stuff (and I'm VERY grateful for that); (b) performing live, which is for him a much better venue for the new material than recording it, because it means he can tinker with it to his heart's content. I'm very glad for him that he apparently regrets nothing.
I agree with all you wrote, but especially this. I'd love to have a record, as we all would, but if this man whose work has bought all of us so much pleasure (at the expense of a good amount of trouble for him) wants to just play live, I've got no right to complain. He doesn't owe us anything (except albums four, five, six and seven ). I'll still see them when they roll into town, and I'll still buy (not just stream, but buy) Tobias's stuff because it's the closest we're likely to get. But if the band put out another record, I'd definitely be buying multiple copies.
Were I in Von's shoes I don't know that I'd do anything differently.
--
The most successful tyranny is not the one that uses force to assure uniformity but the one that removes the awareness of other possibilities, that makes it seem inconceivable that other ways are viable, that removes the sense that there is an outside.
I think that one major paradigm shift ('EastWest is useless, we want a better deal') culminated in the cancellation of the '91 US tour. Up until then, the label had humored the artist with video shoots in faraway countries, ample studio time with albums and Steinman toppings on singles.
Von likes to pin the cancellation (poor ticket sales / promotion) on some industry peoples' racial prejudice. As if the mere thought of the Sisters with Public Enemy would incite riots outside the venues. A week before tour was scuppered, someone ranted on a New York stage about an EastWest exec, who was a racist bigot. The rant could've been incited by the unwelcome news that the tour would wrap prematurely. Time to burn bridges in public.
Touring narrowed down to UK/Germany. Band turned out to be broke and the long-time manager was sent packing. Another key business-relation gone sour. Promo singles went from new songs to reworked old ones. As with Wake capping the FALAA era, Von was seemingly working up another coda.
'I've been under the gun / I've lost and I've won' ("had it, am off, screw shareholder value")
It's tempting to consider UTG as a musical expression of the label stalemate. They wanted poppy music. He wanted stabby words. A gauche compromise was achieved by ranting against the backdrop of easy listening (the SSV album would be the antithesis of that). It had become clear Von just wanted out.
Fans got another wink and nod during the last VT-era shows. Come Together, a song about leaving. Crossing Abbey Road. Getting beamed up. Going home. Von was fed up with the demands of his enablers. He'd gotten a summer house by the sea for his troubles. He could watch the cats saunter around all day.
EastWest were likely clueless as to why he chose to guest on the 1995 Sarah Brightman single, How Can Heaven Love Me. For one, the song title fit the intent. He delivered a spoken word passage from Nietzsche's poem, Der Freigeist (The Free Spirit, 1884). The protagonist of the poem has left the illusory warmth of the city behind and a faces a wintry wilderness.
Die Welt - ein Thor / Zu tausend Wüsten stumm und kalt! (The world - a gate / to a thousand wastelands silent and cold!)
Wer Das verlor / Was du verlorst, macht nirgends Halt. (Whoever has lost / What you've lost, never stops anywhere.)
While obscure, the gesture is witty and subversive. Sarah sings about a paradise lost. The interlude posits the afterlife as the icy breeze of a post-God world. Spiritual freedom through individual responsibility. He's telling EastWest off in German, in citation, in passing. Every chance he gets while, likely, chalking another contractual obligation off the list.
But there certainly was a comeback plan. The Head and Star inside a cog-wheel, that's the logo meant for the next album cycle. It was unveiled for the '97 tour and would've likely been emblazoned on the new singles. New songs rolled in and things were heating up. Even the Dok got an upgrade. Just that the labels turned out to be just as he thought.
Von was no spring chicken in haggling with labels. He saw what was on the table. How projected returns had diminished over the decade. How the more rotten the deals had become. How lost they were with the internet. The band kept going as a touring entity. Von stumbled upon profit, again. Live music and merch.
And why does he bother to keep the band in life support? Guess we could say he used to the pope of a new church. Then he got excommunicated and has since hacked it out as a traveling country priest. Keep those parishes going, throw the odd sermon here and there. People still come. He says aloud the same old words, and they resonate over the years, to him and to them. Go figure.
H. Blackrose wrote: ↑18 Jul 2024, 22:42
he reached a height in the music industry and couldn't get higher without making compromises he wasn't prepared to make.
This 100%. Everything else is conjecture. Maybe even this is conjecture. But beyond this sentence / statement there's nothing else of interest to discuss here, really. that hasn't been said, ie why bother. What really matters, especially to all you dudes in the US right now, is you've got some ass-kicking gigs to look forward to Can't wait to read your reviews thoughts etc on how you think a night out with The Sisters hits you in 2024
If you were asking my opinion then I would say delete that.
H. Blackrose wrote: ↑18 Jul 2024, 22:42
he reached a height in the music industry and couldn't get higher without making compromises he wasn't prepared to make.
This 100%. Everything else is conjecture. Maybe even this is conjecture. But beyond this sentence / statement there's nothing else of interest to discuss here, really. that hasn't been said, ie why bother. What really matters, especially to all you dudes in the US right now, is you've got some ass-kicking gigs to look forward to Can't wait to read your reviews thoughts etc on how you think a night out with The Sisters hits you in 2024
I dont believe this. He wanted more than anything to "crack the States" but it just did nt work and blamed the record company.
GC wrote: ↑19 Jul 2024, 19:56
Not a popular view... but I still believe that he is under contract and cant release anything.
I wondered that too, or some contractual stipulations that make releasing product too difficult or expensive. Maybe he, or The Sisters Of Mercy TM still owe money that hasn't been recouped. I'm sure I read that Mr Huss still owes his record company for an expensive and disastrous US tour in the 80s. Still.
H. Blackrose wrote: ↑18 Jul 2024, 22:42
he reached a height in the music industry and couldn't get higher without making compromises he wasn't prepared to make.
This 100%. Everything else is conjecture. Maybe even this is conjecture. But beyond this sentence / statement there's nothing else of interest to discuss here, really. that hasn't been said, ie why bother. What really matters, especially to all you dudes in the US right now, is you've got some ass-kicking gigs to look forward to Can't wait to read your reviews thoughts etc on how you think a night out with The Sisters hits you in 2024
I dont believe this. He wanted more than anything to "crack the States" but it just did nt work and blamed the record company.
Yeah, more so. He lost half of the second US-tour and the US-ELEKTRA deal. Heaven knows what financial losses that brought and how far that ruined the band. Tony James left and Von sold the entire back catalogue to Warner/EastWest and they re-recorded Alice and Temple of Love (with Ofra Haza, one short silver ray at least). Only few summer festivals in 1992 and Bruhn started thinking about concentrating on his own projects. Another few summer festivals, another compilation album and the Overbombing Tour with Adam Pearson in 1993 as Tim Bricheno (and all the female stuff) also went away. ... and two years of silence with Eldritch appearing here and there in other people's projects... with The Sisters returning to Eldritch's "Saturday job" for five gigs in 1996, two of which cancelled ... strike until the finale of the Warner deal with SSV in 1997 and from then on each year 20-30 shows at the maximum though worldwide, but no release until Adam went off as well in 2005 and... then they managed to do the Silver Bullet Tour in 2006 ... with Chris Catalyst and Ben Christo (and Si Denbigh from 1997 to 2012 followed by Creff until last year), eventually a stable line-up and plenty gigs ever since ... no release but a lot of freedom for all members of the band to do what they please the rest of their time. After all, it took a few clear decisions and a lot of effort to keep The Sisters of Mercy running for so long through some hard times... and that only for that part of life ... ... Anyway, the past ten years or so things got ever better and now there is a completely new era ... they got through the mess and as it looks, there's still a good lot of news and good times to come.
H. Blackrose wrote: ↑18 Jul 2024, 22:42
he reached a height in the music industry and couldn't get higher without making compromises he wasn't prepared to make.
This 100%. Everything else is conjecture. Maybe even this is conjecture. But beyond this sentence / statement there's nothing else of interest to discuss here, really. that hasn't been said, ie why bother. What really matters, especially to all you dudes in the US right now, is you've got some ass-kicking gigs to look forward to Can't wait to read your reviews thoughts etc on how you think a night out with The Sisters hits you in 2024
Hope i'm not sounding like a complainer, just an observation I noticed looking through the whole sisters' history. But I am absolutely stoked for their tour this year, already got my tickets for the Charlotte show, ready to sing along with all the banging new tracks, and some good ol' classics. Their New York show last year was a bit of a drive but way worth it They definitively sound way better in person than on YouTube.
you dont sound like a complainer @Nyth Grandbeard -honestly if we didnt have threads like this we could easily end up running out of topics fpr discussion
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!"
T-shirts can be knocked up in an afternoon (see Rock City gag), are gobbled up and make a load of profit. Making records does not ( see How Music Works - D Byrne).
Gigs can break up the monotony of life.
That's about it.
Really, why not say it, if there was such a contract? I can't see any point in that. There have been plenty artists/bands having difficulties with their record company and/or the industry as it was and has become. So what. They could even find more support from their fanbase if it were like this. And anyway, I don't think it's like The Sisters to lie about such everyday stuff over decades, even more so as they never had a problem to go openly on strike back in the days... ...
H. Blackrose wrote: ↑18 Jul 2024, 22:42
he reached a height in the music industry and couldn't get higher without making compromises he wasn't prepared to make.
This 100%. Everything else is conjecture. Maybe even this is conjecture. But beyond this sentence / statement there's nothing else of interest to discuss here, really. that hasn't been said, ie why bother. What really matters, especially to all you dudes in the US right now, is you've got some ass-kicking gigs to look forward to Can't wait to read your reviews thoughts etc on how you think a night out with The Sisters hits you in 2024
Hope i'm not sounding like a complainer, just an observation I noticed looking through the whole sisters' history. But I am absolutely stoked for their tour this year, already got my tickets for the Charlotte show, ready to sing along with all the banging new tracks, and some good ol' classics. Their New York show last year was a bit of a drive but way worth it They definitively sound way better in person than on YouTube.
No mate don't worry, your post didn't sound complainy at all, it's a reasonable question. Just a not very exciting answer, that's all.
If you were asking my opinion then I would say delete that.
Nyth Grandbeard wrote: ↑18 Jul 2024, 20:26
For instance the 40th anniversary kinda came and went with no fanfare
I think one thing we do know about Von is that he has pretty much zero interest in commemorating the past. Don't get me wrong, he spent years carefully building a legend around the band, and yes there have been anniversary gigs in the past, and somewhat dewy-eyed liner notes to the compilations. But if 'moving on' was an Olympic sport, he'd medal in it. Hence no reunion tours, and no nostalgia tours, despite the money he has no doubt been offered down the years. If he's going to do anything, it's going to be something new, on his own terms. The end.
Chris
---------------------------------------------
Again and again and again...
Yeah, if he doesn't want to release his material he's earned the right to choose not to. It's just a shame his music from the past few decades won't be heard by so many fans old and new. Even if I personally was able to see the band a few times a year (I can't) I'd like to hear those songs more than a few times a year.
Not to worry, time to put on Floodland #SmileyEmoji
My theory is that a lot of people who are extremely voracious readers/learners, extremely voracious speed consumers, extremely irritating perfectionists and extremely egotistical musical geniuses probably have what we now call ADHD, and I suspect that much of what led to Eldritch's capacity to function in the music industry was that there was a support infrastructure in place to motivate him (both chemical and administrative). I imagine he'd still be tinkering on Floodland to this day, were it not for someone saying "excuse me sir, we actually need some product".
I think it's quite clear that he only ever wanted to participate in the music industry as far as it allowed him to do exactly what he wanted - Under The Gun is a great song but it's a great song that someone else wrote as a cheesy power ballad, and for which there was already recorded material for him to play with. In terms of how it came about, it's well-documented that it was assembled with a reasonable amount of cynicism: release a compilation album, do a single to promote it, move one step closer to fulfilling a contract you're bored with.
As much as I believe Andrew and the configuration(s) of the Sisters which existed throughout the 90s would have been a fantastic influence on the mainstream musical culture, it's fairly clear that nobody had any great interest in giving him the sort of deal that would allow him to be as self-indulgent as he generally needs to be. That whole wheeze about him operating in the shadows as a techno producer - I'm not saying I don't believe it, but if it was happening to extent that people say it was, I think it had less to do with any sort of plan or statement or protest, and more to do with the fact that it allowed him to do what he's always secretly wanted to do: get paid to play with tech and make interesting noises with a reasonably high degree of freedom, and a reasonably low degree of interference.
I note as well that the story of Adam Pearson holding up the band by resisting publishing has evolved slightly in recent years, with Eldritch taking a softer, more sympathetic approach to that. My impression is that even when it came to the Pearson/Varjak songs, he was probably only going to turn those into records if the level of enthusiasm from other members/the industry was enough to push things along. He has this reputation as a controlling, megalomaniac, and in some ways i'm sure he is - but I also think he's probably someone who's attitude to record-making has always been "if i have to, and if someone else organises it". It's clear he's not intrinsically motivated to do it - he probably was for the first one, and for the second one he was probably willing to allow someone else to pay him to do whatever the hell he wanted. For the third one, I think he assembled a band specifically because he wanted to be surrounded by people who were more connected/comfortable navigating the industry than him at that point. He needed a Proper Band around him, in order to make a record in 1990.
And I think that the 'brand', such as it is, means significantly less, and holds significantly less importance, when there's not a promotional circuit or some sort of image/performance art framework to project the brand into.
I always thought, in the 90s/early 200s, that the band Garbage was a little similar to how the Sisters could have been positioned; not exactly the same (Eldritch is not exactly the same as anything, as a million goth bands have proven), but I saw a compatibility there which suggests there was definitely space for the Sisters on the main stage.
Which brings us to now - for one thing, he's probably missed the boat in terms of pushing the Sisters to new heights. The Gen Z kids aren't exactly clamoring for a Billie Eilish/Eldritch crossover... although between Billie Eilish and Garbage, I have always thought the Sisters should have done a Bond theme. "Under The Gun" basically is one, I suppose.
I think that his partnership with Ben is probably valuable to him because it allows him a comfortable degree of routine - a few months out of the year tinkering away on his computers making silly noises, crossed with a reasonable amount of the excitement/novelty that comes from touring (yes there's lots of boring parts of touring, but there's always someone else organising the logistics, which is nice). Between the two, there's the fact that Ben's such a gifted musician he can produce, with relative ease, music that closely aligns to what "People think the Sisters ought to sound like". That means that when the mood takes him, Eldritch can plug his parts in, and when the mood doesn't take him, he doesn't need to.
There's also the small matter that he's almost certainly stopped taking illegal stimulants on doctor's orders (for that matter he's too old to be allowed legal stimulants in most countries too, if my semi-facetious ADHD theory is correct). That's probably had an affect on his motivation to actually start, progress and finish things in a straight line, if he's the sort of person who's not otherwise inclined to do that (which he's not, I don't think, and his inability to do so is probably one of the things that's made him want to avoid ever getting a 'proper job').
I think he's just settled into a comfortable routine, and it's one which doesn't really have much use for a brand identity anymore. He seems happy enough to leave it to Ben, really, and there's something perversely funny about their absolutely antithetical approaches to it, which I really enjoy: Eldritch once said he feels the audience likes it when he acknowledges the fourth wall without breaking it, so it's very funny to see the ever-affable, fan-conscious and generous Ben be the voice of the Sisters. I don't hate it, but I don't think there'd be any point resisting it if I did.
I honestly think, on some level, that all it would take for a new Sisters record to happen is for Ben to say "I'll sort everything out, you just need to turn up and sing your parts, and you don't have to do any promo". There'd be something quite funny and on-brand about a new Sisters record that involves absolutely 0 comment from Eldritch, you must admit.
Nyth Grandbeard wrote: ↑18 Jul 2024, 20:26
From years of reading interviews, biographies and just the general roll out of the Merciful Release/Sisters of Mercy brand, you could tell Andrew cared really deeply about the perception and the image of the Sisters-verse of quality and uniformity. Nowadays however (hell even the last 20 odd years) Andrew almost feels completely indifferent about the whole thing. And hey man I get it, people change, and grow and somethings that used to be important to you aren't so important anymore. But that's thing, the Sisters clearly are still important to Andrew to some extent that he is willing to put down the avocado farm, and real-estate business to tour the would with the band, its just weird how less involved he feels with it.
For instance the 40th anniversary kinda came and went with no fanfare, he hasn't done anything with the Merciful Release label since the late 90s which is unfortunate because he helped elevate some acts to more eyes like March Violets. The design elements of the band have remained stagnant for a while now when it comes to band merch, and speaking of band merch the band's website's link to merchandise page still takes you to a dead link for Reptile House which once again is another Sisters-adjacent venture dead in the water. And don't get me started on the website, I love it in a 'im a fan of the nostalgia blast' way with all its quirks and insights into the band but its clearly way out of date and could scare off new fans from fear of getting a virus .
I just feel like the Andrew of old wouldn't have let all this stuff fall to the wayside, hell he even released an official fanzine in the 90s full of new and unique imagery and photographs, would be cool to even see that revived as a blog or something idk. I mean I'm not trying to complain or trying to come off as entitled, I think the man is well within his rights to do whatever he likes with his band but it feels like a major disconnect happened over the years that made him feel less enthusiastic. It's unfortunate because i think the new material the Sisters are putting out are some of the best in their whole catalogue and there is still a fan base for the Sisters as one of the most important g*th bands in the history of the genre.
What do you think caused this change? Has the record label fiasco of the 90s really left him this deterred from pushing the Sisters to new heights in modern days? Just wanted to gauge what you all think
Personally, before I read others comments, I think he decided that making money in the "music business" was a non-starter,
once the internet distribution of music took hold. He figured that making money from touring was the only viable option
left for the Sisters.
If he really cared about producing records enough, he could do it
in his bedroom, the same way Billie Eilish does, put them out via the internet (for very little profit), and still go out on tour.
I think he doesn't want to do that - instead he decided to leverage the unfinished SONGS to add value to the live prospect -
i.e. that's the only place you get to HEAR the unfinished NEW SONGS performed by Andrew - as well as the old stuff.
Ocean Moves wrote: ↑21 Jul 2024, 06:06
I think he doesn't want to do that - instead he decided to leverage the unfinished SONGS to add value to the live prospect -
i.e. that's the only place you get to HEAR the unfinished NEW SONGS performed by Andrew - as well as the old stuff.
I do like that I must admit, new songs in the live set adds integrity and blows away any accusations of living on past glories. The music IS available if you want to hear it.
I just want to hear it a lot, until it vibrates through me, until I know every note and lyric. I want to listen to it at home, to annoy my kids with it like I used to annoy my Mam with it. And so on.
I think there's a simpler explanation for how things have turned out. He's very clever and very clever people sadly are often more afflicted by mental health issues than others. My guess is that he does what works for him, and the current situation is the best tradeoff for him personally between activity and stress management.
If this is the case, then he's obviously not going to want to talk it in public and of course he doesn't have to - it's his personal business. But look at the shows that were cancelled recently, and we know he was in the building but didn't make it to the stage. This is consistent with someone who has a stage persona that they can inhabit that allows them to transcend limitations they may have in day to day life. But we're all human and sometimes we're capable of more, and sometimes less.
He's an impressive person, but I know a few people like him and there is some consistency to the way they function. Part of it is being able to measure your capacity and make decisions accordingly. Doing what other people think you should, rather than what you want to do or know is good for you, is not a good thing. He has a life that works for him, and I suspect that hasn't always been true. His peace of mind and ability to live a fulfilling life trumps our need for a record any day. It's frustrating, but life sometimes works that way.
He's super intelligent and may well be 'neurodivergent' to use the modern parlance. There's more than a hint of the David Byrne off him. If you reinterpret a lot of the Sisters story through that lens, lots of it makes more sense.
So yeah, I'd love a record too. And it annoys me that I can only listen to bootlegs, but I think that's what's on the menu. A record isn't, for reasons that make complete and total sense. Just not to us.
Fallon wrote: ↑21 Jul 2024, 02:37
Which brings us to now - for one thing, he's probably missed the boat in terms of pushing the Sisters to new heights. The Gen Z kids aren't exactly clamoring for a Billie Eilish/Eldritch crossover...
Do you think he'd even respond to Billie Eilish, or just ignore her like he did with Moby?
Touring narrowed down to UK/Germany. Band turned out to be broke and the long-time manager was sent packing. Another key business-relation gone sour. Promo singles went from new songs to reworked old ones. As with Wake capping the FALAA era, Von was seemingly working up another coda.
'I've been under the gun / I've lost and I've won' ("had it, am off, screw shareholder value")
Which manager was this? Boyd? I‘m not sure that is totally correct.
I suspect the truth is he is just comfortable, obviously not broke & can‘t be bothered.
). I'll still see them when they roll into town, and I'll still buy (not just stream, but buy) Tobias's stuff because it's the closest we're likely to get. But if the band put out another record, I'd definitely be buying multiple copies.
... Anyway, the past ten years or so things got ever better and now there is a completely new era ... they got through the mess and as it looks, there's still a good lot of news and good times to come.
