Heartland

In 1985 I travelled from Toronto to Athens to see the 2 day Rock in Athens concert featuring The Clash(last ever concert), The Cure, The Stranglers etc. While in Greece following the concert in mid-July I met a guy from the UK on the beach in Aegina(I think it was Aegina). We got talking about music and The Sisters of Mercy came up, as they were my favourite band at the time. It turned out this fellow was a huge fan of The Sisters of Mercy and later mailed me a cassette of a gig recorded in Brighton 1/4/85. On the cassette tape liner it says:

To Russ,

From The Wakefield "God Squad".

Anyone on here know who this was? Is he on the board?

Just curious. I was playing the tape recently as I just saw SOM for the first time in Vancouver March 26.

.....so I take it this does not ring a bell with anyone?

Sorry mate, can't help you with this one...

Going back to the 'Wayne's First Sisters Gig' thread (07.04.84) and PiB's comment that it was a fan club only gig, after Walkaway there are very loud audible chants of "God Squad! God Squad! God Squad!" in a football crowd stylee. Maybe 5-6 people together. As in when Wayne is introduced prior to Walkaway the same people respond with the football chant "Who the f**king hell are you?" It's a very raucous, noisey crowd. Fan clubs, eh?

Logic suggests a group/gang of Sisters fans from Wakefield (near Leeds) that followed the band around self-styling themselves as the God Squad.

Bells are starting to ring in the mists of time (Black October) but give an old man time to remember ...

yes, the wakefield posse were the god squad, originally roadies and hangers on. one of the 83 gigs? he says 'hello wakefield, or some such'

my roadie mate was in the god squad, he has autographed reocrds to prove it

Holy christ, that's hardcore.

Ta Ez. Now I don't have to try and remember anymore.

I met them once in a pub (Black October) somewhere? They were nice people. Until gig time and Sisters-baiting started ... but that's what we all did then.

I was listening to the Brighton Top Rank gig (Gary's last) in my Art exam, and I did notice a load of people shouting "Wakefield! Wakefield!" (fairly quietly, as it's a mixing desk recording), and near the end, Eldritch shouts "Wakefield!" as well.

Actually, I seem to remember he also said "I've got to go on TV tomorrow, wearing this..." and someone else was singing along to part of KOHD (I think). Sounds a fairly deep voice, so maybe it was Craig.

"Here's one you should all know.......................................................Wakefield..............................................Behind the door.........."

Didn't Gary Marx live in Wakey rather than Leeds, during the Sisters era?

[QUOTE="Spiggy
yep.

i'd drop gary an email if i were you - i know its a slim chance, but he may remember the god squad's names...? you never know, he may even still see some of them around.

chances are if they were from wakey then they went on to follow ghost dance too...

Anne-Marie at Reading just before Blood Still Flows:

"This is for... all you lovers shouting your heads off.. Wakefield!"

on another boot (which one i can't recall) eldritch dedicates Heartland to "the fine dancing men from wakefield".

the sisters played at least two secret gigs for the god squad at a pub in wakefield . it was the pub where they started.

i do know for deffo that there was a gig at the hellfire club, before the reptile house tour, and that a tape exists

hispaintedblackness out

on the Temple of Love 7", Heartland side AA, the text includes:

THANKS TO PONTIAC (DETROIT) & THE CITIZENS OF WAKEFIELD