Kai as a permanent member

[H. Blackrose]

good point, Kai kind of looks like an anime girl

[ruffers]

"Andrew is besotted with Kai"

[Being645]

Yeah, he definitely inspires him to recognize and improve parts long neglected. However, this had not been possible without Davey re-editing all the old Doktor's recipes, without Chris having other commitments in 2019 forcing Von to look beyond the well-worn trails of his outworn secluded environments and have Dylan join the band (nothing all so new considering Chris Sheehan was a New Zealander for example, but hell how long ago was that?) and even without Dylan getting lost last year and ... without Ben introducing these great musicians to the band and suggest Kai this time... ...

Beyond that, we all know how.long. Si, Chris and Ben and large parts of the fanbase have tried to open Von's eyes to new developments and the chances that have always been there to create some more great stuff. But hell, sometimes it takes more than a step and a day to break down walls ... fair enough though, The Sisters have always improved and refreshed their act from tour to tour in exciting, suprising and astonishing ways... ... With Kai now and Ben and Chris, they look so strong and with wide and fresh and extended horizons and deserts before them to explore, can't but wish them all well ... ...

[g44fr]

Hope he can bring new tunes to the band.

[ruffers]

It's about how they work as a mix. Diamond Black songs with Ben in charge aren't for me. Esprit d' air similar.

A bit of magic Von sprinkles then who knows...? Fingers crossed.

[Fallon]

...forcing Von to look beyond the well-worn trails of his outworn secluded environments and have Dylan join the band (nothing all so new considering Chris Sheehan was a New Zealander for example, but hell how long ago was that?...

Wouldn't read too much into the nationalities of these fellas. They were both living locally to Von, one way or another, when invited to join. There have been quite a few indications over the years that the practicalities and logistics of joining the band are honestly one of the key determining factors for Eldritch

I think the guy just likes interesting people (ties into his oft-repeated quote that "everyone should want to be part of something bigger than themselves" imo), and people who make sense logistically (anyone else get the feeling Ben wasn't entirely kidding when he said that Dylan's owning a particular vehicle was one factor in Von's decision to hire him?).

I'm still no fan of any of Kai's other output, but the same is true of Ben, for me - and he and I share quite similar musical tastes. I thought it would be a bit weird having someone in the Sisters whose background was, not to put too fine a point on it, a bit more overtly "g*th", but all a Sister really ever needs to do is bring some sort of influence to bear on the band; the closest thing to a, ahem, m*****n statement or consistent theme across all iterations of the Sisters Of Mercy is that it changes its shape according to its membership. Kai opens up the options for quite a lot of songs, so has definitely achieved that... still not sure I want them to actually write any Sisters songs though.

[eastmidswhizzkid]

It's about how they work as a mix. Diamond Black songs with Ben in charge aren't for me. Esprit d' air similar.

A bit of magic Von sprinkles then who knows...? Fingers crossed.

the word that Brother Paul is looking for is 'Gestalt' -something being more than the sum of its constituent parts.
It's like good & bad sex - its down to the chemistry between ALL of the participants, not the 'skills' (snort) of any one individual... i assume it is any way. been that long ive forgotten what to do..

[H. Blackrose]

New Zealander here. Trust me, looking at his previous work with The Exponents or The Muttonbirds (both eminently mainstream rock), you would have never thought Chris Sheehan would be Sisters material. And Yet.

[Chief Cohiba]

Being the new kid here I hope I'm allowed to have my say on this old(er) story as well.

I saw the show last Nov. in Vienna, so less than a month after Kai joined. I was aware of the change shortly before, having read some reviews, so I expected some limitations in his stage works, and there where some. His guitar parts weren't that refined, I had more the impression though obviously him being a great guitar player, he's just playing along, not yet having dedicated guitar parts in the songs. Sound and mix wasn't that good as well (and Vons voice problems didn't make it better it any better. No, I'm afraid that wasn't a brilliant gig. I want to keep it politely).

What was surprising to me, though, was the presence and positive energy Kai added, also Von obviously was more than happy to share stage with him.

Also, given all the limitations of his rapid onboarding, I was positively impressed by Kai's additions and enhancement of the sound. Having seen the Sisters last time before in 2017, the transition from the kind of full-force-shred-outfit it was then to the more wide range sound (or what could have been with proper sound and mix) that I experienced last fall was quite amazing. It's not surprising Mr. H.'s sound contribution and guitar work in FALAA come into mind.

So at least I hope him contributing more to the Sisters, adding live as well as to new songs, hopefully. Also I do think that his visual style definitely adds to the band, in a way rejuvenating as well as enhancing it. I think he brings quite some potential with him.

And I think he's compatible with both Ben and Von (and hopefully Chris, but no reason why he shouldn't), so yes, I'd be happy to hear/see more from him in the Sisters.

[mh]

Being the new kid here I hope I'm allowed to have my say on this old(er) story as well.

I saw the show last Nov. in Vienna, so less than a month after Kai joined. I was aware of the change shortly before, having read some reviews, so I expected some limitations in his stage works, and there where some. His guitar parts weren't that refined, I had more the impression though obviously him being a great guitar player, he's just playing along, not yet having dedicated guitar parts in the songs. Sound and mix wasn't that good as well (and Vons voice problems didn't make it better it any better. No, I'm afraid that wasn't a brilliant gig. I want to keep it politely).

What was surprising to me, though, was the presence and positive energy Kai added, also Von obviously was more than happy to share stage with him.

Also, given all the limitations of his rapid onboarding, I was positively impressed by Kai's additions and enhancement of the sound. Having seen the Sisters last time before in 2017, the transition from the kind of full-force-shred-outfit it was then to the more wide range sound (or what could have been with proper sound and mix) that I experienced last fall was quite amazing. It's not surprising Mr. H.'s sound contribution and guitar work in FALAA come into mind.

So at least I hope him contributing more to the Sisters, adding live as well as to new songs, hopefully. Also I do think that his visual style definitely adds to the band, in a way rejuvenating as well as enhancing it. I think he brings quite some potential with him.

And I think he's compatible with both Ben and Von (and hopefully Chris, but no reason why he shouldn't), so yes, I'd be happy to hear/see more from him in the Sisters.

That's 100% the same impression I had from Kai's joining the band.

For context I saw the first 4 shows, including the fiasco at the first Roundhouse night, the second Roundhouse night when nobody knew if there would even be a show, and the subsequent first shows as a three-piece. I also saw one of the mid-tour shows when Kai was still relatively new, and the last 3 shows by which time he'd settled in well.

I really felt that he brought more texture and colour to the songs that just wasn't there before. The old chugga-lugga-lugga was fun, in it's own way, but Kai's addition gave it something new that I didn't know it needed until after the fact. Even little things, like the added "ping" at the start of Marian, made a difference.

His energy onstage was also a vital addition, and seeing the way he bounced and spun around made the band more exciting to watch.

None of this is to downplay the contributions of Dylan or Chris before him, just that the addition of Kai added something new to this iteration of the band.

[Chief Cohiba]

None of this is to downplay the contributions of Dylan or Chris before him, just that the addition of Kai added something new to this iteration of the band.

Haven't seen Dylan life, but am sure he was great and would never doubt the merits of Chris - nor those of Ben, just to make this crystal clear - but, yeah, it's this new spirit you mentioned that Kai adds with his skills and personality. He doesn't change the band, but evolves it. He adds some air (how apt) and subtleness that fits in well.

Also I think this added airiness helps Vons voice, as he's not forced to compete with the sound of an full revved up road train all the time.

[Todashi]

So, I've dug up this thread to say I've entirely changed my mind about Kai.

I'm watching this with my morning coffee:



Big thanks to whoever filmed and posted this, from Boston last night. This is as close to a flawless performance as I've ever seen from this band. The sound is great, the arrangements are excellent, the band are super tight, and Kai is playing a blinder. I was a bit meh about him at first, but man, this is next level. Well done everyone.

If *this* incarnation of the band deliver one or two more solid new songs, then really, fair play to them.

[H. Blackrose]

Robert Fripp has a saying: "Turn a seeming disadvantage to your advantage. The greater the seeming disadvantage, the greater the potential advantage".

Losing Dylan led to: a) recruiting Kai; b) Eldritch hitting "rock bottom", having to cancel gigs, leading him to take better care of himself, and apparently getting his voice back.

Great advantage.

[Jim]

Don't have masses to add to this, but I love Kai's energy and what they bring to the band. Best lineup since Sheehan and Pearson.

[Bartek]

Ben, Dylan, & AE - VT ear - ultra machismo mode, straight rock'n'cocaine.
Ben, Kai, & AE - (pre-)FAaLA - more innuendo. More subtle in meaning of more nuanced, less obvious. Waiting for the first song this lineup will bring.

[Yggdrasil]

The Dylan thing was a strange one.

It truly was.

I would love to hear his side of things, whether he's a PITA, has addiction issues, or not.

After all, he deserves a lot of respect for re-energizing the band after many years of directionless, uninspired torpor and next to no new material (except the odd RLYL and Killing Joke covers etc), and for writing a whole bunch of really great songs in a very shot time - not many people have that ability, especially while dealing with someone as difficult and stubborn as .

Has anyone ever tried reaching out to the guy?

I think he at least should know how highly most of us real fans value his work with the band.

[Yggdrasil]

This is as close to a flawless performance as I've ever seen from this band.
If *this* incarnation of the band deliver one or two more solid new songs, then really, fair play to them.

100% agree.

It's the ability to write songs that I'm worried about.

Dylan proved he was a singular talent in that department, and really seemed to get what makes a great SoM song - I've yet to see anything that shows either Ben, Chris or Kai has that ability to any significant degree (nor , these days, from what it seems).

Dylan made it seem effortless (or maybe he had a lot of half-finished ideas for songs that just happened to suit the Sisters really well).

[Fallon]

...or, as the case may in fact be, lifting the odd song from another band.

[mh]

The Dylan thing was a strange one.

At the Roundhouse, those feedback issues definitely hampered his playing. But oftentimes, he also appeared confused to be on stage in the first place. It was as if he'd taken the wrong pre-show meds and they were kicking in, the wrong way. In this (possibly) altered state, he got more irate as the show progressed and starting flinging the bird at the guitar tech.

Von's done many a show drunk or on speed, so Dylan could've probably gotten a free pass, had he just marched on. The air guitar may have been just an icing on the cake, with Von perhaps seeing it as Dylan shedding all personal responsibility and dignity and unloading his frustrations at the crew. Another day, they could've laughed the technical issues off afterwards, but Von had clearly decided that a line had been crossed.

It's tempting to think that the reception of the new songs was part and parcel of Dylan's downfall. Maybe people around the band had started telling him he's the one who'll goad Von to release another album. So maybe Dylan got off the idea and started courting Von to get serious. Von would've pushed back, with tension now developing between them.

So Dylan may have been despondent pre-show (tour) already, as some realities around the band would've become apparent to him by then. The feedback issues then exacerbated his inner turmoil and the kettle finally boiled over. Maybe.

Von's elaborated on this in the recent interview. In summary, everybody can have a bad day on-stage and what happened on-stage with Dylan was actually forgivable. If that was all, Dylan would probably still be in the band. But something happened off-stage and out of sight afterwards (Von doesn't say if it was immediately after or in the dressing room after the show) and that was what crossed a line.

I remember feeling somewhat similar at the time, but coming at it from the other direction. The US tour seemed to have gone well, and I'd thought that something had gone wrong in the run-up to the Roundhouse shows and the on-stage events were the final straw.

Either way, I think it's best to leave it there and not speculate further on the details. I'm sure everyone involved would have slightly conflicting stories anyway, and it's to nobody's benefit. Both parties seem to be in a better place as a result, and that's the way to have it.

[Todashi]

It's the ability to write songs that I'm worried about.

Dylan proved he was a singular talent in that department, and really seemed to get what makes a great SoM song - I've yet to see anything that shows either Ben, Chris or Kai has that ability to any significant degree (nor , these days, from what it seems).

Dylan made it seem effortless (or maybe he had a lot of half-finished ideas for songs that just happened to suit the Sisters really well).

It occurs to me that we don't really know who wrote what. Dylan may have had a huge part in it, or he may not. I'm not trying to take anything away from him, but correlation isn't causation. He was there when it happened - that's undeniable - and I love the new songs, but I think that's all we can say for sure. So maybe he was 90 per cent of the new songs, maybe he was 10 per cent or maybe something in the middle. We don't know for sure.

I think it would be tactically a good idea for them to play a few more new songs, realtively soon. If not on this US tour, then in the UK next year. I think Von will want to distance the band from Dylan creatively a little, at least in terms of perceptions. Just my guesses and opinions - I have no inside knowledge. I thought Dylan was great, loved his presence and thought the songs that happened when he was around are great, and are enduring, two or three years later.

Kai is really shaping up though. The performances I'm seeing on youtube are smashing.

[Planet Dave]

The Sisters can go years and years at a time without writing new songs, and still play live every year or two in that time. There are no tactics for them to plot or adhere to. It should, you'd think, by now, be clear as the nose on everyone's faces that they do whatever the fk they like. Same as most other bands. It's entirely pointless trying to perceive or guess or decide what they sould shouldn't will or won't be doing at any moment in time. Instead, simply turn up to the shows and have a top nite out.

[H. Blackrose]

Has anyone ever tried reaching out to the guy?

I think he at least should know how highly most of us real fans value his work with the band.

This has happened. Lots of comments on Facebook. Dylan hasn't commented on what happened directly except to say he's still a fan of TSOM.

But I still have to push back on the idea that he was solely or even mainly responsible for the new stuff. No evidence.

[Yggdrasil]

Has anyone ever tried reaching out to the guy?

I think he at least should know how highly most of us real fans value his work with the band.

This has happened.

I must have missed it then.

Lots of comments on Facebook. Dylan hasn't commented on what happened directly except to say he's still a fan of TSOM.

But I still have to push back on the idea that he was solely or even mainly responsible for the new stuff. No evidence.

No, but (very) strong conjecture...