Heartland

(No I didn't record it, although I desperately looked for a mic until Hypernova hit the stage..really good band by the way!)

I had a great time at the House of Blues in Chicago! Not so wild as in Europe, but a concert that picked up speed for each song (after C&B and Ribbons, quite a sleepy start).
Afterhours as intro...what can I say, I love it!
The setlist was probably the same as the last dates, but a VERY good one. Marian, This Corrosion and Amphetamine Logic already in the main set make for some very good atmosphere! The Chicago crowd transformed completely as the concert went on, from zombies to dancers
Ben and Chris love playing Logic - I didn't meet them but it really showed! Let's pray it stays in the setlist in Europe.
Andrew made some comments, but nothing I could hear. His singing got better with each song, even if there was no howling...and I for one can live without that.

Right, I decided to go for that tasty cranberry juice the whole evening, so I'm starting to feel a bit tired now...but very happy and looking forward to the European tour. I'm "all set", like our American amigos say!

Husek wrote:

SINsister wrote:This just in:

Mr. X is indeed at the show, and I'm expecting a full review in the a.m...

Just waitin' the setlist

That won't be forthcoming from Mr. X - he's not the same caliber of Sissies fan that most of us are (:eek: ), and his review consisted of a handful of text messages that he sent to me at about 12:30 a.m. my time, whilst I was *trying* to get to sleep!

Thanks for the review euphoria. Seems to have been a fine experience!

LONG - but all my thoughts and such:

No setlist surprises, same as Detroit but we got Something Fast

01 Afterhours (intro music)
02 Crash & Burn
03 Ribbons
04 Train/Detonation Blvd
05 Flood I
06 Marian
07 Alice
08 Giving Ground
09 This Corrosion
10 Anaconda
11 We Are the Same, Susanne
12 Summer
13 Dominion
14 Still
15 Logic
16 Neverland
17 Flood II
18 Something Fast
19 Vision Thing
20 Lucretia My Reflection
21 Top Night Out
22 Temple of Love

Miles - no, light years better than the 2006 Chicago show. Great crowd - started off a bit slow but things really picked up around Giving Ground and Dominion. From that point on the crowd was really hyped, lots of cheering, lots of singing along (course I was 2nd row, right in front of Chris so I didn't see much of the back of the room) 2006 seemed like it had a lot of people there "to be seen" - not so much this year. Very mixed crowd - young darklings, old goths, emo looking kids, punks, normal looking people. Lots of black. Lots of cheers, lots of dancing up front except for a couple guys standing next to me who still completely still and just stared at the stage all night - didn't even really see them cheer. Everyone seemed to be having a great time - I would have been first row up against the barrier but that was filled up by young emo/goth kids as soon as we were let in, they claimed their spots and didn't move, can't say I blame them. The place was packed, not sure if it was sold out or not though.

The band sounded GREAT to me, they were just as loud if not a bit louder than Hypernova - yes, Von's mike could be turned up a bit but it wasn't nearly as bad as I was led to believe based on some recent reports. He sounded fantastic - no howls or anything, but his voice and singing sounded great. Chris wasn't overpowering with the backing vocals either. I thought Summer and Flood 2 were absolutely stunning - the unreleased songs, especially Susanne and Summer were very well received too. Lucretia rocked the house hard - and I take back what I said before about not caring for the new live arrangement of Logic, it was great. Von was pretty animated, especially the second half, about the same time the crowd really got into it. No jumping about the stage but lots of arm gestures and moving around the stage, mostly center but moved closer towards Chris to the right a few times - looked down at the crowd in my direction a few times which often drew cheers, also made everybody take out their damned cell phone to try to get pics too.

Very foggy, but not overwhelming - but, again, I was pretty close so maybe I could see more than others. It seemed to come in spurts - it would clear a bit, then a burst of heavy fog, Von would move back into it and then emerge out of it again. Not quite the nonstop super thick fog I remember from the last time. Not really any banter - all of the following is just based on what I thought I heard, while I could hear the singing quite clearly anything else was a bit mumbled - early on he said something like "just play the game" I think - I think during "Alice" right before the chorus he said something about singing it in case he forgot the words (or something like that - in any case we obliged and sang "Alice, don't give it away!" because the band did not) During the first few beats of Anaconda a girl shouted "Anaconda!" and he said something like "what's it called again?" - before Vision Thing "this is called no more years" - he made one or two other comments but I couldn't make them out at all.

Hypernova were great - wish I would have picked up a CD at the show, but I plan on picking one up soon. Ran into one of them as I was headed towards coat check to get my jacket, he looked like he was headed somewhere so we didn't chat much, I just said great set, glad I got to see you guys - he looked a bit surprised when I tapped him on the shoulder to stop him and thank him for playing, but said thank you and was very nice. And their tour diary on their Myspace is interesting - pictures and a few comments and such for each show. During the last song the singer did pull out a camera and take some pics of the crowd and of the band themselves - presumably for said tour diary.

Other bits and pieces that don't really have much to do with the show but are all a part of my night:

Ended up on the guest list - I had added Ben and Chris as friends on Myspace and said looking forward to Chicago - turns out Ben was online so he replied and we shot a few messages back and forth, he was looking for advice about where to go in Chicago (Sunday night, night before the show - him and Hypernova) Since I don't live there I couldn't help much but I did name off some places I was somewhat familiar with - he said if I needed any guest list that it would be no problem. My boyfriend and I already had tickets but I took him up on it in case we were able to get some other people to go - but no one could on such short notice, even though it would have been free, so we ended up just using our tickets.

I hope it got taped - I didn't think about it until way too late to do it (as discussed in the Taping Help thread) - now that I know it isn't too difficult I am looking into getting a recorder when I've got the money, for future shows, Sisters or not. My purse was checked pretty well, even the small zippered pocket, but I had a small makeup bag in my purse that wasn't checked at all - I probably could have put something in there. So now I know how I could get something into a show - my makeup case inside a purse has never been checked. My coat pockets and pants were run over with a metal detector but not actually checked, I wasn't even patted down, was a bit surprised.

My gin and tonic before the show was pleasantly strong - quite strong actually, which is good considering how much I paid for it. That along with the building excitement got me quite giddy.

Dean (the guy that runs the merch table right? I think I read on here he was a friend, from Leeds? I'm not for sure that's his name but whoever he is...) was very nice as usual, friendly and talkative. The only girly tour shirts left were larges - I commented that I was picking up extra for people who didn't get them at earlier shows, he said yeah, they didn't show up until late but then everything with this band was just so damn weird all the time anyways, it couldn't ever just be normal. I was tempted to ask about the supposed video he recorded from the 2006 tour and what happened to it but didn't - there were people waiting behind me so I got my stuff paid and left.

Not that anybody cares but our drive home was - interesting. No problem getting out of Chicago or to the toll road or anything, but once we got farther east and hit Indiana the weather got bad - lake effect snow, the first real snow of the winter. Instead of a two hour drive it was closer to three before we got home - the last CD I put in the player was Some Boys Wander By Mistake - we hit the worst of it (very low visibility - we couldn't see the road but we were right behind a semi so we just followed it at around 20 mph - super slick road, blowing snow) right as Afterhours started, and got out of it as it ended. Not important but watching the blowing snow in the darkness, couldn't see anything around us but the semi truck's lights ahead, with that song - it was gorgeous actually, I found myself holding my breath, but then I wasn't the one driving the car. And as we neared our exit - we were already going pretty slow, the toll road was pretty clear but there was quite a bit of snow on the off ramp - as we tried to get onto it we hit a slick spot and did two complete spins on the road - thankfully the truck and cars behind us were a good half mile away. We straighten out and do make it off the road onto the ramp before they get there, and I'm laughing hysterically. But we made it home safely.

So in summary - a GREAT night! I had an absolute blast, they rocked the house, downtown Chicago was nice if a bit cold (but only my second time walking around down there - I'm more familiar with the north side) It was way better than I expected, based on recent reports of sound issues and my own 2006 experience - go see it if you can! I wish I could have seen more than one on this tour, they've really got it together and put on a great show!

Still a bit giddy and high from the whole experience.

Ah, one more thing - Hypernova started about an hour after doors open I believe, not sure how long they played but there really wasn't much time between when they left the stage when Sisters came on. I seem to remember it being a lot longer last time around, between Warlocks and Sisters.

The before/between sets music (DJ Scary Lady Sarah) wasn't bad, I'm really not up with current goth/industrial though which is mostly what she plays (I think?) - I was really surprised I didn't know anything. All I recognized was Iggy Pop's "Nightclubbing" as we walked in, Skinny Puppy after that, a Ladytron song, and much later a crap cover of T. Rex's Bang a Gong, and shortly before Sisters came on, New Order's True Faith (which, if I would have had more room to move I totally would have busted a move. I adore New Order.) I might be a somewhat young fan but I guess I was hoping for better stuff. All in all, not terribly impressed with the song selection - but then I was there for the bands, not the DJ.

Now that is what I call a comprehensive review!

Nicole wrote:...everything with this band was just so damn weird all the time anyways, it couldn't ever just be normal.

Surprise!...not.

Great read Nicole!

euphoria wrote:The Chicago crowd transformed completely as the concert went on, from zombies to dancers
Ben and Chris love playing Logic - I didn't meet them but it really showed! Let's pray it stays in the setlist in Europe.
Andrew made some comments, but nothing I could hear. His singing got better with each song, even if there was no howling...and I for one can live without that.

Agree with all of this - the crowd transformation really was dramatic. The first few rows were into it from the beginning but you could feel it when the crowd and band finally "clicked"

Andy's singing did get better with each song - didn't see any big smiles but the band seemed to be enjoying themselves. Ben and Chris really ham it up during Top Nite Out.

7anthea7 wrote:Now that is what I call a comprehensive review!

Knew you'd be pleased. Hopefully it wasn't overkill - but I had such a great time I wanted to describe it all in detail.

Nicole wrote:New Order's True Faith

Nicole wrote:a long review

Thank you.

Great review, oh pink-haired one!
Thanks for sharing..
Sounds like all had a memorable evening.
Pretty graphic I must say...mentioning emo kids and g**h kids rocking out in front. Late bloomers to say the least.
What would do? WWVD?
Who knew? Perhaps their parents were there, too?

I found a few other reviews of this show - nothing professional, just other postings elsewhere. None good. Which I actually find rather surprising because I was thrilled with it, and the crowd energy seemed good - I'll admit I was a bit disappointed in 2006 (still enjoyed it though) but this year they blew me away - so I don't think it's fanaticism clouding my judgement. Or maybe because I was up close? Ah who cares anyway what others think - I had a blast. But it's still surprising.

Nicole captured a lot of what I experience, from crowd energy to the sound getting better as things went along.

I brought a stereo digital recorder (Zoom H4) and was psyched to try my hand at a boot, but HOB security was extremely tight. I watched as people ahead were wanded and patted down, opened bags, the whole nine yards. As I walked up, the first fellow told me I'd have to check my knapsack, in which I'd hope to bury the H4. Since the H4 is the size of a first generation Walkman, there's no concealing it on my person. This was most disappointing, but I found no way around it. In the end, after trying various things, I gave up & checked my bag -- didn't want my H4 confiscated. So my view is, for HOB dates at any rate, don't try bringing in anything you can't bear to lose, this was anything but lax security.

Though I agree the energy level rose as the night went on, overall I was still disappointed with the audio. I stood just back of the mixing desk, so a stone's throw from Nicole, but the sound was muddy and vocals were a low mutter. If I didn't know melodies and lyrics, so many songs would have been interchangeable apart from Dr Avalanche.

On the other hand, it DID change dramatically, as others have posted. I'd say about the time of the new tracks (Susanne, etc). Which got me thinking, since so much about the Sisters is deliberate, even the bits they're criticized for: was this AE's latest commentary on Rock 'n' Roll spectacle?* Sure, maybe it just took that long for the band to gel, but I'm skeptical 'cos (a) Hyper Nova had much better sound, with the same mix desk, and (b) there was no evidence of tinkering from song to song. It just suddenly came into focus: you could hear the melody line on Giving Ground, you could hear lyrics, and all in all, there was separation between instruments, etc. But I know that with Sisters, I'm an apologist and look for reasons where none's to be found. Maybe they were just crap for the first third of the show.

Other thoughts: The few versions of Lucretia that I've heard prior to this version were not retooled the way this one was. Almost acoustic guitar strums, not just a new band playing the old song, but a new version akin to what's been done to Alice. Am I remembering that right, anyone? I also had not heard the retooled Logic, so maybe I'm muddled. Anyway, both were great: done well, and great versions of old songs. Price of admission, right there.

Also heard a few asides between songs, but could not make out anything. Thanks to Nicole for the "No more years" translation, I missed that!

Good show, all in all, but I'm just not as over-the-top about it as some others. Hangover from the missed opportunity to record, maybe!


* To clarify: so much of rock shows are posturing, poor musicality, and frankly ... indistinguishable from scads of shows that preceded them. It's as if he was mocking this by emulating it perfectly. Now, WHY he'd want to risk self-destruction for the sake of an extended joke, I'm not sure. But my mind got to wandering this way as I sat through the first 6 to 8 songs, and thought maybe it'd had been better if I'd stayed home and listened to my albums.

Ah, yes: something I picked only while hearing Something Fast this time. I've always loved the double- and triple-entendre in AE's lyrics, the layers that come out when taken in a different light. In retrospect this is obvious, but I never caught the idea that "something fast" could be a reference not only to the narrator's need for a rebound (romantic perspective), or just a quickie (slightly more sinister perspective), but can be taken much more literally: for a fast song. This was really quite evident in the context of the show, with all the uptempo songs preceding it, and the noticeable crowd reaction (perhaps I imagined it?) as the band downshifted into the opening strums of Something Fast.

As ever, AE likes to comment on what he's doing, even as he's doing it. I missed all this in the 80s, since I only heard the studio side of the band. It was nice to get some of the concert persona directly, this time, and not just read about it later in Melody Maker.

elenchus wrote: I brought a stereo digital recorder (Zoom H4) and was psyched to try my hand at a boot, but HOB security was extremely tight. I watched as people ahead were wanded and patted down, opened bags, the whole nine yards. As I walked up, the first fellow told me I'd have to check my knapsack, in which I'd hope to bury the H4. Since the H4 is the size of a first generation Walkman, there's no concealing it on my person. This was most disappointing, but I found no way around it. In the end, after trying various things, I gave up & checked my bag -- didn't want my H4 confiscated. So my view is, for HOB dates at any rate, don't try bringing in anything you can't bear to lose, this was anything but lax security.

Aww - that's disappointing. I'm still hoping someone managed to record this show but it isn't looking like it so far. I had a fairly large purse myself that was checked pretty well (except the makeup case, though it wasn't all that big) but I wasn't patted down, just wanded. But then, under my trench I had on slim jeans and a black tank top so maybe they figured I didn't have any place to hide anything if I wanted to anyways?

elenchus wrote: Though I agree the energy level rose as the night went on, overall I was still disappointed with the audio. I stood just back of the mixing desk, so a stone's throw from Nicole, but the sound was muddy and vocals were a low mutter. If I didn't know melodies and lyrics, so many songs would have been interchangeable apart from Dr Avalanche.

Hmm - I was actually pretty happy with the sound - it did start off a bit muddy but not as bad as I expected. But that's exactly how I felt in 2006, that it was hard to tell what song was playing until halfway through it. Not so much this time around - but then anything probably would've sounded better than 2006, and I've been listening to all the live stuff showing up from this tour since the tour started. The sound did get better as the night went on but I didn't think it was too bad to begin with - but like I said, maybe I went in with low expectations. And like everybody else says, Andy's mike could have been turned up a bit, but I was still able to hear him.

elenchus wrote: On the other hand, it DID change dramatically, as others have posted... It just suddenly came into focus: you could hear the melody line on Giving Ground, you could hear lyrics, and all in all, there was separation between instruments, etc. But I know that with Sisters, I'm an apologist and look for reasons where none's to be found. Maybe they were just crap for the first third of the show.

That's quite possibly the case - the Sisters seem to be "on" or they're not - I thought Ribbons and Flood I sounded pretty good though - but it was definitely about Giving Ground where it picked up, sound-wise, and where the chemistry between the band and the crowd clicked. The dramatic intro to the song, with the synth line, the beat, the guitar, just clicked and seemed to grab everybody's attention. I think that was also when Von really turned "on" as well.

elenchus wrote: Also heard a few asides between songs, but could not make out anything. Thanks to Nicole for the "No more years" translation, I missed that!

That's pretty much all I got - looked like he said a couple other things (as I was watching and heard...something) I'm pretty sure but it was when the crowd was cheering so I didn't catch anything.

elenchus wrote: Good show, all in all, but I'm just not as over-the-top about it as some others. Hangover from the missed opportunity to record, maybe!

That is a shame - I don't think Chicago was recorded last time around either, at the Metro (not that it would have turned out all that well) Which I found strange, for some reason I thought Chicago was one of those cities where everything seemed to be recorded and turn up eventually. I admit, I was pretty much over-the-moon about this show, but I really was thrilled with it - again, remembering 2006, my first time seeing them, and as much as I enjoyed it I was a bit let down. Not so this time - I was up close to the stage, danced, sang, was much more familiar with the unreleased "new" material and had a hell of a good time!

Good to hear someone else's thoughts of the evening! Thanks for sharing!

[/quote]

elenchus wrote:Ah, yes: something I picked only while hearing Something Fast this time. I've always loved the double- and triple-entendre in AE's lyrics, the layers that come out when taken in a different light.

I LOVE this about his lyrics - I'll hear a song and it will make me thing of one thing, or evoke a certain emotion - I'll listen to the same song much later and feel something different. So the lyrics are cryptic - I actually prefer it to lyrics that spell everything out for you - also love the wordplay, general use of language. They can mean everything and yet nothing at the same time. It just evokes such a huge range of feelings and emotions, the combination of music and lyrics, very complex which you don't usually find in rock n roll. I can definitely see where hearing a song in a live context would bring something new to mind.

Nicole wrote: The before/between sets music (DJ Scary Lady Sarah) wasn't bad, I'm really not up with current goth/industrial though which is mostly what she plays (I think?) - I was really surprised I didn't know anything. All I recognized was Iggy Pop's "Nightclubbing" as we walked in, Skinny Puppy after that, a Ladytron song, and much later a crap cover of T. Rex's Bang a Gong, and shortly before Sisters came on, New Order's True Faith (which, if I would have had more room to move I totally would have busted a move. I adore New Order.) I might be a somewhat young fan but I guess I was hoping for better stuff. All in all, not terribly impressed with the song selection - but then I was there for the bands, not the DJ.

Apparently, SLS was told by TSOM's management prior to the show to not play anything "goth". This probably affected her song selection quite a bit. Hell, I'm surprised that TSOM would even agree to play the gig, as SLS is widely known as an overtly goth DJ.

Rat_Bastard wrote:

Nicole wrote: The before/between sets music (DJ Scary Lady Sarah) wasn't bad, I'm really not up with current goth/industrial though which is mostly what she plays (I think?) - I was really surprised I didn't know anything. All I recognized was Iggy Pop's "Nightclubbing" as we walked in, Skinny Puppy after that, a Ladytron song, and much later a crap cover of T. Rex's Bang a Gong, and shortly before Sisters came on, New Order's True Faith (which, if I would have had more room to move I totally would have busted a move. I adore New Order.) I might be a somewhat young fan but I guess I was hoping for better stuff. All in all, not terribly impressed with the song selection - but then I was there for the bands, not the DJ.

Apparently, SLS was told by TSOM's management prior to the show to not play anything "goth". This probably affected her song selection quite a bit. Hell, I'm surprised that TSOM would even agree to play the gig, as SLS is widely known as an overtly goth DJ.

Not surprising that she would be talked to about song selection - yeah I was surprised to see her promoted with the show, I've never heard her play before but I'm familiar with who she is from reading up on Chicago clubs nights and such - some websites with the tour date mentioned SLS and not Hypernova. But I thought I didn't recognize much because it was newer goth stuff which I don't really keep up with unless The Birthday Massacre count - but apparently it wasn't - but in any case - the songs I did recognize I was happy with, you really can't go wrong with New Order, Ladytron, Iggy Pop - the other stuff I wasn't thrilled with.

It's hard to say what exactly is "goth" and what is not - I mean, Echo and the Bunnymen, Chameleons, Iggy Pop, even Bowie etc are popular among "goth" music fans, and are heard on goth club nights - but are they goth? I gave up trying to figure out what genre stuff was a long time ago, so when people ask what my favorite music is that I like to listen to I end up saying something like "80s alternative"

Nicole wrote:...newer goth stuff which I don't really keep up with unless The Birthday Massacre count

It does with me! So you've got company. Although I feel they kind of fall into the following conundrum...

It's hard to say what exactly is "goth" and what is not - I mean, Echo and the Bunnymen, Chameleons, Iggy Pop, even Bowie etc are popular among "goth" music fans, and are heard on goth club nights - but are they goth? I gave up trying to figure out what genre stuff was a long time ago, so when people ask what my favorite music is that I like to listen to I end up saying something like "80s alternative"

Sigh. I so miss the 80s...

7anthea7 wrote: Sigh. I so miss the 80s...

*sigh* for me too - I feel like I was born in the wrong era - I don't connect with much anything newer, music or scene or whatever - even my dance music. I was never quite a rave kid but I still love to go dancing - and I always think gee I would really love to hear some old school Chicago house, or old school EBM instead of this poppy trance crap (or more often, rap) Doesn't help that I live in a city that thinks it is a college town but is far from it - there's nothing here, except lots of hotels and restaurants for all the people that come into town for football games. The bars only end up booking crappy local cover bands or AOR sounding stuff - any time a small place opens up that books stuff like punk or anything out of the ordinary it ends up getting shut down and closes (course all of these places end up being all ages) Once people are out of college here it seems they stop going out - they settle down and get married, and pretty much stop having a social life. I thought this kind of feeling would go away once I got out of high school - well that was 8 years ago. I should not feel old at 26 in the (one) local dance club for chrissake. My boyfriend and I have been planning on moving for a year now, hopefully in the spring. It's kind of sad to hate your hometown this much but the city really is dying, not just in the way of cultural offerings either. But, I digress...


Hah - frustrated much?
*steps off of soapbox*
So, anyways - oh yeah this was a Sisters thread. The show was great it made me very happy to get out of town and lose myself in music, smoke and lights for a time. I needed it badly.

Back in Europe now, trying to recover my memories from the Chicago show. In fact I don't have to, because Nicole has described everything so good and detailed already! Thank you

Generally speaking though - I think there are a few things that make this tour far better than the 2006 tour.

First of all, I think the setlist this tour is brilliant, with a very strong "midfield" - there will be an enormous change in ambience if you replace for example On the wire, Romeo Down and Slept with Marian, This Corrosion and Amphetamine Logic. I'm sure the Chicago concert would have lost its momentum with a 2006 setlist.

Secondly, Ben has really stepped up in front of the band and plays more freely...and I get really pissed off when I read some rants from time to time on Dominion about how Ben needs a good talking to...really, he doesn't need s**t, especially not from those people! I was negative to him in the beginning and I did understand the criticism about bringing in someone who likes Bon Jovi. But the thing is, he doesn't give the Sisters songs more poodle rock from the 80s - he gives them life! Just listen to and compare Giving Ground or the Flood tunes with what Adam did ..or not did.

Thirdly, Andrew is for some reason more vivid and talkative, be it because of the election result or just because he happens to be in a good mood. And at least in some concerts, like Chicago, he has shown that he still can sing powerful. I don't deny there is a problem with the voice/the microphone/gain/whatever, but Chicago was a hell lot better in this respect than any 2006 concert I saw. Maybe it has helped to quit/reduce his smoking.

And, even if this might be unpleasant words to many Americans, Chicago is my absolute favourite city in the US this far. This comparison includes popular cities like NYC, SF and San Diego. Never before seen a downtown with such skyscrapers that is actually very much *alive* after 6 pm. Wonderful!